THE LITTLE DEMON YOU MADE

plantain plantation

Before we got to the plantation, the brightness of the sun was fading out from the sky, as the night was about 10 minutes to reach it's peak.

We were meticulously negotiating our way through the dark shades made by the plantain plants. After many hikes and dives in the semi dark plantation,
I looked forward and saw the hut that my father built in his plantation. I was leading the way, while my little sister followed. When we got to the hut, we stopped infront of it's rickety door. I pushed the door and it opened. I went in while Olive stood out side.

Few seconds, I came out with a gallon of water and a mug. We sat in a wooden bench my dad made infront of the hut.

"Are you thirsty?" I asked as I rinsed the mug before pouring out a portion. She nodded. And I gave her the full portion, she downed it and heaved a heavy breath.

I Poured myself a full portion too and finished it up. Meanwhile; darkness has covered everywhere. But the reflections from the moon peering through the openings of the clustered leaves of the plantain up above our head gave our sorroundings a slight illumination.

By then; I could no longer see the pretty face of Olive my little sister, all I could see was a reflection of her Shadow.
"Are you scared?" I asked.
"Am so scared" she replied with her tiny voice.

"Don't be, they will not find us here, it's only me and Dad knows here. We are save here" I tried to convince her  before I cuddled her to lay her head on my laps as I sang her the sweet lullaby that our dad used to sing for us.

I never knew I could sing the song so perfectly well with all the emotions and mood attached to it. And as I was singing the song, I could see my sister falling in the mood of calmness and bliss like we both used to feel.

I was still whispering the song to her ear when I heard a footstep and a voice from the entrance of the plantation and I concentrated more, and air carried multiple steps and voices from a near distance.

"Did you hear that?" I asked Olive who was halve asleep, and she did not respond, I tapped her on her shoulder she regained her full consciousness.

"Were you sleeping?"
"No" she answered.
"There is fire on the mountain, we need to hide now" I told her.
"What's going on?" Olive asked looking more sober and alert.
"Can't you hear the sound?" I asked. Olive listened and heard the sound.
"It's like they are very close?" Olive asked.
"Let's hide" I told her and we both melted into the bush, peeping to see who was coming.

Eventually we began to see flashes of flashlight almost at our father's hut, the exact place we were. We looked and listened attentively and saw men armed to their teeth with assorted weapons.

They had two captives, they commanded them to sit on the bare floor infront of my father's hut. One of the killers landed a heavy slap on the face of the lanky captive. He fell and as he tried to rise and he landed his booth on his chest.

"Easy oooo, you will kill him" one of the killers thundered from the back, the lanky man on the floor wriggled and twisted in pains.

And the man turned to the other captive who was short and fat with a big belly. He stood in front of him pointing his flashlight on the face of the fat short man as he sat on the floor.

The flashlight was blinding him, he tried to look on the ground but the killer asked him to open his eyes and be looking at the light. He fixed his face steadily on the flash with a dimmed eyes.

"Where is King Aloy?" the aggressive killer asked him.

"I don't know" the fat short man replied. At the sound of his voice, I recognized him. I wasn't able to recognize him initially because, both of their faces was smeared with blood and swollen with beatings like men that engaged in a violent brawl with Chimpanzees.

He was high chief Bath, the second in command of Aziaka kingdom. And the  killers were looking for our King. Everyone in our community knows Bath, he is a good orator and the right hand of King Aloy.

He represents king Aloy in most of his official engagements within and outside of our community. And our people knew him for his uprightness and incorruptible personality. He is a symbol of justice and transparency. And the people of Aziaka loved him for that.

"You were his right hand man, you should know his way about" another killer echoed from behind.
"I don't know" he pleaded. They draged the lanky man infront of him and the aggressive killer pointed a gun on his skull.

"This is your son right?" he nodded
"if you don't tell us where your king is right now, I'll scatter his brain all over this place"

Bath learnt from the seriousness on his tone and the previous things he has seen them do, he became convinced that he was not joking at all. He opened his mouth, but no words came forth. Greater thoughts took control of him, and he didn't know the answer he might give them that might warrant him to kill his son.

"Am loosing my patience, speak now" the aggressive killer roared. Panic over-rode Bath and he did not know when he said.

"Kill me instead, shoot me, not because he is my son that I've chosen to die in his place, but because I failed, I'm supposed to know where my king is, but unfortunately I don't. Kill me instead" he cried bitterly.

The finger on the trigger trembled, and the aggressive killer lowered the gun, as the words of Bath hit his soul and mellowed down his anger and doubt. He believed him at once.

"Since you don't know where he is, then, you will help us find him
" He shifted the flashlight from him.

We maintained calmness as the whole drama unfolds, still laid wait in our position.

"Let's take them to the camp, they will be of a great importance to us" said the aggressive killer.

They dragged them up and forced them to move as they all walked out of my dad's plantation as me and my little sister watched. When we were very sure that they have gone, we slittered out from the forest.

Confusion and fear took hold of us, we don't know wether to stay or to run. Then; I thought about the last word of the aggressive killer.

"Let's take them to the camp" and I said to myself since they have a camp they are probably not coming back, not tonight.

My confidence of them not coming back tonight grew Stronger and I convinced my sister that we will sleep over in the plantation and leave first thing tomorrow morning.