#SACRED_OATHS

Author: Samuel Frederick

Episode 14: SUBTLE SIGNS.

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Boma snuggled closer to me, placed his arm around my shoulders and held my hand gently, pulling me closer to himself. He stroked my hair softly as my tears flowed out freely, down my cheeks. It seemed like, the more I tried to force the tears to stop, the more they poured abundantly. However, Boma consoled and comforted me in his arms.

I held him tight as I basked in the nostalgia of my mother's loving memories, and the memories of my childhood. I hadn't been that emotional before.

Just then, the door opened and Mimi walked in. Considering the position she met us, on a normal societal school of thought, one would initially think the other way round, and I wasn't surprised when she did. I saw the look she had on her face; a very complex one indeed.

Quickly, Boma and I adjusted ourselves and sat up properly on her entry.

“What's smelling here?” Mimi asked, sniffing the air as though it contained deadly diseases all around. Boma and I glanced at each other, obviously puzzled.

“Like seriously, you guys don't smell anything? Something is burning.” She complained. And that was when it clicked!

“Shit! The food!” I instantly jumped to my feet and rushed straight into the kitchen, panicking like a complete psychopath, only to discover that my porridge sauce was already half burnt.

In just one day, I had experienced tons of bad luck: starting from my torn dress to the non-functional tap, which led to my epic fall along the main road that ruptured my sandal, and now my porridge sauce was ruined.

“How far with the food?” I heard Mimi's voice behind me when I turned off the stove.

"Why don't you see it for yourself? It's burnt." I said, annoyed.

“Burnt as in?” She came closer, looking startled. When she finally saw the content of the big pot, her eyes widened in shock, and she yelled: “My goodness! I hope this is not the food I've been looking forward to eat, Fifi?”

“It's still manageable.” I suggested, trying my best to keep my temper in check.

“I can't eat that.”

“So what do I do?”

“What do you mean by what-do-I-do? You cooked it so you should as well know what to do!” Mimi was practically shouting at me, tempting me to retaliate, but I retained my calmness regardless.

“If you can't eat it, then you leave it!” I exclaimed with finality and left her presence.

The funny thing was that, me and Mimi had never quarreled in that house until then. I knew I was unnecessarily transferring my aggression on her due to the bad day I had, but I couldn't help it. I was stressed out. COMPLETELY stressed out.

I returned to the room and joined Boma on the bed. Mimi walked out of the kitchen, hissed past us and left the room with anger.

“What happened?” Boma asked, on seeing my foul countenance.

“I'd rather not talk about it.”

“Is it because of me?” He pestered on.

“No. It's not even you. It's something else entirely.”

“Hmm… In that case, I better take my leave.”

He stood up and started heading to the door.

“Boma, if you go out that door, consider us enemies as from today.” I warned viciously.

He stopped in his tracks and turned around. “If that's how you want it, then so shall it be,” he said with a smile. “I prefer to be an enemy to someone than watch her quarrel over me with her best friend.”

“But I just said it's not about you. You're not the problem.”

“Whatever it is, just sort it out with her. I will call you when I get home. Take care of yourself.” He said, and then he left.

So far, I had lost in many ways in just one day. I couldn't even taste the food I cooked later on, due to its bad state, so I just lied on my bed with an empty stomach, reflecting on me and Mimi's quarrel. I came to the realization that I was majorly at fault for everything and that I owed her an apology.

While waiting for her return, fatigue took over me and I slept off.

I was woken by continuous pats on my hip. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see Mimi sitting next to me and a lamp on the ground, lighting the room. Although the room was partially dark, I could still see Mimi's face crystal clear.

“Wake up, Fifi.”

I opened my eyes properly and I was surprised to see dusk already. It was fascinating.

“Do you want to kill yourself with excessive sleep?”

“How long did I sleep?”

“Well, it's close to five hours now.”

“Five hours? That's a lie!”

“I'm serious.” Mimi affirmed, caressing my right cheek. “Have you eaten?”

“No.” I muttered weakly. “I haven't had anything for breakfast and lunch.”

“What? Come and join me right away!” She pointed at the pot close to her own bed. “I'm sure you must be starving like hell.”

I scoffed. “I'm not really hungry, though.”

“If you think I'll beg you to eat, then you are surely on your own o! If anybody wants to keep malice in this house, it's definitely not me, so you better check well, think twice and know who you are fighting with!” She said bluntly and got up from my bed.

With that honest remark from Mimi, I was convinced enough that she didn't even take our little quarrel to heart, so in no time at all, I joined her on the floor and we both ate together.

“I saw what you and Boma were busy doing when I entered earlier on sha, just in case you think I didn't see you both.” She said, giving me her funny signature smile.

“What exactly did you see us doing, ma?” I asked, biting back a smile. “Kindly elaborate.”

“Are you still asking me?” Mimi winked in a very silly manner. “All I saw were butterflies in the air, unicorns and fairies everywhere! Absolute, pure magic in the room!”

We both chuckled after she said that.

“You claim to be so holy and religious, yet you have such a rotten mind.” I said and burst into laughter. “Your mind needs thorough cleansing and purification.”

“So what were you both doing then?” Mimi asked, trying her best not to laugh. “Because I'm quite sure of what I saw.”

I was about to reply her when my phone rang. What a pleasant surprise, I thought, since it was none other than the actual person we were talking about. He called to know if I had settled my issues with Mimi and if I'd had something to eat. All the while we talked, Mimi kept smiling and giggling sheepishly, even until we ended our call and I dropped the phone.

“What's your problem, young lady?”

“That was him, wasn't it?” She laughed hysterically. “I knew it! I just knew it!”

“Knew what?”

“You're gradually falling in love. I can smell it. It's all around you; all over your body language; basically everything you do. It's too obvious!”

“Love?” I laughed. “Love is the last thing on my mind right now.”

“That's what they all say!” She twitched her eyebrows twice, sticking her tongue out. “It's in your eyes! Feelings never lie!”

“That's your problem!”

That ended the topic for me. Since we had papers the following day, we proceeded to study a little bit before heading to bed.

That night, I met a man along a long narrow road. He asked me to follow him and I diligently did. He took me through various corners and different messy routes while I followed behind him. All of a sudden, I fell into a muddy pit and started sinking slowly. Surprisingly, the man had gone. Another man appeared in his place.

This man's robe was bright, so glistening white that I couldn't even look up at His face. I cried and begged Him for help, but He just stood still, watching me sink.

“Why do you chastise me so much, Fifi?” He said to me in a light and airy voice. “Why?”

Immediately after that statement, I sprung up, wide awake, realizing it was all a dream. But I could've sworn it felt real. Too real for that matter.

Something wasn't right. Something REALLY wasn't right.