Midnight Shrub

Chapter 13 part 1- ANJU AND NABILA

A/N: Chapter 13 shows has two parts. the first part is to show what Anju and Nabila were up to when Sijuade and Omasiri went into town. 

ANJU

It felt like I had slept in a bath of ice that was preserved for a year when I gained consciousness. The west is always cold in the morning but nothing compares to the North. I remember why I hated this place. Meanwhile, next to me Sijuade was snoring like a tired pig. A pig that enjoyed this cold weather.

"Wake up" I smacked him. "Wake up Siju! You have to prepare to leave." This log of wood refused to wake up instead he grumbled.

One last time. "Wake up! I'll go with Oma, if you don't stand up oga." The mention of her name made his eyes fly open. Finished man.

"What time is it?" The finished man asked.

"It's still very early and the position of my shadow says the sunrise was ten minutes ago."

"Oh, okay. Let me go in and freshen up." He got up, streched out and yawned.

One thing had been bothering me since last night and I felt asking will get it off my chest.

"Wait! Must Nabila train me? I have been doing fine with my archery skills all this while. I don't need a teacher." I stopped him in his tracks just as he was leaving.

I heard him give a deep sigh.

"And if we were caught by the men chasing after us your archery skills would save us? Let's not even talk about if we get to midnight shrub. Gods we have to prepare for the worst and right now your worst is your best bet. Which happens to be Nabila. So stop complaining and train." He tried his best not to raise his voice.

His lecture made a valid point. As much as I can't tolerate the northerners, I should be able to spend a little time with her training for the unknown.

With his last words, Siju went inside while I stayed to let his words sink in.

Every word he said had logic embedded in it. If I want to survive the midnight shrub, It's best I prepare for whatever I'm going to see, hear and feel. It's not just about Papa and Jireh, It's about meeting the gods and the nightmares.

"A paper uncovers the crime." That last sentence of the message bothers me. What crime? What paper? Was it an evidence to show how the men behind the blind night were the CHOSEN FOUR? These thoughts keeps running wild.

....

Just as I was done with my morning thoughts, Sijuade stepped outside in his western outfit, sokoto and buba, Fitting him like he belongs here. Except he does.

"Done freshening up?" I asked.

"Yes. Now i wait for my wife so we can commence our honeymoon." He never misses his chance to role play.

"Back to the wife stuff again?"

"Don't be jealous. It's just for a little while my main chick."

"Too early to be disgusted?" He just doesn't understand he could get beaten up for this joke one day.

"Nothing is ever too early babe."

"Please leave already."

"Going to prepare breakfast?" He asked

"Yes. I need energy to train." He knows my cooking skills are awful but thankfully I've seen him prepare this meal many times. It's not complicated.

"Don't forget to add extra tolerance spice, you'll need it." I could feel him stopping himself from laughing. Dumb joke.