UNTAMED

Part Forty

{The thing I was are searching for was closer than I thought.}
      
         It looked like a dream, it felt like it was not real. After a long time, she was free from Chief. The reality was her fudged message, it was with her, the exact one she had made. Beast had thrown the native pot same way he had angrily broken his plate and he had found her message. How come she never realized it until Cindy explained it to her? She remembered the other man who was big like Beast, who had told her she was free and she would never meet Chief again. How come she never believed? As she washed the tomatoes, she ran through her life with Beast. He had never whipped her nor touched her, she should have known he had set her free. She would be grateful to him all her life. Hugs and kisses were things Cindy said she had to do but she would try find a way to do things for Beast. She turned to make sure her message was still where she had placed it. After slicing everything and whisking the egg, a memory flashed through her mind. She remembered slicing pumpkin leafs too. She tried opening the door to cut pumpkin but there was no way to open it. She decided to look for Beast. There were so many questions in her mind. Who was she? How long was she in the dark room? What of her family? How old was she? She just could not remember. He was not in the parlor nor in her room. She did not know his room so she called out for him. Few seconds later, he came out of the second room by the right of the corridor. He was really very big, and his hair was cut low, he did not have beards like Chief, his face was smooth but not fleshly, it was looking strong making him handsome. She gasped. How did she know that?
“I will want to know why you always gasp” he said.
His voice was deep, it had always made her afraid but she loved it now, it made her feel safe.
“I want pumpkin leaf.”
She loved that he was big, he could protect her because he was big. He looked at her like he was studying her, it made her feel something she could not explain. He moved towards her and walked passed her. She followed him downstairs.
“I will have to tell Jason to give you finger print permit” he said putting his thumb on a part of the door.
She really liked his deep voice.
“When you are through just close the door” he said going back.
“Wait. When will you show me how to give kisses?”
He stopped his movement and became stiff, she just knew he was stiff. He started going back without turning or answering her. She turned to the door after picking a knife. She would ask him later.
She had set the table and was about looking for him when he came down.
“So quick?” he asked.
He must have taken his bath because he had changed to a dark jean trouser and a brown T-shirt. He went to his seat and started eating. She sat down to eat hers but heard a man’s voice.
“Pray before you eat.”
She held her head as if to hold on to the memory.
“What is it?” Beast asked.
“I keep hearing a man’s voice, then it will disappear.”
“Don’t force it Halima. It will all come naturally. Okay?”
She nodded and continued her food.
Just when she had finished, that was after Beast had left, the parlor door opened and Jason came in. She was still afraid of him. He looked at her once and did something on his wrist watch. Beast came down later.
“Halima come and get your finger print permit” Beast said.
She did not understand what he said but she went to him. After Jason did something on a big phone by the wall close to the door, he took her right hand and used her thumb to touch something small on the door.
‘Finger print accepted’ a female voice said making her jerk and making her move closer to Beast.
Jason looked at her then started going towards the kitchen. Beast took her along with him. Same thing happened at the kitchen door. Jason left without saying a word. Beast released his hold on her.
“You can now open the door. Just put your thumb there, okay?”
She nodded.
“Follow me let me show you how to operate the TV” he said moving to the parlor.
The big thing that Chief had appeared in was the TV. That was completely different from the TV she knew. She listened and did as she was told. He left the station at Nickelodeon.
“Is that cartoon?”
“How did you know?”
“I remember Tom and Jerry.”
He nodded and started leaving.
She left the TV and went to clean the kitchen. Then she took her bath and ran back downstairs. They were showing Penguins from Madagascar. Later, they started showing white people. They were too fast, she could hardly understand what they were saying. She decided to go to the library but as she tried switching off the TV, someone put her mouth on a boy’s cheek. The boy said he wanted a kiss not a peck, then the girl put his mouth on the boy’s mouth. She gasped. That was what a kiss meant. That was what Cindy and Jason always did. They kissed. That was what she was supposed to give Beast but it looked disgusting and gross. She could not place where that word came from but that was how it looked like.
  As she climbed the stairs to the library, she decided even though she would feel bad, it was something she must do to show her appreciation. First, she went to her room, to her box to confirm her message. She had kept it there because she did not want it to get lost. She went to the library and finished the last pages of ‘Tales of A Fourth Grade Nothing’ then discovered it had part two, she searched the bookshelf and found it. As she read, she hoped Cindy would come, but she did not come.
