Without a word, the children stepped back and watched Catherine approach, their eyes filled with apprehension.
"Who is she!" One of the elders yelled in a loud voice, clutching one of the children tightly close to her chest.
The children were clearly frightened by Catherine's presence, and the elders' reaction demonstrated that they were also suspicious of her. It was clear that they did not know who she was or why she was there.
Catherine stopped, meeting all of their gazes with a calm assurance that put the elders at ease. "I am here to help," she said.
"Lie! It is a lie!" The older female elder roared, crouching in front of the group as if to protect them. "You have no right to be here!"
"That may be," Catherine calmly replied. "But if so, I am here to prove myself worthy of your trust."
Catherine was trying to demonstrate her commitment to the cause, and her willingness to prove herself to be a trustworthy ally.
She asserted her position in a calm and collected manner, showing that she was not an adversary, but an ally who wanted to be taken seriously.
While the elder was growling furiously, showing her teeth that were unnaturally sharpened and standing tall, like she has always done in her tribe.
She kept her head high, her body language and demeanor conveying that she was prepared to defend her point of view if necessary.
Two strong forces faced each other. It was clear that neither would easily relent in their positions, and that a battle of wills was about to begin.
A battle that was not going to happen.
"Madam, I am sorry, she is not an enemy, I promised," I reassured clearly, blocking Catherine's presence from the elder's eyes.
"You! You brought this white woman to us! Are you mad-!"
"She is my sister," I replied calmly. "I would appreciate it if you would not talk like that to her or I will be leaving and I will never come back ever again."
"She is only here because I asked her to and she helped me with the food and drinks," I answered honestly. "If you can't accept her, then don't bother accepting me either."
Silence hung in the air as I awaited their response. Everyone just stared at me, unsure of what to say. I could feel the tension in the room, and I knew that I had pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable.
The weight of their judgment lay heavy upon me and I was left to wonder how I had managed to put myself in such a difficult position.
Finally, someone spoke up, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
Two girls stood up and walked towards me. I was surprised to see them approaching me. They both had a determined look in their eyes, as if they had something important to tell me.
"You said that she is your sister right?" One of them asked gently, looking at Catherine with curiosity.
"Yes, she is." I repeated slowly, looking back to see Catherine.
She looked like she was about to cry. I felt a wave of guilt wash over me, realizing that I had hurt her feelings emotionally.
I realised I had never called her 'sister' in all of my life. I would either call her Catherine or just gesture at her with my hands. I never thought of calling her my sister before because she never was in the first place.
But for a long time, she's been acting like a sister. Caring for me, being worried for me, looking for me. She's been there for me, in ways that a true sister would be - and that's when I realized that she really is my sister.
I knew at that moment that I had to make up for all of the years I had neglected to address her as such. I had to show her the love and respect she deserved as a part of my life.
I softened my voice and reached out for her hand, offering a comforting gesture which I hardly do. She slowly placed her hand on mine and squeezed it tightly.
I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I realized she was willing to accept my comfort. Holding her hand, I let her know that I still cared and wanted to be part of her life.
I had feared that she had completely shut me out of her life for being almost cold to her ever since she was born because of someone else's actions. To know that she was still open to me was a tremendous weight off my shoulders.
She had, after all, forgiven me for something out of my control and it was a relief to know I was still in her life.
"She is my sister," I repeated, glancing into her eyes. I felt blessed to still have her in my life - a bond that would never be broken.
She wiped the invisible tears away and smiled brightly. She felt immense pride that we had made it through the toughest of times together - a bond that could never be broken.
"They are sisters like us!" One of the girls exclaimed to the other happily, shaking her entwined hand with her sister. Smiling in response, the other girl agreed.
"Anyways, let's eat and drink before they go cold," I reminded everyone, partly sorry for breaking the sentimental moment.
All of the children grew crazy at the word 'food' and tried to attack the tray. Laughing, I quickly moved the tray out of reach to avoid any accidental spills.
"Please sit to the dining table," I instructed them children. With bright eyes and open mouths, they all ran towards the table, eagerly awaiting the food they were about to receive.
They sat down beside their parents, their eyes twinkling with anticipation as they waited for the meal ahead.
The joy and excitement of the situation was visible in the air, and everyone was filled with eagerness to taste the amazing culinary masterpieces before them.
Catherine wheeled over the tray towards the table, placing the sandwiches in front of the children and served the adults hot cups of tea and coffee.
When we were about to leave, I suddenly thought that not everyone might like sandwiches and fruits so we kind of raided the kitchen more and got more food.
Coincidenceally, there was about twenty lunch boxes so I thought it wouldn't hurt if I took seven of them for the adults.
It had everything from pearl couscous with chickpeas and eggplant to lemon-roasted potatoes, chicken and spinach with Tzatziki.
Setting the food in front of them, they looked uncertain about it.
