UNTAMED

Part Ten

                          
{I tell prisoners, ‘come on out. You’re free!’ and those huddled in fear, ‘it’s alright. It’s safe now.}

            She was lying down on the floor when she woke up to sunlight. It was a little too sharp for her eyes that she had to place part of her palm on her forehead to reduce the influx of light. At first, she could not understand what was happening, why the room was too bright, and why it was looking different from the room she knew. She tried standing up but felt weak and there was also the pain from Chief’s whipping. She had forgotten to clean her sore with the liquid Chief had always told her to use. But the room was a bit bigger and the walls were painted blue, the wardrobe was no longer facing the bed. Even the bed was higher than the one she knew, it was covered with a dark blue bed sheet. The window was very big and even though it was covered with white curtains, the room was still bright. Did Chief move her to the place he had earlier promised when she had slept off? A powerful scent permeated her nostril making her stomach to respond. She turned to find what was scenting. It was by the door, not too far from where she was sitting. She rushed to the door, her weakness and confusion forgotten. It was yam soaked inside a dark liquid with loads of meat.  Without figuring what the food was called, she used her hand to force a handful of yam into her mouth, ignoring the spoon. The taste was delicious and unexpected. Chief had rewarded her as she had thought. He had sent her something so delicious. She ate in-between mouth full, not pausing to take a break. She felt pains in her stomach but did not stop eating until she had consumed everything. She had to finish it before trying to understand what was causing her stomach to feel like she had swallowed a stone, because Chief might change his mind. She picked the water can close to the plate of food and drank to satisfaction, but the pain in her stomach increased, she held her stomach and at the same time, she looked for the drug that was supposed to come with the food. Anytime she was whipped by Chief, he had always sent a drug for her to take. He had said it would prevent her from dying and falling sick. She could not find the drugs and her stomach was beginning to feel like she was carrying a heavy block. She used both hands to hold her stomach and tried breathing fast to try curtail the pain.
“Stop it, you idiots” she heard someone shouting.
The voice was completely new. It was a female’s voice, someone like her. It had been long she heard a female’s voice. But why could she hear her? Was she her new neighbor? Did Chief forget to cover the wall so she wouldn’t hear what was happening outside? Once again, she was confused; she had no time to stay confused because there was something happening outside. She was hearing sounds she could not explain, it was like somebody was hitting two big woods together. She ran to the window, lifted the curtain but did not see anything but palm trees surrounded by bushes. The noise reduced as she moved to the window. The sight before her was so beautiful that even though the light was too bright, she could not take her eyes away. She never thought she would ever see such a beautiful sight. The only thing she had seen for a long time were walls and little light, everywhere had either been almost dark or very dark, but nothing like the beautiful sight she was seeing. A tiny animal with such a long tail climbed one of the palm trees that had ripe palm fruits inside. She was surprised she knew the name of the tree. She smiled as she watched the tiny animal try to take a bite at the ripe palm kernels. She wished she could go outside and touch the grasses and even lie down on it. She shook her head almost immediately, she was thinking too far. Chief was just allowing her see the bushes because she did well by refusing to go with that big man.
There was a crash coming from the other side of the wall where there was no window, next was a loud noise. It was a gunshot. She knew because that was how Chief killed that security guard. That was the only memory she had never forgotten. Chief had always made sure she remembered. She quickly ran to the wall same time another one was fired.
“Sabrina, what the fuck” two deep voices said at the same time.
One of them sounded familiar.
“Now I have your attention. If you think the robber bullets I just shot you with is all I’m planning to do, then you have forgotten what I can do. It hurts like hell I know but you know what I’m pointing at you now?”
“Shit, Doc drop that. Are you crazy?” that familiar voice said.
“Sabrina, drop that, it’s a command. You won’t dare” the other voice said.
“Try me and see. Wild it’s like you’ve forgotten my other nickname. I have a patient to treat and I don’t mind making it three. If you two idiots want to find out if I’m bluffing, continue your beast fight. I will shoot where hurts most and treat you later. You know it has been my childhood dream. I came prepared for both of you. I don’t give a damn if you both want to tear each other’s skin but do that later. Do you understand?” the lady shouted.
