UNTAMED

Part Thirty Eight

{She is beyond compare, pure and innocent as the day she was born.}
       Cindy had rushed to the mini ring crying. Jason had followed her, he must have been at the gym. She had told him to go to Halima because she was acting hysterical. Jason’s reaction had been ridiculous, he had spun her around to find out if she was hurt. He had left them but she was not in the parlor as Cindy said.
What was wrong? Did Cindy add more damage to what he had already done? He went to the library but she was not there. Then she must be at her favorite place. He opened the door to her room and saw her sitting face down by the wardrobe. She was crying. He went close and bent down.
“Halima are you okay?” He asked trying his best to keep his voice moderate.
She raised her head like she was just aware of his presence. There was something different, the fear was not there.
“My message, is it true, did you broke the pot and found it?” she asked holding his T-shirt. She was in a state of panic.
He had so many things in mind that he was expecting to see but not this.
“Please tell me.”  She tightened her hold on his shirt.
“Yes” was all he could say.
He wanted to see her reaction.
“Give it to me. Please I want to see it, please.”
“I showed it to you the day I rescued you but you went gaga.”
“Please, I need to see it.” She was now pulling his shirt.
He was not sure he had kept it in his military bag.
“Stay here let me check” he said pulling her away from him.
He went to his room and searched the bag. He sighed when he found it. He went back to her room.
“Here” he said giving it to her.
She rushed at him and almost stumbled but he stabled her. She grabbed the message from his hand.
“It’s real, it’s my message. Did you come because of it? Am I really free? No whipping and touching?” she said grabbing his T-shirt with the other hand.
He gently pulled her hand away.
“If you made this and put this in the native pot my mum gave me? Then you are free, I found it and got you out because I saw this” he said slowly.
She was on the ground almost immediately. She held the fudged word to her chest and started crying that even her body shook from it. He could handle ten men pointing gun at him but not this, he was not trained for this and he did not even understand what was really going on? How on earth did Cindy make her realize she was free? She had believed Cindy but not him.
He brought out his phone and opened the circle app. He studied it for the first time, there was a symbol of Camera by the right. He clicked on it and there was an option to go live or select video from file. He clicked go live and focused the camera on crying Halima. Soon messages started popping up from under.
‘Tamed what did you do to her?’ Wild asked.
‘Why is she crying like that and what is she holding so tight?’ Doc asked.
‘She just realized she is free’ he replied.
‘How is that possible?’ Wild wrote.
‘Cindy was able to convince her using the fudged message. That’s what she is holding’ he replied.
‘That is good news, I guess a miracle just happened’ Fast wrote.
‘What should I do?’
‘Leave her to express herself. I will tell Cindy she has nothing to worry about’ Jason wrote.
‘Don’t you think she is ready for debriefing Wild?’ he asked.
‘Not yet Tamed. I need her fully ready. She just passed stage one. Keep updating me. I will tell you when it’s time’ Wild answered.
‘You know there is no time’ he replied Wild.
‘I cannot destroy everything cause there is no time. You are now out of danger zone at least she will not name you her kidnaper if we lose custody. Right now, the person you need help from is from Doc. The realization is too sudden. It can cause a fever’ Wild wrote.
‘Try to calm her down, if possible make her sleep, watch her temperature. Call me if it’s very high. I’m off’ Doc wrote.
‘I almost forgot about how all this started. I don’t think Chief is aware of this. There is no way she would have realized she is free this fast. This is good news. I’m off’ Ghost wrote.
He left the app and watched her cry for some time still confused on how to calm her.
“Halima I know you are crying because you are happy but you need to stop because it might affect your health” he said bending close.
But it was as if his voice increased the volume of her tears. He thought about calling for Cindy but changed his mind. Jason would not allow her. He raised her up and gently pulled her to her bed. He placed her on the bed and held her hands. He did not have a single experience on this, his mum’s tears had always made him angry and his reactions had always been to punish who or whatever made her cry. Abigail had never cried like this. He just held her hands and let her cry. Soon her crying changed to sobbing. He placed his palm on her forehead and it was warm. It was still safe. She still held her message to her chest.
“Ssh, it’s okay Halima, it’s okay. Just sleep. Please don’t fall sick” he said rubbing her hand.
Soon she fell asleep. He checked her forehead again but it was still warm. There was no cause for alarm. She started muttering something inaudible. He bent his ears closer.
“Does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God who made heaven and earth and mountains. He won’t let you stumble. Your Guardian God won’t fall…..”
He had heard it every day till he left to join the military. Every morning and evening his mum had said it. He had always said it until he turned twelve. She had given up after trying to make him say it along with her. She quoted the whole words holding tight to her message. Then slept off after.
