UNTAMED

PART FIFTY ONE (END)

“Pearl I need to ask questions and you need to answer that is if you want to continue your run.”
Wild had placed her on the table. She looked at Wild for some seconds and nodded.
“Where is your mother?” Wild asked.
“At the hospital, she is sick and I need to take care of her.”
“So you had to leave your house and go fight with addicts and robbers by twelve in the night?” Wild asked.
“I don’t have a house. Landlord has thrown our things outside. I have no choice. They used my mum and took her drinks without paying their full money.”
“Used your mum?” Wild asked.
She paused.
“Pearl” Wild said.
“I don’t know what they do but they always pay her visit and my mum said they did not pay everything.”
“How come you speak good English and not pidgin?” Wild asked.
“I go to school. Although I’ve stopped but I am the best in my class. I’m in class three about to enter four.”
“I can see that” Wild said.
“Can I go now?” Pearl asked.
“No. Who taught you how to fight?”
“Oh not again. Nobody, I watch TV and I practice all the time” she said stretching her hands.
“I don’t believe you. I saw what you did, there was a camera.”
“Okay, my dad” she said but she sounded very angry.
“I thought you said you don’t have a dad?” he asked.
“I don’t but my mum said I take after my dad in everything. She always shouted that there is no connection to her apart from the resemblance, everything else is my dad” she said.
“Where is your dad?” Wild asked.
“I don’t know, he doesn’t even know I exist and I hate him so much. I hate him more than he hates my mum. He threatened to kill her and accused her of ruining his life. My mum had to run away from a mad man. But he was the one who ruined my mum’s friendship. My mum said she lost her fiancée and because of my dad, she lost her friend but my dad said she ruined him. I hate him.”
“Okay I can see the hatred. So right now you are a fearless, homeless seven year old intelligent girl who is now taking care of her sick mum by fighting and collecting money from those owing her” Wild said.
“Wow! You are very correct.” She looked amazed.
“I’m so sorry” Halima said pulling away from him again and holding Pearl’s hand.
“Your landlord is very wicked. You don’t have to worry again okay? You will stay with us till your mum gets better. Don’t worry about money, Jason will help with your mum’s health” Halima said.
“What!” he and Jason exclaimed at the same time.
“What do you mean by what? Jason you have money and hospital, we have three extra rooms. I can take her to school before going to work” Halima really had everything solved and she was saying it with a convicted face.
She was not suggesting and there was no way he could change her. He was damned even Jason because Cindy was excited and okay with Halima’s suggestions. The others were smiling. How did his life get to this point? As a wedding gift, Jason and Cindy had bought a two bedroom flat and had converted it to a fashion company with basic equipment for Halima. It was supposed to be their wedding gift but it looked like Cindy did not understand Halima was the only beneficiary.
“Really?” Pearl asked looking at him and Jason.
He did not even know Jason was standing close to him and how did she know they were the ones she had to look for? Halima and Cindy were actually looking at them.
Jason started rubbing his cheek while he thought of how to cope with living with Pearl because he was already trapped.
“Only if you try to control her” he said.
Jason nodded in agreement with his condition.
“What is there to control? She is okay the way she is. I like her like this. Extra protection.”
“Halima” he said.
“Pearl, you promise you won’t go fighting around? That scares the big guys” Halima said.
“My mum will be taken care of and I will stay here and start school again?” she asked.
At that moment he saw the child in her. He understood her. She had been forced to become an adult at an early age but she was still a child.
“Yes” Cindy and Halima said at the same time.
“And you get to learn how to pick from people’s pocket without fighting them” Ghost said.
“Ghost” everyone shouted.
But he also understood Ghost. Ghost had to survive on his own at an early age.
“It’s the basic, she needs to learn so she won’t get herself in trouble because she is already trouble” Ghost said.
“Don’t mind him, we will rather teach you how to really fight on water, air and land. You know why?” Wild asked.
She shook her head. Even Wild was not helping.
“Because we are soldiers and the best of the best. And if you want to stay with one of us, there are rules. Until you pass your training you must not fight the kind of people you fought today. Do you understand?” Wild put command in his voice.
“Yes” she said.
“Yes what?” Wild asked.
“Yes I understand. Thank you, thank you” she said crying.
So she could cry. Halima pulled her close.
“It’s okay. You are safe now” Halima said.
“Is this not child abuse?” Major Ahmed’s wife finally spoke.
“What is there to abuse? If she doesn’t learn, she will get herself killed” Wild said.
“I somehow agree, we would have lost Princess by now if I did not train her. But this girl I’m seeing is worse than Princess, it’s either we teach her or she teaches herself” Major defended Wild.
“I guess our work is done here. Doc will have to treat her bruises” Wild said standing up to leave.
“Wait. Soldiers! Soldiers!” she shouted excitedly making them confused.
“You can find my dad. He was a soldier too” she said jumping down from the table and holding Wild’s hand.
“We don’t find people Pearl, and why will you look for someone you hate?” Wild asked.
“Because I want to punish him for what he did to my mum” she said bringing out a picture from a note in her back bag.
It was almost looking rumbled. She gave it to Wild.
“My dad is the man at your left” she said.
“Holy shit! Beast come and see” Wild exclaimed making him move over to see the picture.
“Damn. Make sense now. Looking at her, she has his eyes” he said.
“How on earth did this happen?” Major asked.
“Now I understand the reason for the breakup” Wild said.
“Guys we are lost here” Ghost said.
They were gathered round the picture.