There was no response. There was another gunshot.
“The next will be your shoulders. I asked a fucking question, are you two going to display your testosterone or focus on the mission?”
“Sabrina this is between Wild and I” the familiar voice said.
“No this is between the Circle. I get it Tamed, but Wild is also right, we also lost Abigail and you prevented us from mourning with you, you locked us out and you want to end it like that? And Wild, how did you end up being our leader? So the best way to greet your best friend is to throw punches and fight like cave men? You guys forgot I’m also a cave crazy woman, you know I’ve done it before and I don’t mind doing it again. How do you think I’m surviving you guys as the only female? Try resume your fight and find out what I will do. Are you guys ready for the mission or not?”
“Only if you drop that gun” the familiar voice spoke.
“Nice try Tamed. With the way you are looking at me like you want to hit me with that wood. Both of you drop your wood and move away. Now. I need to see my patient and you better behave” the girl said.
“Am I clear?” the girl shouted.
“Yes” they both responded.
“Good. Tamed what’s the update?” the girl asked.
The voice that was familiar started talking.
“She banged the door for a long time but later gave in to fatigue, I took food to her as……” the voice faded away and she could no more hear them neither did she understand what had just transpired.
She went back to the window. The animal was no longer there but the bushes were still beautiful. Maybe those were Chief’s guard who were fighting over money but she could not place the girl’s role. There was a noise at the door, it opened and a lady entered. She was putting on a red gown with a long white jacket. She was fair unlike her dark skin, she had a long hair which she allowed to fall to her back. She did not cover her lips the way Chief always wanted her to, even her eyebrow was not painted but she was so pretty. That was the first time she was seeing someone like her after a long time.
“Hello.” The lady smiled at her.
She entered the room and walked towards her still smiling.
“I’m Doctor Sabrina. I was sent to check your wounds.”
“Chief sent you?” But she knew that was the answer.
That was why there was no drugs with the food she had earlier eaten. But Chief was really acting different, it was unlike Chief to allow anybody see her, but he had allowed two people to see her face. Something made her look at the door and she jerked back when she saw two big men entering the room. She knew the first one and even though his face was covered earlier, she still remembered how he looked like. The other one was dark like her and was also big. She stretched her neck expecting to see Chief but became afraid when the second man closed the door.
“What is going on? Where is Chief? Why is he still here? Am I still being tested?” She panicked.
“Don’t mind these men, they are my bodyguard” the lady answered still smiling.
She was carrying a big red and white box.
“Nooo, I want to see Chief….” She was worried Chief was still testing her.
“Do you really want to know where Chief is?” the lady asked.
She nodded. The men have not left the door. They just stood there watching. They both had blood flowing out from their arms.
“Okay, we are going to talk about Chief I promised. But we will only do that if you let me see and treat your wounds.” She was still smiling.
She nodded.
“Guys excuse us” Chief’s doctor said to the huge men.
They left and the lady told her to remove her clothes. She did as she was told, hoping she would finish very fast so she could meet Chief and tell him she obeyed him. The doctor made her to lie face down on the bed, it was then she noticed her stomach pain was gone. She started robbing something painful on the places Chief had whipped her. It was not smelling like the liquid she had normally used. It was painful but she had felt worse.
“Why are you not shouting? Is it not painful?”
She knew why Chief’s doctor asked that question. She wanted to find out if she would complain and tell Chief.
“No.” She hoped her answer was enough to please Chief.
“Have Chief ever given you drugs after flogging you?”
She wanted to answer but stopped. It was all a test. She was Chief’s doctor so she would know, she just wanted to find out if she would say something bad about Chief.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to answer, but can I confirm your name?”
Chief wanted to find out if she still remembered her name.
“Halima.”
“I love your name. Do you remember where you came from?”
She did not answer, she was asking questions Chief did not want her to remember. Chief was testing her.
“Halima please sit up, you are safe you know, you can tell me anything, I’m like a friend. I want to be your friend.”
She sat up and Chief’s doctor treated the wounds on her shoulder. She kept quiet, she was happy Chief had prepared her for something like this. She would have listened more if she had known Chief would use it to test her. Chief had said she should never trust anybody except him. And she would never tell her anything. Chief would be very happy with her and he might allow her come outside to touch the grasses and he might allow his doctor to come again and be her friend and he might start sending food twice in a marking. She remembered she had not marked anything yet.
