MALEDICTION (9)
Day break finally came. Rays of sun warmed up the cold tiles of the cathedral's alter, mother Mary's statue sat on this alter as she watched over the towns folk with a plastic smile. To most she was a symbol of hope, the one who bore our savior the Christ. A virgin given the divine honour of carrying the messiah for 9 months. To others she was a curse, she who brought the son of a God who couldn't save his own people.
Regardless of what you thought, people still knelt before her and uttered a prayer. Children from the orphanage knelt in silence, their home was destroyed, however, they couldn't hold anyone accountable.
In the distance Gil leaning on a wall close to the entrance of the cathedral.
"Skiza, kila mtu enda nyumbani naujaribu kutafuta utakayo hitaji, Chakula, nguo, kitu chochote. Kisha, elekea kanisa yoyote unachopata. This way we can spread ourselves out and there will be more resources." Juma took the initiative. The creatures stood like statues, theirs eyes wide and hollow as though their batteries had been removed.
"This malediction is powered by the moon, when its day time you have exactly 12 hours before the moon fully rises again. So if I were you I'd go gather enough food and resources for a few days. We have no idea how long we're gonna be here." Blake advised the previous night, "Gil, head over to Catherine's house, and get her change of clothes."
While Juma and the others escorted the ladies and children, Gil began his journey to Catherine's house. Blake stayed behind, not to anyone surprise of course.
The city looked so… different. Broken houses, leaking pipes sticking out. But at the same time it was the same, this village, its residence they would go through some trials and tribulations, only by the thickness of their stomach would they be able not to give up.
The creatures that attacked just stood there, their ashy bodies reflecting the early morning sun. It was about 7 o'clock, the sun was barely out, but the demons stopped at the first glimpse of light.
'Creatures of the darkness.' Many of the sermons Gil attended were held by the bishop, and while he was a very immoral man, there were some of his teachings that Gil took to heart.
'Uh, don't tell me your thinking about that old pervert.' Catherine's voice echoed in his head.
"How is it I can hear you perfectly now that last night?"
'How am I suppose to know?' She answered, 'I'm just a dead little girl.'
Some of those teachings were to do with the new world.
'A world filled with sin and men turning away from the face of God, believing they are enough, that they need no one. Man has become so arrogant.' He preached, 'By whose grace do you walk upon this land? By whose mercy do you wake up every morning. Human beings forget.'
'Why can't you just… swoosh there?'
"There's no need, I'm not in a hurry." Gil explained, "Blake said we'd be leaving by nightfall, still got 12 hours to burn."
But then what about us? What if God turned his head away from us first. Leaving us in the hands of our fellow men. Who care not about us, children, young innocent lives corrupted by the men who care not about their well being but rather their own twisted satisfaction.
To satisfy their hunger for sin, men will sin, its in their nature to sin, all they do is sin. Lust, envy, hate, anger, gluttony, pride. Is this really the hand god has dealt us?
Gil's feet pitter pattered across the street's puddles, intentionally stepping in them, like a child discovering rain. As he did, purple static emanated from his feet. Today he wore buggy black pants and a white top, luckily it wasn't the other way round otherwise he'd have to do some extra laundery before him and Blake headed out.
"Gil!!!!"
Gil stopped and turned, he hadn't noticed, but a family and one of Juma's men were at a broken down house right behind him. One of the children, a boy, ran down from the rubble calling his name.
"Gil, ASANTE SANA(Thank you)!!!" The boy went down on his knees.
"Uh, what?"
"I am an only child." He said, his voice relatively lower, "My mama died a few years ago, and my papa was at the house when those demons came."
His English wasn't the greatest but it was obvious he was trying his hardest.
"You killed the thing before it could hurt my papa, so ASANTE SANA GIL!"
"Please get up, it's a bit embarrassing for me if you do that." He held the boy by the armpits, "Its alright."
"But, I couldn't come home in time… and what if…" Tears began flowing out of his eyes like a leaky faucet.
"Please don't cry." Gil gave a smile, "You don't need to thank me. Just make sure you extend that kindness to someone else if you can one day."
"If that's what you want." He sniffled.
'Well, you shouldn't really be doing it for me.' Gil gave him a pat on the back, "Now hurry and go get those supplies and get back to your papa."
The boy nodded as he walked away. Gil waved.
'It feels good, doesn't it?' Catherine asked.
"What?"
'Being able to do what no invisible man in the sky can do in the moment.'
Gil scratched his temple as a smile formed on his face. "Just a little bit, yeah." And he continued his little journey to the northern part of the village.
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'Baby, I'm sorry… I'm sorry I never listened to your complains about this world, about this village about this town. I don't why… I don't know why I thought that everything would get better if we just gave it some time, so many things have gone wrong in the last year alone.
Maybe its because… no it is because I was afraid of what they would do to you, I never cared about my self. I am the perfect example of the woman you shouldn't grow up to be, listen to your own hear and don't follow in what you don't think is right.
I see glimpses of greatness within you, now your 18, your old enough to take care of yourself, to look for whatever it is that brings you joy. The one thing a mother wants for any of her children is freedom, freedom to go out and explore, find their own way of living, change the system that we've grown up in.
And finally, I'm sorry about Gil. I know you like him, I understand that you've always like him, and I can't believe I wanted you too close that friendship because me. Whatever happens next, I want you to remember these words.
Be free baby.'
Njeri woke up with a start, hyperventilating, sweating, dry lips. It took a minute for her breath to come back to her.
"Mama, I'm sorry too."
She looked out the window next to her bed, she saw people scampering all over trying to collect somethings.
"It seems someone's awake." Blake stood in the corridor and looked at her.
"Doctor?"
"Yes, come now, she wants to see you."
GOING TO HEAR HER MOTHER'S LAST WISHES!
TO BE CONTINUED