Awakening [GxG]

4b

As one who was once married to the founder of Sharmandi, Anana had had to keep up with politics and state affairs for decades making her an expert in both Dorbenese and Sharmandian politics. Hell, the woman was alive even before Dorben became Dorben.

The frown on Anana’s wrinkled face deepened. “What’s he doing here?”

Narvari wondered the same thing. What was a Dorbenese minister doing in her house? Something clicked in Narvari’s mind. She had only met with the Nnadago yesterday.

Did this have anything to do with their meeting? No, it didn’t make sense. If that were the case, the minister would be seeing Governor Andaga instead. Not her.

She may be the captain of the WPU but she wasn’t directly involved in governance. She was a soldier, not a politician.

Tsalaga breathed heavily as if he had just run an entire marathon instead of just climbing three short steps.

“Miss Shar.” The plump face of the politician broke into a wide rehearsed grin. “It is such an honor to meet you.”

The minister stretched out a fat hand towards Narvari. She stared at the hand like it was a serpent but she eventually took it and gave it a firm shake.

“It is a surprise to see you here, minister. Do you need direction to Governor Andaga’s residence?”

Tsalaga howled in laughter like he had heard the funniest joke in the world. “Of course not. I know where Andaga lives. I only came to see you.”

“What for?” Anana asked loudly.

Tsalaga turned his attention towards Anana. Narvari didn’t think the man could have a wider smile, but he did. How all that smiling did not burn the fat on his face was beyond her.

“Goodness, aren’t I a lucky man today,” said Tsalaga approaching Anana. “Forgive my manners, Madam Anabo Shar.”

Narvari almost gaped. Anabo Shar? Really?

Her grandmother’s real name was Anabo but everyone in Sharmandi called her Anana. It was a perfect play on words since Anana literally meant our mother. That was exactly what Anana was. She was the mother of Sharmandi.

Some of the older folks in Sharmandi did call her Anabo. It was her name after all. But who would dare call her Anabo Shar? Was this minister dumb or something? Wasn’t he Kirriba too? Didn’t he know that Anana never used her late husband’s last name and that it was insulting to confer a last name on one who never chose it?

The minister may have a last name, but his name, Tsalaga, implied he was half Kirriba. Did this man know nothing about his own culture? Or at least before coming here, did he not do his research that Anabo was simply Anabo and not Anabo Shar? This minister’s ignorance was already a sign that he was here to talk about nonsense.

“It is such an honor to meet you.” The minister stretched his hand to Anana but she just glared at him, perhaps wondering why the minister called her by her late husband’s name.

“What do you want?” Anana asked instead. “Just because you can freely travel to Sharmandi doesn’t mean you can freely come to my house.”