“Halima it’s time for lunch.” She heard Beast voice by the door.
“What am I cooking?” she asked dropping the novel.
“Do you know how to cook anything else apart from egg sandwich?”
She tried to remember something, but everything was blank.
“Cindy is not around, she said she will teach you later. Come let’s eat” he said placing a bag on the table.
It was jollof rice. As he ate, she stole a few glances. She wanted to know when she could give him kisses. She wanted to know how long she had been in the dark room, what year it was, what day it was, what time it was.
“Halima, quit staring at me and eat.”
He carried his food and left. She did not know where he went to because he was not in the parlor, maybe he was in his room.
Cindy did not come even when it was night, she had even forgotten she could go outside but it was already too late. They had eaten rice again, but Beast did not eat with her, it looked like he was avoiding her. She took her second bath and slept off as soon as her head touched the bed.
“The Lords’s prayer” her dad said.
They all knelt down including Christian, her brother. It was part of the prayers they said before sleeping. They had not even started when the door burst open and guns were fired at them, it happened so fast. Her dad, her mum and Christian were all lying on the ground, blood pumping out of their body, there was blood everywhere. A man picked her up as she screamed, she tried fighting him but he was too strong. Another man tied her eyes and mouth. She tried to scream but could not.
She opened her eyes and quickly tried removing the clothes on her mouth but touched only her mouth. She jerked up from the bed and looked around expecting to see the men but there was no one around. She tried to assimilate her environment and remembered she was in Beast's house. Almost immediately, a memory flashed through her mind, it was a man and Chief. She knew that man, he was supposed to be a friend. She ran to the man as soon as her she could see. She also knew Chief, he had always bought something for her anytime he came.
“She is all yours, just fulfill your own side of the deal” the man said pushing her to Chief who grabbed her on her buttocks.
“My daddy, my mummy, she cried resting her head on Chief’s body.
The memory disappeared and she started crying. Her parents were dead, she had no one waiting for her, she had no one looking for her. That man had given her to Chief and she had not been afraid of Chief. She had thought Chief and the man saved her from being killed. Chief had said she would never escape from him. What if he was around?  What if he was in the room? She quickly climbed down the bed and turned round but Chief was not there. What if he was in the compound? She was afraid to go look from the windows. Cindy had told her when they had plucked the fruits that she would always be safe with Beast. She wiped her tears and picked her message, then came out of her room. She knew the room he had come out from when she had looked for him. She turned the door handle and it opened. The room was dark, she slowly moved into the room, stretching her hand to prevent her from falling. Her leg kicked a wood and she was falling. Suddenly, someone grabbed her and threw her on the bed. His hands were on her neck and he was choking her. A hand left her neck and the room lighted up.
“Halima. What the heck are you doing here?” Beast asked removing his other hand from her neck.
She coughed and inhaled enough air. The room was very cold. He was above her, almost covering her like that other time but she wasn’t afraid this time.
“Were you crying?” he asked sitting her up.
She threw herself on him and started crying.
“Hey I thought I told you your tears disturbs me a lot” he said holding her close.
He lied down on the bed and pulled her to his chest, then started rubbing her back.
“My parents, my brother, they are all dead. I dreamt about it. I remember” she sobbed.
He did not say anything but held her tighter. He started wiping her tears with one of his hands.
“My dad’s friend gave me to Chief. Chief was a friend. I thought they saved me” she said crying more.
The hand rubbing her back stopped. He raised her up and sat up.
“Is he the one?” he asked showing her a picture from his phone. Chief was also in the picture.
She nodded but became more afraid. He removed the phone and pulled her close again.
“Please don’t let Chief get me, I can’t go back there please” she pleaded.
“Sssh Halima, you are shaking. I’ve told you I will never allow Chief take you again. I’m sorry about your parents. I’m going to make Chief pay. You are safe with me.” He said after some minutes.
She felt safe in his arms.
“Promise” she said.
“I promise” he said in his deep voice.
She felt relaxed.
“Please can I stay here? I’m afraid of being alone” she pleaded.
“No Halima, I will leave the room once you sleep.”
“But I’m afraid Chief will get me.”
“He won’t, he can’t come here, he does not know this place. He is far away right now and my friend is monitoring him, so just sleep.”
“Then can I give you kisses before I sleep?” she asked hoping to be quickly done with what she must do.