GHOST (The Shadow in the Dark)

Part Forty One

The camera left them and moved to the garden where the ladies were working. There were so many vegetables including tomatoes and pepper. There was a small poultry close to the garden. I wished the camera would move to the orchard because I love the little I was seeing. In fact, I wanted to go there and join them to pick ripe tomatoes and fill up sand in the bag containing the nursery plants. They were discussing but there was no audio, seemed to be intentional. I could still see the gate connecting the garden to the farm. The camera went back to the children and they were sitting down on the field. AI was sitting between GG, their hands on her shoulder while the dog was sitting close to Geoffrey who had his other hand on his neck. They were watching Pearl. I glued my eye to the tab screen because it was no film trick, it was real. Karate kid would have to give me back the data I used to download it because this girl was something else. She made me to remember those Chinese movies where they pose, legs and hands crossed, then they would start displaying their fighting skills. She was moving with grace and at a point, it looked like she was dancing and leaping but she had a plank sword with her.
"Are you sure she is ten?"
"What do you think?"
"I feel weak watching her. Please I want to learn how to fight. I can't imagine her at eighteen."
"Not only you. I think we might have contributed to making her this lethal but she is passionate with what she does. She has passed stage three of karate long ago, she is getting better with Sabrina's death dance and I can bet my head that if cult groups like Boss were to face her one on one, she would beat them. They can't fight, just feel powerful because they possess weapons."
But he was going too far, she was good but defeating twenty guys was not possible. But I did not have the time to argue with him because I saw Wolf coming to the field, he had things that looked like stones on his hands and without warning he stoned his daughter. I was horrified by his actions but something was wrong. She was backing him but she deflected it with her sword. He released more and all the stones in his hands but no one touched her to my relief. She ran to his outstretched hands and got a bear hug and a kiss.
"What just happened?"
"Were you listening to all I had said? I told you they have sixth sense. This is nothing. To hit Wolf and his daughter by surprise is a great achievement. She can deflect all that with her eyes closed. She has been trained to see with her sixth sense and deflect danger without looking. So she can fight someone without turning back to protect herself from another because she would know and dodge without seeing. She has been training since she was seven. Forget the age, she is a lethal weapon and Wolf is not taking any chances."
I had paused the video, I continued watching. AI was running to Wolf when he dropped Pearl. Wolf picked her up and threw her up scaring the shit out of me but AI was squealing, hands outstretched, legs shaking from being excited as she fell back. Wolf caught her and threw her up again and she squealed more.
"Not all babies fear height, it's their ritual."
I paused the video because it made me to remember something.
"Wait, GG and AI. They were the ones Fast wanted you to pickpocket for a ride?"
I was horrified when he nodded.
"Don't tell me you did?"
"Yes of course. Immediately I dropped you I picked them from their rooms. Alarms don't work on me. Pearl was also part of the plan. It was a fun ride. Their mums were the only ones horrified when we started a life video but they later calmed down because the creatures they were worried about were squealing with excitement. They've always refused Fast taking them to Abuja, they preferred being driven by their husbands because they believed they will be terrified but our plan worked because the children were so happy. George was even screaming for more when we came back while AI refused to come down, she clung to Fast. In conclusion, only the women are normal, the children did not take after them."
I stared at him as I tried to believe those children enjoyed a ride with Fast but he was laughing. I turned and continued the video because I had nothing to say to him.
The ladies were coming out from the garden carrying baskets of vegetables. GG ran to Beast's wife, then Mena. There was so much love in the air and it was intoxicating. Wolf dropped AI and attended to the dog who was barking excitedly around him.
"Are you sure he is not a descendant of a Wolf?"
But he started laughing.
"Funny, we have asked him that same question. We told him he needs to do a paternity test using his brother because his dad is late, there might have been a switch when he was born."
I turned my attention back to the video just in time to see Jason lifting AI off the ground. He was not on gloves. He rubbed his face on her face or rather they both rubbed their faces together. She was really the center of attraction and I just knew she was going to be very special to Jason. Beast and the elderly lady walked to the field carrying sugar canes. I did not see it in the farm. He was bare chested and I felt shy watching, I did not know why. Jason dropped AI to also greet the dog. Suddenly, I could hear them. Beast squatted as AI came to him. She was so small in front of him.
"Who am I seeing?" Beast asked.
She answered him making me laugh. She spoke in children's gibberish language but I just knew she was saying AI.
"And who is AI?" and she answered for a long time describing what I don't know. I had to pause the video to laugh like the others in the video and to ask what she was saying.
"Please Ghost what is she saying with all seriousness?"
"AI is Abigail Ifeoma Justice, the one and only princess of the hunter's family, first of her kind after which no other."
I started laughing.
"Who taught her that?"
"Who else, from day one Beast always said it to her and she could mutter it from nine months."
I just could not get enough, I had never felt this elated. I pressed play to see what would happen next. Ghost had to do the interpretation.
"And who is Justice?" Beast asked.
"Beast."
"And who is Beast?"
"King of the Beast, with a queen and one and only princess."
"Who is the princess?"
"Me" she shouted jumping up so excited.
Beast picked her up and gave her a kiss, then threw her up.
"I love you so much" Beast said as he caught her.
"I love you daddy" she said.
I heard that one clearly and it felt so interesting and wonderful to see such big guy treasure his daughter so much. That girl might never know the meaning of hate.
"Halima you don't want to tell him?" Wolf asked grabbing Mena and pulling her to him. It was then I noticed she was pregnant, not too big but definitely pregnant.