    He left the room to take his bath and check online to find out what the media were saying about him. The more he read, the more he got angry and frustrated. He went to switch on the TV but discovered the decoder was not recharged. He went to Jason’s house but met only Cindy. Jason had left the house. Cindy asked if she could see Halima but he told her Halima was sleeping. She had given him yam porridge for lunch. He took the lunch to Halima but she did not respond when he called her. He touched her forehead and it was hot. He immediately sent Doc a private message which she responded immediately. He had to go to the rescue van to take the drugs she prescribed. It took time, but she finally woke up, and it also took time to make her eat and take the drugs. She held on tight to her message with one hand. He went to her bathroom and wet her towel, then placed it on her forehead. She slept off almost immediately. He left her to take his food. He got a message from Jason that the decoder had been recharged but he was no longer interested in watching anything. He later went back to check on her in the evening and felt relieved, her temperature was down. He warmed the remaining porridge she did not finish and gave her for dinner, and with much pressure, she was able to finish the food and take her drugs.
By 11:11PM, he went to check on her. Her temperature was very normal. He sat close to her and watched her for some time before finally going to sleep. A vibration on his wrist woke him up.
‘Pick your call’ was written in capital letter.
He turned to his phone he had placed at the head of his bed. Wild was calling his line.
“I don’t understand this your deep sleep Tamed” Wild said.
“My phone was on silent”
“Let Halima come outside. Put on your transmitting tools. Jason will go live. I want to see her reaction.”
Before he could ask for further explanation, Wild cut the call. He checked the time and it was 7:19AM. He really slept deep again. He stood up and connected his tools then went to Halima’s room. She was sleeping by her side and the message was still held close to her chest.
“Halima” he called.
Slowly, she opened her eyes. She looked confused at first but quickly checked to confirm the message was with her. Then she looked at him and smiled.
“Will you like to come outside with me?”
She sat up immediately.
“Really? I can go outside? For real?”
He nodded. She jumped down from the bed forgetting it was too high. He held her from falling and balanced her. Just as he removed his hands from her arms, she was on the run. He followed immediately and was worried she was going to fall because she ran down the stairs without holding on to the rails. She ran to the parlor door and waited excitedly for him to get to her. He had wanted to use the kitchen door to show her the garden but changed his mind. She had chosen the door she wanted. He opened the door and came out but she stood by the door.
“You can come out Halima.”
She stepped one foot outside and paused. He waited for her to take her time. She took the second step and opened her mouth. She looked round the compound laughing. He did not know what to say to her.
“Oh my gosh! Halima, you are outside” he heard Cindy’s voice saving him the stress of thinking of what to do.
She ran towards Cindy as Jason walked towards him. He had two baskets with him. He saw a bird flying close to Halima.
“We are now online” Jason said.
He nodded to Jason’s words and watched Halima. Cindy gave her a hug.
“Thank you, thank you. Look at it, the message” she said showing the message to Cindy.
“I’m so happy for you” Cindy said giving her another hug.
“Where is it? I want to see it” Halima said.
“See what?” Cindy asked.
“The tomatoes and the vegetables and the chickens” she said.
“Oh that! This way. Come let me show you” Cindy said puling her left hand.
They both followed the ladies' movement. No one had said anything. As soon as she got to the garden, she started plucking the tomatoes. Cindy came to collect the baskets Jason was holding but Jason pulled it back.
“What are you doing lady?” Jason asked Cindy.
“I’m fishing from the stream” Cindy said.
“What?” Jason asked.
Jason did not get the sarcasm.
“You see her plucking tomatoes and you are asking what I’m doing with a basket” Cindy said pulling one basket from Jason.
“Since when did you become interested in farming?” Jason asked.
“Since this morning. It’s looking interesting as she is doing it” Cindy said taking the second basket and moving over to Halima.
Halima already had her hands full of tomatoes. She poured it in the basket and continued plucking the ripe tomatoes. Cindy joined her and soon they entered the peppers. Halima bent down and filled sand to the nursery tomatoes. Cindy joined her and laughed with her. No one had said anything yet.
Soon they were off to the chickens. They picked the eggs, but Halima did hers differently. She picked and patted the scared chickens on their heads while speaking to them. Once they were through with the eggs, they were off to the orchard, laughing as they ran towards it.
“Hmm, this has trampled everything I was taught. It’s like she is not even aware she was recently rescued” Wild spoke.
Finally, someone was talking.
“None of your trainings talked about a victim fudging a word and inserting it in a native clay pot” Doc said.
“All she needed was a trigger which we all could not fathom but Cindy did it” Major joined.
“Cindy is not even aware of what she did” Jason said.