Finding Contentus

Chapter 10: New Settlement

Had they been human, they probably would have been shocked to death since humans couldn't communicate with nature.

They kept moving in silence after their mythical encounter. The main reason for this was due to the ever present gloom that still remained in the hearts and minds of the twins when it came to them steering their resolve forward, away from their fallen home, friends and loved ones, most especially their immediate family.

They didn't even see what had happened to Mpho. All they saw were the last images of Amoar and Rasie. Their lifeless and heartless bodies kept circling in their heads like solar discs, with the most painful and heart piercing one of all being that of their mother Banti, with those last words of hers that kept repeating in their shared minds.

"I will always be with you."

It was these words that kept driving them onwards with the tiniest semblance of assurance. They always prayed, but they never really believed in much about the ancestors, the gods or God since they couldn't see them.

They merely just followed what everyone else did and believed in as they were told. But in this period of loss, the twins held onto those last words for strength, faith and guidance like lifelines in the arid air.

They held onto the belief that their family and people were still with them. They hoped that the light of their fallen race lived on in them, that they were watching over them wherever their souls were now.

Being completely aware of this period of mourning, Renero too was more silent than usual, realizing that they naturally still needed time, unlike him, who had to learn to quickly move on from things.

Or rather.

Move — from things, as those things still remained inside him for years and years, and now, he had to move on from another thing that latched itself on him. Except this was the one thing he doubted he could ever truly let go off.

Thus, like he had always done in order to cope, he buried all his feelings deep down his already never ending pit of despair. It was unhealthy, but it was all he knew. It was his only coping mechanism since he had lost the ability to shed tears a long time ago.

Suppression and repression was the thing that had become second nature to Renero, and unfortunately, it was the thing that he feared his children would have to learn to do quickly if they even hoped to survive in the real world.

Although Genesia and Neosa had lived a life of limited struggle in Mootlakeng, it was a happy one for them, a good one, filled with endless joy, and rich with limitless love. One where they, as children, didn't have any worries or concerns about the future, being completely unaware of the true world around them, or even what their own existence meant.

And now, with all of that gone, they had to embark on this long and dreadful journey of survival and self discovery, to try their best to find their place in the world that had been tainted.

Just as I have. Renero lamented like he did in the cave.

"How much further now Papa?" Neosa asked when they passed by a field of high crops that obstructed their vision.

Surprisingly, this was only the second time that she had asked this question. The first being somewhere around the afternoon.

It was surprising to Genesia, mainly due to how talkative his sister normally was, but all throughout their journey, she was much more subdued and quiet. He knew exactly why of course, he felt the same way after all. They all did.

But it was still such an uncomfortable scenario for him. After all, despite how much he would tease and call her annoying, it was those very aspects of his sister that he loved so much.