Smoke was seen coming out of a grass thatched mud house in a very remote area, and outside was the black SUV that hit Wanjiku. "How many days is it going to take Mama Suleiman?" A broad voice was heard from the far end of the house. Wanjiku was lying on banana leaves placed on the floor, facing up and both her hands placed on her stomach. "Mr. Sakaja, this one is beyond healing." The woman who was cleaning Wanjiku's wounds responded.
"She will be good for business Mama Suleiman, I will pay more this time, just ensure she doesn't die, okay?" Sakaja commanded. Mama Suleiman just nodded her head sending unsure gestures but had no choice. "Okay then, I'll see myself out." Mr. Sakaja claimed with a smile, as he walks out with his driver and bodyguard. Mama Suleiman stood still until the car drove away, then she ran out and headed towards a house far down the compound. It was a mud one too, but had iron sheet roof.
"What?" One lady, about twenty years of age shouted when Mama Suleiman rushed into the house. Two ladies were sitting on the couch, and one man lying on another couch using his phone. "We need to park and leave this place, hurry!" Mama Suleiman shouted. "What's going on mama?" The man asked. "Mr. Sakaja." She responded with a dreadful voice. "We told you to leave that nincompoop but you just never listen mom!" Another lady yelled. "And where do you think we get our food you lazy stupid people? When your father ran away I had to raise all of you and Sakaja has been so helpful." She wailed.
"So you're running from the helpful man, as you say it. How sarcastic." the man mimicked. "Yes, because he wants me to treat a girl who's dying in the next hour. I'm not God!" She yelled. "And where are we going?" one of her daughters asked. "Anywhere but here, or you want that man to kill you?" Mama Suleiman countered. They all stared at each other in disbelief as if their mother was going crazy. Then her son spoke with a low tone, "Mama, this home is all we have, and going back to that pathetic life we were living is worse than death."
"I know, but we survived the storms and rose above, didn't we?" Mama Suleiman screamed. Everyone's face looked scared and silence ruled the room for a minute before it was cut short by a roar, as if the lion was close. "The girl!" Mama Suleiman cried out in a scared tone. As she tried running back to the grass thatched house her son grabbed her hand and pulled her back, then jumped to the door. "This is not how you're going to quit on us mama!" Her son yelled. "What do you mean Suleiman?" Mama Suleiman yelled in a perplexed tone.
"You just heard a lion, a lion roar! And you want to go out there, to do what? To save that stranger you don't even know!" Suleiman uttered in a gravely tone. Mama Suleiman was confused after listening to her son's words. She was tongue-tied and broke in tears. It was a mixed up moment for her, and as broken as she seemed to be, her spoilt son and daughters didn't understand the depths of her pain. She was a strong lady to open up, always smiled and looked strong since she was the family's pillar. She always cried when she was alone. Her sobbing before her children was a new thing she has never done since they were born.
Suleiman locked the door and all the family stayed inside awaiting for their fate, incase the roar came from a hungry lion. "Why are you crying mom?" One of her daughters whispered. "Sh-she-she is an innocent girl. I can't imagine the lion fe-fe-feeding on her." Mama Suleiman opened up. And just after her response the roaring stopped. How the whole family stared each other, anyone could read assumptions on their faces. Later on, while they are still staring, gunshots filled the air. Without a blink, all of them lied down as if there was an order imposed but no one asked them to.
"Who's shooting?" Suleiman whispered in a terrified tone, while panting and trembling in a manner you could tell he is certain he is breathing his last. Mama Suleiman however was not moving, it's like she was scared to death. One of her daughters, the silent one noticed. "Mom! Mom! Moom!" Shirleen screamed as she thoroughly shakes her mother. Her efforts proved futile after a minute of trying. That's the moment all her siblings dropped their bother and focused on their mother who looked unconscious.
"Is she breathing?" Doreen asked. "Is she?" the beloved daughter, Maryanne yelled. It was a moment of confusion until gunshots resurfaced again. The roaring was heard too, and this time, it was close. Suleiman was the man in the house but scared more than her sisters which was sarcastic, her mother always treated him special being her only boy. In such times where his manly natures were needed, were the times where he failed the family terribly.
Everyone was looking at the side of their mother, but with the roaring and gunshots, no one had the courage to be resuscitating their mother, rather lie under the table for their dear lives. Footsteps followed just outside the house as if someone was in a hurry, then roaring was heard very close like the animal was standing at the door. Everybody was heavily sweating and holding their breadth not to be heard, then the unexpected happened. A knock on the door.