X-Marks: Hiding Shadows

Mad

For the first week living with the Ibori's, it felt like I would never remember all their names. With so many boys in and out of the kitchen and with Niyah yelling their names as we did our chores it took much less time than I had thought.

There were two sets of twins. Adam and Nigel and Ifechi and Tayo. They looked like quadruplets if you didn't watch where the tops of their braided heads matched and saw one pair was taller.

There was Kwame who wore a white sash at his waist and would take extra rice rolls from the kitchen when Niyah wasn't looking. Temi and Kete were among the youngest. They would often bring little Noah their finds of strange plants and odd rocks from the fields for Noah to play with.

Last, there was Hanye and Lois were the second oldest. They would challenge Mosi daily into their games of kicking their ball out in the fields. They did this even though Mosi with his stick like legs always won.

We had been living with the Ibori's for three months, our longest stay with a host yet. On the last night of our stay, we sat at the long wooden table in the kitchen for our last meal dinner. I was almost sure we wouldn't all fit, but Niyah made it a point to 'have all the family seated.'

On the table heaps of seasoned squashes sat beside a savory pot of rice drowned in a broth the color of a carrot.

At the other end of the table, Niyah sat between Mat and Ocean. Her head was titled low as if her weighted thoughts were pulling her neck down with them. Collections were happening soon. We had received a notice last week, and the others and I hadn't been allowed out since. But would this be the year their daughter Dara would return home? We could only wait to find out.

"Pass me some more of that, before you boys eat it all," Obi said from the head of the kitchen table near the door.

Kwame, the fourth youngest, passed the bowl of greens to Mosi, who carried it over the head of Ifechi who was fighting under the table with his twin brother Tayo. Evee sat in between the twins and was having none of their play if she couldn't win that was.

I could see her calculating eyes shift as Ifechi and Tayo howled in agony. Nate who watched the other side of Evee chuckled into his napkin.

I didn't want to wake up the next morning. Not when we had to leave for the next home and certainly not to this.

A thunder-like knock came from below. It was coming from the front door.

We lifted from our spots on the attic floor in the pitch darkness. I looked around to see if the others had heard the same.

"Open, the door at once," a man's cold voice said from below.

The door continued to thunder as the latch of the front door unhinged.

"Good evening officers," Obi said with a stifled yawn.

"We've come to deliver the summary of your fulfilled donation," the male officer said as paper crinkled below.

"Thank you, officer, will we-" Obi stammered into a gentle croak.

"Dana?" Niyah cried.

I held my mouth to contain my gasps. Dana, their daughter, was home.

"Keep your hands where we can see them, citizen," the officer said, "You have five minutes."

"But that's not - " a girls voice said.

"Five minutes?" Obi said and raised his voice, "Have we not met our dues?"

"Are you protesting our order citizen?" another man's voice said.

A pair of boots teetered against the wood floor of the kitchen.

"He is in no way suggesting such a thing," Niyah said, "This is all a misunderstanding."

"Explain yourself, citizen," the officer replied.

"Mother," the girl's voice pleaded.

"You will not just give us five minutes," Niyah said, "You will leave my daughter here and returned her to us for good."

I whispered into my hand as a calming hand ran up and down my back. I looked back to see that it was Mat. He was leaned up against a wall and looking towards the opposite wall. Evee and Nate faced each other and Ocean was tucked in her corner as the voices continued below.

"That is contempt citizen," the officer said.

"It is not such thing," Niyah said and softened the edges of her voice, "If you would listen,"

Niyah had to be missing her mind to talk to an Ally like this. She was just as mad as she was dead. I could only continue to listen as their boots forced their way through the door.