“What a small world. Who could have thought the girl you saved is the daughter of someone we know” Major’s wife said.
“You should say something” Fast said.
“Major but Doc was not this bad” he said.
“That was because I was not as bad as the wolf himself. You are right Beast. Everything make sense now. The wolf wouldn’t have given birth to anything else. She really has his eyes” Major said.
“Major you are scaring Beast, imagine how Beast’s daughter will behave” Wild said.
“The men look familiar” Doc said.
“Why are you people ignoring us?” Mark asked.
“I am not scared Wild. Ibe said we don’t give birth to females. I can manage my son acting like her. Jason should rather be worried” he answered.
“The man by the left is James followed by James’ ex finance. I think her name is Mena and this is late John. This was his fiancée, her name is, I think”
“Pearl” Wild answered for Major.
“Wow, how did you know?” Pearl asked shocked.
“Wait Pearl is your mother?” Wild asked.
“Yes I’m Pearl junior, her fiancée is dead” she answered.
The shock on the faces of others were really noticeable.
“I will have a boy and if it’s a girl she will take after Cindy” Jason said.
His facial expression made them laugh.
“But how are you sure she is James’? It doesn’t make sense that John’s fiancée gave birth to James’ child. Pearl and James wouldn’t betray Mena and John like that” Major’s wife said.
“She is seven, John died nine years ago. James had broken up with Mena but he never told me the reason when he asked me for another debriefing” Wild said.
“Wow, so we already had a Circle baby” Ghost said.
“It was called special Force Team A then” he said.
“So James is real? But why was there no picture?” Mark asked.
“Because it was his wish” Wild answered.
“The stories I heard about him not fearing anything and he and his friend nicknamed sons of thunder are enough to conclude that Pearl is very normal. She is just a wolf pup” Ghost said.
“Can you find him?” she asked.
Wild carried her and placed her back on the table.
“Pearl we are going to look for James only if you promise us something” Wild said.
He just knew where Wild was going.
“Wild no” Major said.
“What should I promise?” Pearl asked.
“We are going to train you starting from tomorrow. Every weekend you will come to our training house at Abuja and you will learn how to defend yourself. Then we will send you on a temporal visit to your dad. You can punish him all you want but you must make sure you give him hell of trouble” Wild said.
“That’s it?” Pearl asked.
“Yes, you must show him all the stuffs you are made of” Wild said.
Wild was very evil.
“Yes I will” Pearl said.
“No you say roger that”
“Roger that” Pearl said.
“Now if you take my hand, our deal is sealed” Wild said.
She grabbed Wild’s hands even before Wild could finish his statement.
“Wild unbelievable” Major said.
“The wolf needs to wake up and face his nightmare” Wild said.
Jason left. Fast moved close to Pearl.
“So you really don’t fear?” Fast asked.
She nodded.
“Oh no. Fast no, she can’t ride with you” Halima protested.
“Will you like to fly on a helicopter?” Fast asked.
“Like real helicopter?” Pearl asked.
Fast nodded.
“Pearl say no, he drives like a crazy man” Cindy said.
“Yes I want to fly” Pearl said excitedly.
“Deal” Fast said giving her a high five.
“And lady you need to know the secret of a lady’s fight. You don’t have to dress like a boy. I will take you shopping and I will teach you stuffs you need to learn, ladies secrets” Doc said.
“And I will sure love teaching you water combat” Mark added.
Pearl was squealing with joy at their patronage.
“You will learn how to hide and come out only when you have to” Ghost said patting her hair.
“Ahmed, how do you manage all of them?” Major’s wife asked.
“I try my best knowing I will come home to you” Major answered.
“I guess you guys won’t sleep again” Jason said coming out with an American football and ballot papers.
“Oh yeah game time” Wild said picking a paper.
All the others picked a paper except him. They all looked at him.
“I just got married” he said pulling Halima to him.
“Wow your wife is the opposite of you” Pearl said and they all had to laugh at her comment.
“Go play. Don’t use me as an excuse” Halima said pulling away for the third time.
“Can I join?” Pearl asked picking the last paper.
“No” he said taking the paper from her.
“Puppy, its so cute” Pearl shouted running to pick puppy who was running towards them.
He wondered if its name would change when it was no longer a puppy. Pearl carried the dog and puppy seemed to like her.
“It’s going to be a long journey Beast and you must know her background made her tougher” Major said.
It sounded more like an advice.
“Who will referee?” Cindy asked.
“We don’t need a referee, we know the rules” Wild said.
If George was around, Major would have refereed.
“Old man, you think you are up for the game?” Doc said to Major taking the ball from Jason.
“I guess we should find out little princess” Major said.
He played alongside Ghost, Sabrina and Fast. Wild led Major, Mark and Jason. While Cindy, Halima, Pearl and Major’s wife cheered. Pearl still had puppy in her arms. He had no idea who she was supporting. They were the offense team and Major who was among the defense team had accurately stopped Sabrina from hitting a touchdown. Now they were automatically the defense team, and whoever was going for the last run would have to pass through him. He glanced at Halima same time she looked at him. For a millisecond, he thought he was dreaming. Life had not always favored him. He had lost his dad at an early age and from then, he had faced both the tough and easy sides of life, but looking at Halima, he knew all his pains were worth it. He had wanted to be tamed again but instead, he had found someone who needed to be untamed and who wanted him to remain Untamed.
[THE END]
{Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.]
     

[THE CRICLE Standalone series has not ended.

Buckle your seatbelts because we are going to be taking a ride to Warri, a Wolf’s territory. James is about to receive a surprise package but not what he would have ever imagined. Inside the package is  Nightmares of Pearl.  (Already out }