Donnie quickly interrupted, “no Stephnie, you must bury your husband whether good or bad, you owe him that respect. I will come with you and bring Janny along. I know these are trying times for you. Things will be better again, we look forward to that day when we will all sit and laugh over this.”
As she embraced Stephnie, her eyes fell on Terry, who was staring at them. The way he stares was frightening, but something down the inside of her tells her that Terry can read minds around him, and that includes hers.
He is such a young child with strong feelings, and he seems to be reading the happenings around him perfectly. She remembered, he had stood close to Stephnie several times when he saw her crying. She looked away slowly.
A few seconds later, she narrowed her eyes at Terry again. She could see Mike in him. She could see the terror in Terry's eyes. She flinched, her heart raced, as she kept wondering how Stephnie could handle another Mike in Terry, all alone. She withdrew her thoughts as she struggled once more to fill the void in her mind. As time slipped, she started thinking again. She can’t imagine Mike could be this heartless.
Mike was not a womanizer nor does he have soft spot for ladies. She remembered testing him on several occasions and had proven he knows how to keep his organ in his pant. He never gave in to seduction irrespective of what a lady was wearing.
He was such a nice guy!
But why did he join the occult world?
Her thought went berserk again. Her eyes felt the weight of her thoughts as she bleak several times. But then, Mike’s lifestyle was well-patterned. He was hardly seen around. He was always calm and organized. His death was a huge shock. She still finds it hard to believe his death.
She remembered asking him on a date and could remember what he said.
“I have a pretty and most caring wife waiting at home for me. I am satisfied with her breasts and buttock. I don’t need an extra, and you know what? All women are the same, and one is not more sugar than the other. God had made them equal, with no cheating. Besides, only weak men, who care about nothing but sex all the way will often fall victim to seducers like …”
She noticed, he never completed the sentence. Perhaps, he wanted to say, “Like you.”
He had looked away when he said that and had never bothered to revisit his unfinished words. She loved Mike, but he was far beyond her reach and the way he behaves was far beyond being a billionaire also. She knew she lack words to explain her thoughts, but it may not be necessary now for Mike is dead already.
She had great respect for him because she had never seen a man, who can consistently resist the seduction of a lady, who carelessly exposes her body. Mike did, and that was appalling to her. He had closed his eyes against any external seduction from a woman. She had noticed Stephnie does not seem to be bothered the way other women do about their husbands. She just knew her husband was unique and respects her love. They seem to have gotten along very well until this tragedy.
Now, she wondered what the future holds for Stephnie. She could see her shivering. She felt so sorry for her; she held her hands and stared at her for a while.
A few seconds later, she pulled her hands down calmly and started for the kitchen. She opened up the tea kettle and poured out some into a teacup and walked back quickly into the sitting room and handed the teacup to Stephnie. “I think you need this, it will do you some good.” Stephnie quickly grabbed the teacup and sipped out of it carefully. She tried to control the tongue in her mouth.
She could feel the heat running down her throat to her stomach. She sipped again, and then again.
Soon, she felt her temperature rising to normal. Feeling relieved, she stared at Donnie and smiled, “thanks Donnie, the tea is working!” She looked away, bends down her head for a while, and lifted it slowly. She fixed her wearied eyes on, Donnie. “We shall be leaving for Alliya tomorrow. I will be happy if you could bring Janny Hilton along.”
Donnie smiled just wondering what her friend was thinking. She seems to be busy in her mind. She responded calmly, “always at your service, remember one good help deserves a good reciprocation.”
Stephnie ignoring what Donnie said spun around and glanced at the wall clock. “We shall be leaving very early tomorrow—Cardiff Jaklis will be driving us, and I will appreciate it if you come early.” Her eyes look sleepy.
Donnie Lemard nodded her head, “don’t get pressed up about that, I got your back, I cross my heart,” placing her hands to her heart region passionately, she buttressed her point.
They both sat down quietly for a while wondering what tomorrow has in store. This time, their eyes were filled with sleep. Stephnie knew a lot awaits her in Alliya but she needs to be calm and see how it will go.
************
Madone had been thinking. He knew Stephnie would say what she knew about Mike’s death, and the judges might favor her.
He had sat down on a cane chair at the back of his house. The house he inherited mysteriously from his late father.
He had never been a serious farmer when other farmers cross four rivers to get themselves fertile farmlands. He had lazily decided to use the little piece of farmland at the back of his house, a land his grandparent once farmed. His harvest had been ridiculously poor, but he had never thought it wise to look for alternative farmland. His greatest delight was to talk about women over a calabash of fresh palm wine with friends of like minds. He had a strong intention of having more wives only if he acquired Mike’s properties.