"Is she pregnant?" I asked and Ghost nodded.
I turned back to the video in time to see Halima holding her stomach. There was something about her name but I could not place it.
"Tell me what?" Beast asked.
"That you should stop deceiving AI, there is going to be more princesses and princes. Stop deceiving yourself Beast."
"AI is that true? Does daddy need another princess?"
She shook her head, it made me believe that had happened many times for her to know what to do.
"But I think I may be preg..."
Beast pulled Halima to him before she could finish her statement.
"Young lady, stop joking. There is no more. I have the treasure I need."
She was laughing.
"AI, don't you want another princess or a prince? Tell daddy you want a prince."
"No" she shouted shaking her head.
"Two against one, you lost Obim. One is already a handful, I am not dying before my time" Beast said kissing her.
"Wolf I can't wait for John, let me see how you manage" Beast said dropping AI to raise GG. He placed them on his shoulders. He was not wearing hand gloves but I noticed he was careful where he held Geoffrey.
"Unlike you, I am doing fine with Pearl and I am not afraid of giving birth to myself" Wolf replied rubbing Mena's stomach. The video stopped just like how the other ended suddenly
"I don't understand, what is scaring about having kids, these ones here make me feel like having one of mine."
"Because you are seeing the wonderful side. You have no idea how difficult it is handling hyper active children like GG and AI. They are handful. I can't start listing all the crimes they've committed. AI keeps lifting heavy things. Jason always study her strength progression to know what to keep her away, or is it climbing and operating gadgets by GG? Most times they are one step ahead of us."
"This is my world Ella, my family. The others are in Abuja but you've already seen them and they can't wait to meet you" he continued but something clicked.
"Wait, Halima. I know that name. I read about one Halima that was connected to my family's murder."
"Same person."
I turned to look at him.
"How is that possible? I read that she was sexually abused for more than fourteen years? How is she married and so happy and how?"
He did not answer but laid on the mat, face facing the sky. I shifted away from his legs and laid down by his side.
"Cause she got connected to the one threaded to her."
"It does not tally, this is not up to three years ago but she is married and has a child and so happy like nothing happened. And she married that huge guy."
"It's a very long story Emmanuella. What I can tell you is, she is happy because she has experienced opposite of happy. Not just her, we all have stories to tell. Join my world and let her help heal you."
I turned to look at the sky. I immediately understood the importance of the tent being transparent. The sky was beautiful with lots of twinkling stars and the moon looking like it was about to retreat.
"Your world is more than my fantasy and it feels too good to be real. I never thought I would have a happily ever after."
"There is no happily ever after Ella."
"Is that not what you were showing me?"
"I was showing you my world and its good side. It's not like that all the time."
"You are talking about what Halima went through?"
"Not just Halima, all of us."
"I don't understand."
"George, Geoffrey, Ebuka, Ifeanyi, Abigail, Ifeoma, John, Pearl are not just names. They mean more than names to us Ella. George is the name of my fallen brother, Geoffrey is Jason's dad. The twins also bear Ebuka and Ifeanyi because they were people who mean a lot to Cindy. Ifeoma is Beast's late mum, Pearl is Pearl's late mum's name. John is one of Circle fallen heroes. Abigail..."
He paused, there was pain in his voice. I found myself holding his hand.
"Abigail was my sister-in-law, Beast's first wife."
I sat up and looked at him. I did not even know what to say. I remembered he had talked about a drug lord killing his sister-in-law but it felt different from the first time. My mind went back to the video of Beast and Halima crying and it all made sense. Ghost gently pulled me back to the mat.
"We have lost people special to us and we have no idea of what the future holds. The common thing binding us together is that we have decided not to worry over things we have no power over. We do our best knowing our family is waiting for us to come home and knowing they can be in danger because of what we do. We do our best to stay alive but we still know that sometimes our best may not be good enough. We live everyday like it is forever. The past is gone, we learn from it and handle the pain from it, the future is undecided, that's why the present is more important because it can decide the future. Our forever is now and we always make good use of it. That's why I want you to be my forever because now is forever. Come to my world and heal and understand that you still have a family. Marry me Emmanuella."
I closed my eyes and tried thinking of the other alternative but I felt chills just thinking of a life without Ghost. Call me crazy or anything but my mind was already made up in the morning. I was going to do the crazy thing by accepting to marry a man I'd not seen. But I had seen enough cause my mind kept playing the videos I'd watched and all I could think of was the children, the garden, the orchard, the love and I wanted to be a part of it. My body welcomed that idea.
"I want to be your forever too. Take me to your family, make me legally yours."
"Is that a yes?"
I paused to think.
"Yes Ghost."
I found myself wrapped in him and I remained there for a long time.
"So what next? This feels crazy that I am apprehensive."
"It means you are still very normal" he said kissing my hair.
"What next?" I asked again.
"You will see me after you come back from Church."
"You will be waiting for me?"
"Time to go back."
"No Ghost, let's settle this now" I protested.
"We have, I said after church. Just go straight to your room. The next step will be decided by you."
"I feel something hidden in that word?"
But he chuckled and pulled me with him out of the tent.
I wanted to ask him more about how I would see him but he drove off immediately he dropped me. He did not even say a word and I had forgotten to ask him about what he had discussed with Ken. My phone blinked as soon as I entered my room.
'See you tomorrow. I love you Emmanulla.'
'Will you be waiting for me in my room tomorrow?' but the message bounced back as not sent.