SEBASTIAN AND HIS ZAZI

chapter 35: ran away

That evening, the very same village was plotting on grabbing the baby dashing out and drown it.

The midwife , who was also a maid, ends up telling mumbi when they go home.

"They are taking the baby in the morning. They don't care if zazi wants to keep her!"

For the first time, mumbi thanked the heavens for this woman's big mouth. She hurried home tensed up and is relaxed to see zazi talking to tito as she she told him about the baby in her arms. They had met, yes, but not formally.

She prepared a meal quietly for her baby. She made chicken and ugali. She gave some to tito then ate with zazi at the table.

After zazi was done, she told her about what was being planned.

"Don't worry, you can stay in the secret room with the baby!"

That was her solution. Zazi to hide the baby in the room. Mumbi felt when everyone knows about nderu's baby, hoping nderu had changed her mind by now, almost a month, it would be easier.

Zazi went to bed but couldn't sleep. She looked at her sleeping child and panicked. What if they find her and take her away?
She made a decision. A ruthless one at that.
She quietly went to the kitchen and got the herbs she needed.

She took some meat that remained from the pot and spread out the herbs there.

She fed the dog the chicken. The moment tito finished his plate, he felt sleepy.
Zazi picked him up, put him on her bed and covered him with a blanket. Her mother, since she gave birth, had a habit of checking on her in the middle of the night.

She used the raggedy doll for fake a baby on the other side.

She then took some clothes for the baby, put it in a  skin bag, put the baby on her stomach, theirs stomach were touching, secured her there in sheets then slowly left the house. She ran away.

She ran fast until she was out of the village. She still hasn't healed completely but that didn't hold her back. She went through some bushes,  until she found a path, she didn't know this path.

Morning came. Mumbi decided to change the babies diaper, she hadn't woken up crying but it must be soaked by now.

She walked closed thinking it was a baby. The moment she saw it was doll she screamed thinking the baby was stolen to be killed.

She uncovered the blanket to wake zazi only to see tito sleeping.

Just then, a knock was heard. The villagers were here.

"May i help you?"

"We're here for the white baby."

"Shes not here!"

"Don't lie to us mumbi. Have you forgotten those people killed your husband? You're protecting their blood?"

"The baby didn't kill my husband, it wasn't even born!"

The man didn't like the smart talk and pushed her aside welcoming himself and others in. The went to the bedroom, the baby wasn't there, they looked everywhere, there was no baby.

Before they could come to that conclusions, someone noticed something on the floor, like  a hook. He bent down and pulled it and the floor opened. They immediately thought mumbi was hiding it there. They went down and ransacked everything.
Nothing.

So mumbi's plan would have only worked if they covered the hook... Noted.

"Where is zazi and the baby?"
"I told you they are not here."
"Then where are they?"
"I don't know?"
"Stop lying Mumbi. Your husband was a respectable man, Do not....."