UNTAMED

Part Forty Four

{I tried to relieve your fears: Don’t be terrified of them.}
  
          He was really a beast without feelings. He had just slept off after telling her goodnight, leaving her to face her fears and her feelings for him. He had even made fun of her feelings as if it was a joke. Even Cindy had agreed that there was something unexplainable about her feelings because she was not supposed to love kissing him, or love him holding her close because from books she had read and law cases she had followed concerning victims like her, they normally could not stand the touch of men without feeling repulsive or having a memory trigger and it was true. She had felt bad any time Chief had raped her and when the man that would have taken her back to Chief held her hands, she had felt bad. But Beast had been different from the beginning. She had not even noticed it until Cindy talked about it. She looked at the beast lying down on her blanket and wished his heart would change and he would love her and not just want to sleep with her. Afraid to have another trauma as Beast called it, she just laid on the bed but did not close her eyes. She was also not comfortable being close to Beast, her body kept pulling her to him. She started saying Psalm 121 and other bible verses she could remember. But the pull was still there. Beast suddenly stood up and left the room. She wondered where he must have gone to.
      The sun rays that permeated her room made her to open her eyes, she must have slept off. But she was happy there was no trauma. She really needed the sleep because she and Cindy had done a lot of cooking last evening. She had taught her how to cook eguisi soup. Cindy said they should prepare food for those coming.
“Those coming” she said jumping down from the bed.
She needed to be prepared for them. Cindy said that Sabrina, the doctor will check if she was healthy and Wild which was a fearful name would help her with her nightmares. She said if she was no longer afraid of Beast, then there was no reason to fear them because they were helping Beast to protect her. She quickly took her bath and as she put on her clothes, she thought about the questions she could not ask Beast. She had wanted to ask him about his suicide attempt, about Abigail, if he was okay, if he still wanted to kill himself. But she just could not. What was more disturbing was she could feel his rage whenever he pulled her close. Beast had two emotions, rage and nothing. When he had mentioned Abigail, it was as if he had transferred his pain to her, she felt it but she could not ask because she too could not understand why she felt it. She went to the garden window but there was no one. She moved to the other window and saw them.
They were three not two. Wild and Sabrina and one other tall man.
“Soldier” she slowly said.
That was who he was but not just the tall man, Beast and Jason were also on soldier uniform but with a black T-shirt. Wild and Sabrina were not putting on their uniform. He was wearing a dark blue jean trousers with a black top, Sabrina was wearing a long but free grown and she was covering her head and both sides of her cheeks with a wrapper, she knew what that was. She tried remembering what it was called and how she knew but could not. The tall slim guy was talking to Cindy who was laughing at something he was saying. Jason was pressing his wrist watch close to her. Sabrina was running on the treadmill with her long gown. The crazy thing she was seeing that made her mouth to open was Wild and Beast throws. She had tried lifting that weight and had fallen down without moving it an inch but those two were throwing it at each other like it was a rubber plate. She wanted to tell them that what they were doing was dangerous but something was wrong. They were easily catching it. The tall man suddenly knelt down before Cindy but only one knee was on the floor. He brought out a flower from a bag on his back, then gave it to Cindy. Cindy gasped and opened her mouth in excitement. She tried to collect it but Jason snatched it from the tall man. As if the tall man knew what Jason was going to do, he brought out another flower but Jason pulled Cindy back. The man stood up to meet up with them but Jason blocked him. The man brought out a phone from his pocket and waved it at Jason who looked surprised, even Beast and Wild and Sabrina had stopped what they were doing and were looking at them.  They were even laughing but she could not understand what was funny. He used Jason’s distraction to give Cindy the flower, then he bent his body like he was bowing to Cindy, his hand on his chest. Beast looked at her. How did he always know she was at the window? Wild looked at her too. She quickly left the window. Then she remembered she had not warmed the soup and made eba. She quickly ran downstairs and started warming the soup. Then she put water on fire.
“Ghost you are supposed to be my mentor but you keep using blackmail on me” she heard Cindy’s voice.
She sounded excited. They were already inside.
“What blackmail? We agreed my online teaching makes me a godfather. My flowers was the seal.” The man she called Ghost said.
“Stop dreaming Ghost. You will never get Jason’s approval” she heard a deep voice.
“All I need is Cindy’s approval since Jason is now a robot” Ghost said.
But what type of name was that? Cindy had told her not to fear but she was suddenly afraid.
“Jason how long before we make contact?” Beast asked.
His voice gave her a little relieve.
“In less than three minutes” Jason answered.
“Tamed you see what I told you, Jason is enjoying life.” That must be Sabrina.
“Jason should be investigated, this was not part of our trainings. Soldiers are not supposed to be living in luxury. Jason bribe me” Ghost said.
“First transfer to the police force, then come for your bribe” Jason answered.
“Or I could pickpocket your watch for ransom” Ghost said.
What was the meaning of pickpocket? Because he made everybody laugh.
“Jason now you know what I had passed through” Sabrina said.
