LA, LA, LALIANA

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Flashback

                             Laliana was about to do as was told but could feel the strange man's grip tightening around her waist. He was preventing her from going down. "Just hold on to me and don't move!" He whispered to her. "Nimesema laleni chini haraka!" (I said lie down right now!") The man behind Laliana said again with agitation. The grip around Laliana's waist got even tighter as Mr dreadlocks pulled her even closer to him. Laliana could feel his soft and long locks on her forehead. Even if she wanted to go away, she couldn't due to the strong hold he had on her.
                                  "Please leave us alone! I am warning you!" Mr dreadlocks' threat echoed through the night atmosphere.  Laliana could feel the the man's hand start shaking through the thing that he was pressing against her head.
                                   "Just give us your valuables and both you and your woman won't get hurt!" Another man said in a rather whining tone. Both Mr dreadlocks and Laliana could detect fear and inexperience in the supposed thieves. Mr dreadlocks did not waste even a nanosecond when he fished out a pistol from his left trouser pocket. Laliana could see that the weapon was golden as well and not the overrated colour black. Two gun shots in a span of two seconds. Laliana could hear the thud of two bodies as they dropped to the ground.
                                    Noticing the grip loosening around her waist, Laliana took it as her queue to move away from Mr dreadlocks. The sight before her truly made the hairs at the back of her neck stand up.
                                 One man who had his face covered in a black stocking had a nasty bullet wound in his left elbow. One could actually see little bits of broken bones mixed with blood which had splattered on the dusty, rocky ground. The other man who was nearer to Laliana had  his face covered with a dark green scarf. He was shot in the shoulder. His injury however was not as serious as the other man's.
                                    "Get your sorry, pathetic and  inexperienced behinds out of my sight! ENDA! (GO!)" Mr dreadlocks shouted startling Laliana. A lot. The man who bad the shoulder injury cowardly went for his partner and dragged him out of there and they disappeared into the night. It turned out that the thing that was pressed against both Laliana's and Mr dreadlocks' head were actually large square like stones made to feel like guns.
                                    Surprisingly, there was no one who had witnessed what just happened. No one had even come out of the pharmacy or shop to see where the sound of the gunshots came from. Perhaps they were too terrified to come and see. Soon the night atmosphere regained it's nightness and it was all quiet again with only the sounds of the night creatures filling the air.
                                    Laliana's heart was beating quite fast. Never has she ever been an ordeal like that. What would happen if Mr dreadlocks wasn't there? Would she had been able to survive alone? But what was Mr dreadlocks doing with a gun? Who was he really?
Laliana could feel a light pat on her shoulder.
                                    "Who are you!" Laliana turned to the man who saved her life. "A simple thank you would do for now," he said. "I ask again, who are you!" Laliana asked annoyed.
                                          He reached out his hand to hold that of Laliana's. She backed away quickly. "Don't you dare touch me until you tell me who exactly you are and why you have a gun with you!" She demanded.
                                         "Fine, my name is Beni Bayo and I'm a business man," "That doesn't explain the gun!" "As you can see..." gesturing his classic vehicle and himself as well, "People like me  need guns to take protect themselves," he finished with a smug look on his face. Laliana was unsatisfied with the man's answer but just gave him a slight nod.
                                  The late night bus finally arrived. It did have a lot of people in it who were probably done with their shifts. Laliana got away from the intense stare Mr dreadlocks was giving her and hurriedly headed for the bus. She suddenly felt someone pulling her back by the hand.
                                 "Please tell me your name and if I'll ever see you again!" He said. Giving him a warm smile, "My name is Laliana and..." "Hurry up woman, we don't have all night!" The bus tout exclaimed. Laliana quickly got in the bus leaving Mr dreadlocks also unsatisfied with her answer.