Gifts Given By the Ocean can also be taken back.
After the death of the Village Head, estranged cousins Mandeeq and Shermake reunite at their Grandfather's funeral where their fathers fight over who would be the Heir to the village. With tensions ru...
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MANDEEQ
Mandeeq had been taken aback; she didn't expect for Shermake to be willing to share about himself. Mandeeq looked at Amana and saw that her sentiment was the same. This was clearly not the same person that had stormed off and was ready to kill Amana. To share something so personal and to allow oneself to be vulnerable was something that scared Mandeeq but it also something she admired. Especially coming from someone who says 'emotions are a waste of time' he sure was quick to get vulnerable.
In this moment she was reminded of Awoowo and she was happy to see a bit of him in her cousin. Shermake had shared a lot in that moment and Mandeeq was glad he did. He seemed a bit better as if a bit of weight had been lifted and Mandeeq was happy for him. There was a brief moment of silence before Mandeeq felt a sharp pain again, it hurt much more than the last headache. Would this be a regular thing? She thought.
Mandeeq noticed the looks of concern on the other two and was quick to dismiss it. She was happy to have someone worry about her but it also made things harder for her. She isn't one to speak about things that trouble her, the only one she feels comfortable enough to speak to was her Aabo, Awoowo and Ayeeyo, she felt a small tinge of pain remembering her Awoowo. Her image of him was a loving one, he was truly her best friend and as much as he missed him she also learned a lot from him. She believed that he would help them on this journey.
Mandeeq will be the first to admit she's had her issues with her Hooyo. Her Aabo always told her that they fight because they are too much alike but she loved her unconditionally and she never had a doubt about it either. After all, the way that her Hooyo would always have a bowl of bariis ready for her and the way she would silently slide it towards her as a peace offering after a fight told her enough.
"If you want to be strong enough to oppose me, you better eat everything I give you, nayaa." Her mother would say in jest, pinching Mandeeq's cheeks making the girl giggle in response.
Her family, her family's shop, her whole world is somewhere at the bottom of the ocean and she hasn't the slightest clue if they can actually pull off this rescue mission.
"I'm... scared beyond belief." Mandeeq confessed, it was the truth but she didn't think it would come out of her like that. She looked up at Shermake and Amana, clearly waiting to see if there was more.
"I'm not sure if we can even pull this off, none of us know what we're doing. We could be doing everything wrong and we haven't a clue until it is too late. Can we even save our family?" Mandeeq never felt defeated before a battle really began yet here she was, her hands shaking as if she was a newborn baby goat.