“That really took me by surprise” Jason said.
“Is that food? Like eguisi soup? Tamed can you smell that?” the deep voice said.
The voice was close to the kitchen and it was not long before she saw him. It was Wild. She stood by the gas lost on what to do. But Cindy came inside making her comfortable.
“Wow you are already turning the eba” Cindy said.
“Halima, you made this?" he asked opening the pot of soup.
She nodded looking down.
“Thanks. I am hungry” he said carrying the big bowl with the spatula inside.
“I’m not through” she called to him.
“This is smooth enough” he answered leaving the kitchen.
“Like I told you, birds of the same feather flock together” Cindy said checking the soup.
It was frozen making it take long to boil.
“Food is ready” Wild said.
“Oh mine. Where is the soup?” Ghost asked.
“And get water for washing on your way back” Sabrina said.
Ghost entered the kitchen and went straight to the pot before looking at her.
“You cooked this?” he asked but he did not speak English.
She gasped.
“Wow you understand Hausa. Bilikisu you have a sister” he still did not speak English nor the other one but she still understood him, making her gasps again.
“Unbelievable! You understand Fulani too. You know what that means?”
She shook her head.
“Are you mad, you want me to soak your face inside that soup?” Sabrina shouted at Ghost as she came inside the kitchen.
“Doc you are making Halima afraid” Wild said.
He had entered the kitchen too, even Beast.
“Tamed I just got a sister from my father and mother’s side. She can hear both Fulani and Hausa” Ghost said pulling her to his side.
She waited to feel bad but did not. Beast and Wild looked at her like they were waiting for her to do something.
“Hi Halima, pleased to meet you again, my sister” Sabrina said in Hausa pulling her away from Ghost and embracing her.
She had a nice scent.
“Halima that’s my kid sister I adopted. I now have two sisters but you are now my favorite” Ghost said smiling at her.
She smiled back immediately. She liked him.
“Idiot” Sabrina said.
“Show off” Wild said switching off the gas and carrying the pot of soup just like that.
She and Cindy were the only ones shocked, the others were not. Ghost took a bowl and poured water inside. Then followed Wild to the parlor.
“I will get the water” Cindy said excitedly, opening the fridge.
She packed a handful of bottled water and left. Sabrina left but also packed a handful of bottled water from the fridge before leaving. It was now just she and Beast.
“Let’s go” he said leaving the kitchen.
She did not follow immediately, she waited for some time and walked slowly to the parlor. They were all eating and the food was already half gone, even Cindy joined them. Only Jason did not. He was setting up something by the TV.
“We are now online” Jason said same time someone appeared on the TV.
Gosh he was so handsome, very handsome, fair and tall and looked smart and was on a uniform but did not look like soldier uniform. He was standing close to a large river. The TV divided and another one appeared. He was standing close to a helicopter. It looked like only Wild and Tamed were the very big ones. He was tall too but not slim nor huge, but he was looking okay. He was dark like Wild and was on another uniform too. They both put on a dark eyeglasses and did something on their phone.
“Helicopter” she said.
Everyone looked at her. It felt like the two men on TV were also looking at her.
“Hi Halima, you are looking pretty today. I never knew you were this pretty. Let’s go on a date” the handsome man said.
She gasped. How? He could see her and he knew her name.
“Mark” Beast said.
Mark? Oh Cindy had mentioned him, then the other must be Fast. How come they could see them?
Everybody looked at Beast.
“Guys please am I missing something?” Fast asked.
“What?” Beast shouted at them.
They stopped looking at him and continued their food. Even Jason joined them and all of them stopped eating. He was standing very close to Cindy, their bodies were touching.
“What?” Jason asked.
“Oh, Fast we are really missing something” Mark said.
“You are missing this delicious meal prepared by Halima my new sister” Ghost said.
“Mark this is what we call cheating and it’s unaccepted” Fast said.
“Let’s deal with that later. Halima please I’m waiting, don’t keep a guy waiting. I will take you on a boat ride” Mark said.
“Halima please ignore this idiot, he is not serious. Hedoes that to every girl” Sabrina said.
She nodded.
“Wild shebi you see how Sabrina dey pour sand sand for my garri” Mark said.
“That’s because she don dey fall small small…”
Sabrina stoned Ghost eba which he dodged.
“You guys are confusing Halima. Can’t you act normal for once?” Wild said.
He had a big lump of eba which he swallowed making her gasped.
“Wild a leader must lead by example. How can we be normal when our leader is not normal. Halima my precious sister ignore us, just stick to Cindy if you want to be normal” Ghost said smiling at her.
“What of Beast?” she asked.
The laughter that followed her question lasted for a long time. Beast stood up and carried the pot of soup and the bowl of eba away.
“Time for briefing and dispatching” he said after coming back from the kitchen.
“Halima I think I really like you. You just became my sister” Fast said.
“Halima so you agree with me that he acts like a beast?” Wild asked her.
“Halima” Beast stressed her name as she was about to nod to Wild.
She still nodded.
“Somehow, I even prefer it to Tamed, after all my mum called me king of the beast” Beast said looking at her.
“Okay Beast, Jason said you’ve stacked up weapons” Ghost said.
Beast became stiff, but loosened after some seconds.
“Thanks Halima” Beast said.
But she knew he meant the opposite.
Cindy came over to her carrying the bowl of water.
“Let’s go” she said to her.
She followed her to the kitchen. She was supposed to be happy she was leaving them but she was not.
“What will you eat?” Cindy asked her.
“Don’t worry, I will make sandwich” she answered.
“Good, let’s go to the garden” Cindy said opening the door.