Finding Contentus

Chapter 32: The R&R Tale (1)

"Hayi, sissie, I envy you and Amoar you know? Why couldn't we have just had one child like Mpho? These troublemakers are killing me eish!" Chieftess Banti complained in clear discomfort, much to everyone's murmuring laughter.

She was at the stage in her pregnancy in which her growing belly was visible, and she could already feel the kinds of children the twins would turn out to be judging by how restless they both fought for space and sought each other's comfort in the womb.

"I can't wait to play with them when they come out and we get out of this scary place," Mpho said quietly with mild excitement but discernible fear, holding on tightly to her mother's hand.

"But you and Reno haven't even named them you know. That's pathetic. Amoar—"

"Ewe ewe, we knew what Mpho's name would be the second we found out about the pregnancy," Amoar said back with a slight smile at his wife in confirmation.

Rasie huffed in approval, clearly just wanting to continue adding more salt to her sister's naming wounds.

"Aaaha, you see Reno!" Banti tried getting her husband's attention but he wasn't looking behind him, only forward, having created some distance away from the rest of them in deep thought.

This is the right thing to do. This is the right thing to do. This is the right thing to do. This is the right thing to do. This is the right thing to do. This is the right thing to do. He repeated to himself like a madman with eyes that weren't all that fully convinced yet.

"Reno?" Banti was about to move closer to him only to be stopped by Rasie who shook her head.

"Just... give him a moment sissie." Rasie quickly turned away from her sister, unable to look her in the eyes and face her bewildered and hurt expression.

Something felt off. Very off. Not just their perilous position and uncharted endeavors that they were embarking on, but the tense air around the royal family. They were hiding something from her, when they would always confide in one another.

She looked to see Amoar's back that trailed a short distance behind Renero, and although she couldn't see his face, his posture and demeanor didn't look all that firm and strong. It looked and felt like it was severely troubled, struggling to remain firm and true to what it had to be, and the promise it had to keep at all costs.

"Ha,eh, ha,eh, ha, eh." Banti negated reputedly. "What's this depressing air of suffocation? Haow luna, come on man, where's your light? Where's your fire? Eh? We'll never find our one sanctuary with this sour mood."

Banti let her eyes wander behind her to check to see if everyone was still with them. All the elders, men, women and children had faces of despondency, but they were still there. If only there was a way to lift everyone's spirits somehow.

Abruptly, she walked right into Renero who had stopped in his strides altogether.

"Aachi! Reno! Be careful. Otherwise these restless babies will start fighting again." Banti rubbed her belly softly and still heard nothing from Renero, prompting more concern.

"Renero?" She said gently this time, using his full name, beginning to become frightened at the unnerving silence and grasping his hand to try and elicit a response from him.

Renero looked back at her with a tired and strained expression that seemed to become brighter by the second like some wondrous revelation had just lightened up his dark world.

"And we can never have new beginnings if we don't commit to this path that we have chosen."

Both stared at each other with widening eyes as collective light bulbs went inside their heads in realizing the answers to their long stubborn dilemma.