Chapter 4 I can't share

"Will Ara Stay too?

"Yes, it is her home too, she can stay if she wants to"."As your wife too", Laziza asks to clarify"Yes I say", realizing she would want that.

But a voice from behind says, "I can't share, I don't want to be the third wheel, never!"I can't be mocked anymore," and then she runs away. I look at Laziza, who says "go and talk to her", "I can't stay in Mubaila alone".I turned and went after Ara, and when I find her, she is in front of the rift, the same one I had jumped to flee from the Gbali people.I walk close to her and stand there. She looks down into the deep rift that stares at both of us."Even in Tela, nobody wants me. I just go there and stay because they do not mock me."I was hoping you would choose me too, just like the way you have chosen Laziza.I was hoping you might want me too, and I will be saved from who I am, but it seems I can't run away no matter where I go.""Will you come to Mubaila with me, will you stay with us? I will come and ask for your hand from your people in Tela"."I don't want you to pity me", she said, sobbing."I am not, I reply, but you will have to go to Tela. I tell her the two of you will have to go to Tela"."Now step back," I order her. And she moves away from the edge of the rift. and then I pull her away and walk her back to the cave of Borankama.Who looks at me and says when we arrive "your story is starting young one", still with her head down Ara looks at me in askance, but I pretend I do not know, I pretend not to know.The next day, the two had gone to Tela, and Borankama had asked me if I wanted revenge.I said, "Yes". She said you can't go to the village without taking out your enemies or striking fear into their hearts that they cannot frighten you, and you are stronger.I stay there quietly, thinking of a way to attack them, when she says to me, "it is my job to help you".I have to teach you the ways of Miko, the god of your people, so your eyes can see and your body will feel the might of your ancestors.I look at her carefully as her tone changes, and then I sigh.If my ancestors had been great, we would not have been slaughtered like this.She chuckled and walked away into the cave, leaving me seated watching the garden.When the night had fallen deep, she woke me up.Let's go Kalenje, she instructed, and we walked a great distance with a piece of clothing covering my eyes.We are here, she says, leaving my stuff. You can take it off now. I peel away the piece of cloth, and then I look around, watching the drawings on the wall that looked like the totem.Borakama began to chant, and then the air had changed.Then the drawings on the wall had woken up, and the totem on my hand too.I pushed it away in fright, but the totem stood on its own.I could see some animals walk towards us. As they did and stopped on the altar, she took a blade from under the hide bag. she then placed it under each animal and slit their throat one after the other, all seven of them.Looking like the animals on the totem, I could see the owl, the snake, the eagle, the bull, the leopard, the fish, and the last one was small, so I could not properly see it in the darkness.And then she said to me, "Come forward Kalenje", and then she cut my palm and spread my blood on the floor. The cut was deep, the pain had rung into my head.I heard her chants fill the air as I grew dizzy and fell down on the animals and their blood.Borankama walked away, leaving me there. I watched her go, I felt the claws of death.I think of my village, I think of my people, how happy they were.I see myself going to be with them when this ends.A tear rolled down the side of my eye. I don't feel any power, I don't feel like I would be stronger, as the seer had promised.All I feel right now is life seeping out of me and pain cuddling every bit of my body.With the smell of death all over me, but I am still not yet dead.The seer had vanished, and so too, my hope of meeting the girls again.And finally, my eyes close and it ends.I woke up the next day in the middle of the forest, covered with leaves all over.The totem was still standing where I had left it, but the walls had all vanished and the direction back home was looking impossible, even though I am a skilled tracker.I climb onto the threes to find high ground, climbing high to the top of the boda tree.I looked in all directions until I sighted the cave. It was small, but I could see it clearly.I was confused how I could see it clearly. Borankama had come out, she looked straight at me. I swear I could see her grin.A creepy grin that offsets my balance, and I fall from the boda tree.Hitting the tightly knitted branches as I made my way down, straight for the earth.Falling flat on my face, I could feel my bones break.I close my eyes, but there is no pain. I moved my leg, and I stood up. I could feel my body light without any place hurting."What have you done to me?" I yelled to the forest,But met no reply.