He sat down alone lost in his thoughts.
A few minutes later, he stood up placing both hands on his waist with a chewing stick fixed to his mouth.
He walked around for a while as he reasoned quietly, and suddenly like a playing child, he jumped up high into the air. He seems to have gotten a solution to his problem.
He hurried into the house through the back door and walked into his bedroom in anxiety. He dropped the chewing stick he had been using to wash his mouth on the table and then picked up his regular raffia handbag. He searches for money and put a few metal coins in his left pocket. He got his pocket examined carefully just to make sure there was no hole in it. He can’t imagine losing his hard-earned money to the dust. Satisfied there was no hole, he dropped the coins into it and looked around, making sure nothing was forgotten.
He pushed his bicycle quietly from the passage and a few seconds later, he was at the front of his house. He sat down comfortably on the leather seat that had been patched several times and then started pedaling to Zoomatie.
He knew he must ride faster to come back before dusk. As his thought flogged hard at him, he rode faster.
Zoomatie was the sixth village from Alliya with a land full of strangeness. Its daytime is unusually shorter than its nights.
He rode for a while and stopped.
He came down from his bicycle and started walking through the narrow bush path. He knew it would be difficult to ride through it, thorns on the bushes could puncture his tires, and that was exactly what, he never wanted.
He trekked for two hours through the quiet bush path before coming to an earth road. He quickly sat on his bicycle and started for Zoomatie, this time, more determined to ride faster.
Three hours later, he was at Zoomatie. He came down from his bicycle and parked it carefully under a Palm tree.
He walked straight into the tent of Iroko Matara, who was a renowned wizard. He entered with his back and turned around. He was shocked to see somebody different sitting behind the shrine. He stared at him for a while; there was something with his appearance. But, he never wanted to put his loaded brain to work, and he wasn’t hesitant either, “I came to see Iroko!”
Zikiziki remembered him perfectly well, “I think, I can recognize you. You are from Alliya. Iroko my father worked for you a few years ago, right? You couldn’t get one of your wives pregnant, because your third wife was jealous of her and got you impotent for two years. She must have gotten you, children, now? Besides, I think, I know your name—Madone, right?” his eyes redden.
Madone was not happy he is talking about the past. Anger swells up within him, as he struggles to put on a deceptive countenance. He adjusted himself on the flat stone he was sitting on and gave a cunning smile. “Oh yes, she has, she is a mother of two as will speak, and all is well.” His face brightened as he seems to be looking past him.
Zikiziki looked at him very smartly trying to read his thoughts.
Zikiziki had taken over his father's shrine very well, and his fame had spread beyond the six surrounding Villages, the fourteen rivers of iron, and the Mountain that harbors the Nokodmis—villagers who go about half-naked.
Zikiziki stared at him for a while, and then at the little raffia handbag with him, “I guess you were expecting to see my father? He had since joined his ancestors, and as you can see. I’m now in charge here, so how may I help you?” He forced a smile.
Madone was shocked as he managed to ask. “How old was he? He can’t possibly die like that!” he was looking scared now.
Zikiziki Smiled, “you have lost count of times and seasons, Madone. He had lived a hundred and five years and that is a good age. He needed rest if you ask me. Why are you here?” He asked thoughtfully.
Madone knew he had to put up a brilliant story if he must have some help with his problem. He cleared his throat and started, “I lost my beloved brother, Mike. He died a few days ago and is yet to be buried. We suspect his wife did the evil act. I mean killed him secretly for his properties. She had been ordered to come to the village for questioning. I want her speechless otherwise, she will lie to the elders and get away with her atrocities, and besides, she will inherit the properties of my late brother.” Sparks of fears circles around his eyeballs. He looked at Zikiziki whether he was listening. Satisfied he was, he continued, “we want her speechless, she deserves to be punished!”
Zikiziki glanced at him through his left eye, closing the other tightly, “what you are asking for Madone is difficult, really difficult. Why you came is different from what you are telling me, let me inquire first.” He stood up and made a quiet dance around his shrine. He stood and looked into space for a while and sat down quickly. He took some stones painted in red color and threw them into a cycle drawn on the ground with white color chalk. He uttered some incantations as he nodded his head several times, and then spoke out in a nearly cracked voice, “That woman has no hand in your brother’s death—she is innocent. You lied to me, Madone! You want those properties for yourself. It wouldn’t last. It belongs to a strong force, I can’t see now. However, let me try.” His eyes pierced through a mirror before him. So that he could see—