Awakening [GxG]

12

The time was 7:26 pm. The day was Saturday.

Narvari stood before a manor in the suburbs of Transu. It had taken her a three and half hour bus ride from Sharmandi to Aburusa, the capital of Dorben, then another thirty-minute ride in a taxi to Transu.

Before leaving her home, she had gone to see Motongo. The death of his family hit him hard, and he was completely depressed. Seeing Narvari had brought a little light to his eyes, but it still broke Narvari’s heart how much pain the boy was going through. She couldn’t believe she had almost given in to her cowardice to not go and see her only friend. She was glad Dawuli had changed her mind. Thankfully, Motongo’s father had survived. At least the boy still had someone. Of course, she wished none of this had happened. But there was nothing she could do about it.

Afterward, Narvari had gone to see Governor Andaga because she needed information about Tsalaga Nokubenda. Since Tsalaga worked for Stein, Narvari believed he knew how to find Stein. So as soon as Governor Andaga gave Narvari the address of the minister, she didn’t waste any time traveling all the way to Transu in south-western Dorben.

Narvari glared at the opulent home. It looked exactly like the place Tsalaga Nokubenda would live--a massive house surrounded by beautifully trimmed hedges, and a red Mercedes-Benz parked in the driveway. Narvari frowned when she didn’t see Tsalaga’s white Rolls-Royce.

Was the man not home? Or maybe he had another car. Narvari moved closer to the house. She was surprised there was no security around. The last time Tsalaga came to her home, he did so with a whole entourage. Maybe Tsalaga’s bodyguards had gone out with him. Or maybe she had the wrong address altogether.

“Can I help you?”

Narvari turned to see a well-groomed man in a black suit, with an intercom, tucked in his left ear.

Narvari sighed. “Is Tsalaga Nokubenda home?”

“You mean the Honourable?”

Her grip around the straps of her backpack tightened. There was nothing honorable about that piece of shit. Also, how many Tsalaga Nokubendas lived here? Suppressing the sarcasm dying to pour out of her soul, she simply nodded.

“What do you want with him?” he demanded.

Narvari found herself growing more annoyed by the second. What had she expected though? That she could walk into the house of a minister of state so easily without any interference? Actually yes, she had expected that. But she had also come prepared.

“I’m an envoy from Sharmandi.” She showed the man her ID. It was too bad she had already turned in her badge after stepping down as captain. “I’m Narvari Shar, Captain of the WPU in Sharmandi. I have an important business with the minister.”

The bodyguard narrowed his dark eyes. They were full of suspicion as he stared at Narvari. He did not in the least look convinced. Narvari sighed. Would she have to waste her time here convincing this guard that the youth were encouraged to take up leadership roles in Sharmandi?

Narvari may have been the youngest person to pass the Captain’s Test at thirteen years old, but she wasn’t the youngest to have applied. Moreover, more than fifty percent of Sharmandi’s government was below forty years old, with five percent being between the ages of eighteen to twenty-five years old. She was not an anomaly as a teenage captain of WPU.