“I’m almost done Halima, do you mind if I check inside your body? I want to see if you are injured there?”
She did not understand her question. She had already treated all the places Chief had whipped her.
“I don’t understand.”
The doctor smiled at her. She brought out some drugs from the box and also a water in a white rubber bottle.
“Take this first. It will help stop the pain and also it will help you heal faster.”  Chief’s doctor handed the drugs and water to her.
She took the drugs and swallowed it with the water.
“I also need to give you this injection, it will make sure you don’t die from your untreated injuries. Just say still” Chief’s doctor said.
She pushed a needle into her left arm close to her shoulder. She felt a sharp pain but bit her lips to prevent her from crying out.
“Good, I'm also going to put another injection, I want to test if you are healthy.” Chief's doctor placed a cotton wool on where she had just put the needle.
She did not understand what she meant but did not protest when she tied her left wrist and put another painful needle on the back of her palm, blood flowed into a tiny bottle that was connected to the needle. She placed a cotton wool on where she had put the needle just like the other one.
"You are doing well Halima. Now I want to check under your legs, to find out if you have injuries there.”
It was another test. Chief had said he was the only one to touch her there and nobody must see her.
“No, I don’t want. Remember to tell Chief I said I don’t want.” She put her gown back on. She went to the wardrobe, opened it but there were no chalk on the ground. There were so many female clothes but no chalk. She had to mark the wall, she must mark it to know when Chief would come so she could be ready.
“What are you searching for Halima?” The doctor’s voice was so close and sudden that she jerked up.
“I’m searching for the chalk. I need to do my marking.”
“What’s that?”
“You are not supposed to know. I can’t tell you.” She turned to continue her search but stopped when she heard a male’s voice.
“Hello Halima.” It was the other man.
The both of them were back in the room.
“How did you know my name? Where is Chief?”
“That’s why I’m here. I came to tell you about Chief” the man answered.
He had his arms folded across his chest. The one who came to the other room had not said anything yet. She abandoned her search for the chalk to listen to what he wanted to say about Chief.
“Where is he, when will he be coming back?”
She needed to know because she wanted to be ready. She could not wait to see how he would smile at her and tell her he was proud of her.
“The thing is that if I tell you, you won’t believe me” the man said.
“Tell me. I will believe you.”
It must be something good, Chief wanted to reward her.
“Chief…” the man said and paused.
She waited for him to continue. He just stared at her as if he was studying her.
“Chief is…” He paused again making her eager to know what he had to say.
“Chief is never coming back. Chief will never see you again, nobody will ever whip you again, you can do whatever you want to do, it’s over Halima. We’ve saved you from Chief.”
It took a while to understand what the man said.
“Noooo" she screamed.
"You are lying, take me to Chief, I love Chief, I’m not staying, I want Chief” she shouted running towards the door.
What did Chief want her to do that she had not done to show her loyalty. Why was Chief still testing her? She was prevented from escaping by the beast man.
“Nooo, bring Chief back, you evil people, stop deceiving me. Stop lying. I passed the test. You are still trying to make me fail so you can tell Chief. Leave me alone” she screamed and struggled in the arms of the man holding her.
“Let’s go. My work is over for now” the liar said.
“Are you sure you are a psychologist? You met her in a tranquil state but you are leaving her in a frenzy state” the one holding her shouted.
“We have a video conference by 10:30am, two minutes from now. I will explain later. Doc get your things lets go” the liar said.
They were going to leave her again. They were not going to tell Chief she had passed.
“Let me go, let me go back to Chief” she screamed.
She bent her head to bite him but it looked like he already knew she would do that.  He held her head up and waited till Chief’s doctor and the liar had left the room. He pushed her away and left the room. She tried to follow him but he had closed the door.
“Fuck you Wild” the man shouted.
She hit the door with all her strength. They were taking too long to tell Chief she had passed and Chief might not believe her if they delayed in telling him she had passed. She needed to find a way to convince them that she would never leave Chief before it was too late for her.