"Don't worry, they are not poisoned. I tasted it just in case," I reassured them all and they started to eat.
Relief flooded their faces as they tucked into the food, content in the knowledge that the food was safe.
They thanked me profusely for my thoughtfulness and assurance, grateful that I had taken the initiative to check the food before they ate it.
Catherine and I both smiled at each other because of the success. We were both proud of the positive outcome, proud that I had taken the time to do the right thing.
When we sat down to start eating ourselves, all eyes were on us and their plates were finished with not even one piece of crumb left.
We both started laughing at the situation, saying in unison, "We've got more to spare!"
This self-deprecating humor made the other diners smile, and everyone was happy to find out that we had plenty of food to share.
After giving everyone a second portion, I finally got to eat anything ever since breakfast. We shared our meal with everyone, finally allowing ourselves to enjoy it after a long morning without food.
It was a wonderful feeling to be able to share the joy and leave everyone with a full stomach. Sharing the meal not only nourished our bodies, but it also filled our hearts with a sense of satisfaction that money could not buy.
Eating and finishing the sandwich, I felt as though I was eating someone else's food if I took more.
I was humbled and grateful for the opportunity to share the meal, and my heart was filled with joy as I savored every last bite.
"Here, have this," Catherine whispered, pushing one of the lunch boxes toward me.
I looked at her shockingly and then at the food. Gently touching the corner of the box, I hesitantly accepted the offering, overwhelmed by Catherine's generosity.
"Catherine- I mean sister, I could never eat your food," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
"It's okay, you deserve it." She gently smiled and said, "I've already eaten and you haven't so eat up."
"I'm not sure if I should feel guilty or relieved," I said as I took a bite of the food, grateful for her generosity.
"It's alright," she said reassuringly. "You should be grateful and enjoy it."
I smiled as I savored the delicious meal, feeling thankful for her thoughtfulness and understanding.
As I finished my meal, all of the mothers stood up to clear the dishes. They gave the both of us a warm smile and told us to stay put and relax, that they would take care of it.
So, I was touched by their kindness and hospitality, knowing that they were going out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable.
As they worked, the mothers hummed a gentle tune. The sound of their humming filled the room and it was both soothing and calming.
I sat there, listening to the music, feeling grateful for the warmth and hospitality that the mothers had shown us.
Soon the gentle humming turned into Alkebulan beats. Taking in the contagious energy of the room, I found myself tapping along to the beat in appreciation of the beautiful culture.
African beats soon filled the room, and it was impossible not to be moved by the vibrant music.
The drums, pots and pans were used instead, and the rhythm created a powerful atmosphere that was both energizing and captivating.
I couldn't help but start clapping my hands along with the rhythm of the tune. My clapping caused the other children in the room to join in, and soon the room was filled with the sound of clapping and the gentle humming of the mothers' song.
In the mist of all of it, one of the elders came over to our side with nervousness on her face.
Catherine instantly froze at the sight of her. Immediately her hands stopped clapping. She could only stare in disbelief at the sight of the elder.
After a few moments of silence, the elder finally spoke to Catherine. "I... I am sorry for the way I reacted before. I hope you can accept my apology."
The young woman was taken aback by the apology, but she quickly recovered and said, "Of course, I accept your apology."
The elder smiled , "My name is Hadiza and I was the elder's wife in our tribe,"
She continued, "It's a pleasure to meet you - let us start fresh and put the past behind us."
Catherine nodded in agreement, her eyes shining with joy; it was clear that she was looking forward to starting anew.
"Yes, let's do that." Catherine said with excitement, giving her hand out.
Hadiza firmly shook her hand, affirming her decision and feeling a newfound sense of determination and hope.
I smiled at my sister and the elder building a friendship. This connection between the two brought a smile to my face, knowing that a strong bond was forming between them.
"Estelle," Imani, the mother of the baby boy, gently tapped my shoulder. I was surprised to be addressed by my name in such a familiar manner.
"Oh, Imani, hello," I replied, giving her a polite bow. Imani's smile widened as she looked appreciatively at my gesture, her pride in her son apparent.
"Well, Mr Abidemi here has been looking for you, isn't that right," Imani softly assured her baby. "You've done so much for him," she added, admiration shining in her eyes.
"He's been so eager to see you," Imani added with a smile, her love for her son radiating from her.
The baby reacted with giggles. His joy was contagious, and even Imani couldn't help but laugh with him.
Her smile beaming, Imani declared, "It's like he knows you're here. He can sense your love!"
As soon as Abidemi's eyes turned toward me, his joy doubled immediately.
His hands were stretched out towards me. With an ear-to-ear grin, Abidemi eagerly waited for me to take him in my arms.
I felt warmth fill my heart as I took Abidemi into my arms, and he snuggled closer to me. As I held Abidemi in my arms, I knew I had created an unbreakable bond with him that would last forever. . . .