She smiled and said," Well, that doesn't concern you 'brother' ", she said as she walked towards her office. Mwas ran up to her and, matching her pace, said in a heavily forced sweet ," Sis you know tomorrow's the festival right? I was wondering if you could ... you know do me a favor." Shiru winced. How many 'favors' had she done for him only to be forgotten until the next time. However 'their' father had come to her office a few days ago and it wasn't pretty. If she ever helped him again, she'd regret it, he had warned her.
" I can't help you," she said and continued walking. Mwas merely smirked and continued , " Please just this once I won't ask you for any other favor ever again." Shiru stopped talking and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Father was here,'" she said silently looking straight at him. That sobered him up. He looked again at her, was she lying? No she wasn't. Still he needed her help. " Just help me get some things in and that's it I won't come here again," he said seriously. She looked at him again ans sighed. Family. "This is the last time you understand"? she asked giving him her pass key badge. He took it and nodded in agreement and walked past her smiling. In the end, she'll always help he thought. "Enjoy the festival sis," he said loudly waving a hand in the air then disappearing into the left corner. Shiru stood there contemplating before finally turning and walking away.
*
*
*
Once every two months the village would host a festival. It was called the Nyiza Festival. It was meant to be a week of celebration, commemorating the creation of the village and also engaging in all water activities. This included water sport games, swimming and people having all out fun.
Kim, wearing shorts slacks and a vest stood in front of Shiku's house. He was feeling rather shy and embarrassed because she was a girl he liked, for a very long time. She was a tech-geek always fascinated and experimenting on new things, making her own and pretty much made some of the gear he had used in hunts. He boldly knocked the door. A few seconds later Shiku , a girl with bark brown skin clear brown eyes and plaited hair appeared. She had curves in all the right places but right now, they were hidden by the large overalls and lab coat she was wearing. "Kim," she said excitedly in her slightly husky voice. "Come on I have to show you the masterpiece, " she continued going back inside the house, leaving the door open for him. He smiled. This was the only place in the whole village where he could let his guard down and not get scared, a place where he could just be himself. Here, with her, was the best place in the world for him. He followed her in and closed the door behind him
The house looked like one large laboratory combined with a messy eatery. Well this was nothing new for him. Both father and daughter were crazy about technology always huddled in their even larger lab in the basement. " Oh Kim dear, " said a feminine voice from the kitchen. It was Shiku's mother who was smiling and crossing the large open plan kitchen toward him. She looked exactly like Shiku with the only exception being her short hair. She stopped midway and said, " Why don't you head down and let me finish up cooking lunch and cleaning up then I'll give you a proper greeting. Remembering the 'proper' greeting she was talking about, his face flushed. "O-ok ", he said as he dashed for the stairs leading too the basement. Kids these days, thought Shiku's mother as she looked at the mess in front of her.
Kim entered the squeaky clean lab rather suddenly. Shiku looked up and giggled. " You're not supposed to scare me like that you know," said a deep voice in the far right corner of the lab. It was Shiku's father. He was a tall well built heavy man who often looked like an overbearing imposing club bodyguard. He was a gentle soul though and he loved to share his technology creations with Kim. Both father and daughter shared a look and Kim grew wary. He knew that look. It was 'the make-a-crazy-over-the-top-tech piece-and-make-Kim-your-test-subject' look. Kim groaned inwardly, he had seen this look too many times he lost count, he really should have gone to the new water slide with Thia. Loudly he sighed and said, " Alright what I'm I supposed to do"? To which both father and daughter beamed at him and began talking enthusiastically at the same time, overlapping each other.
A few minutes later, Kim found himself strapped onto a chair. Wait, he thought this was new. Of all the tech test outs and experiments he'd ever done here, never had he ever done one like this. " No worries son its just a formality and a precaution for this new tech we created a while ago," said Shiku's father. Shiku opened a small metallic box and brought out a small black bracelet. She held it delicately and placed it on Kim's upper left arm. It felt cold Kim thought as he glanced at it," What now..."? he asked but didn't finish when sharp piercing pain poured from where the bracelet was. He cried out in pain and looked at the bracelet. He then looked up and saw Shiku's face full of worry and her father already near him calling out his name .
He passed out.