Prologue

In a little beautiful garden , a little boy was playing away from his many cousins . He wanted to play without having to argue on who deserved the most toys out of them . Even if the said toys belonged to him , he wasn't that selfish when it came to his belongings .

He was in the backyard all by himself as he watched a small brown snake slithering in the grass . The snake had appeared out of nowhere but the little boy was not scared , in fact he was entranced by it . He was in the middle of building a sand castle on the wet sand when he spotted the mole snake . It was moving towards him and he sat upright with crossed legs .

His big blue eyes followed the snake around as the it circled him . He found himself giggling at the slippery sensation on his bare arms before looking at the house again . No one was paying attention to him so he went back to looking down on his torso .

The little boy frowned when he saw that the snake had frozen on him . It no longer moved like it did seconds ago and he found himself brimming with tears . His first instinct was to shake it off him but the mole snake didn't budge . When he was about to touch it with his hand , he heard a shriek from inside the house .

" What's happening Linda ?"

The boy turned his attention on the direction of his father's voice . His mother was running towards him , her long white skirt in her clutches . Her expression was of pain as tears flowed from her eyes , forming pools on her white shirt . She looked like a distressed angel with her bronze skin glistening with sweat . Her worried husband was chasing after her , calling out her name but the woman had one thing in her mind and it was to get her son .

" Linda , talk to me!" the man yelled again but she had already reached her little boy .

Linda looked at her son before dropping on her knees dejectedly , she couldn't stop her tears from shedding away . Her little boy was looking at her with clear confusion and it had her choking on her own spit . She could see his big blue eyes tearing up from seeing her cry .

" Zion baby ..." she started out softly , touching his soft chubby cheek with care . " You're all grown up my boy ."

" Mama , did I do something bad?" the little boy wondered as he blinked his teary eyes .

" No no no , you did not do anything bad ."

" Then why are you crying ?"

The woman sighed softly , all the while she looked at her son with pain . She turned her head to the direction of the door where her family was standing , worry and hurt basking their faces . Her husband was in the midst of them and he was looking at his wife worriedly . Linda motioned for him to come closer before giving her attention back to her little boy . When her husband stood by her side , she decided to speak again .

" Your grandmother would like to see you Zion . Promise me that you will listen to her okay ? She's ready for her peaceful sleep so she wanted you to be the last person she sees . Come on , dust yourself ... let's go visit mama ."  Linda euphemized , trying her best to ease the boy's worries . Her tears were still imitating waterfalls but there was nothing she could do about it .

" Okay ." Zion said with uncertainty . He was still clueless as to what sleep meant in his mother's terms but he knew it meant that he wouldn't see his grandmother again .

Zion wasn't too worried about that because his grandmother would always tell him that the ones who have slept , will always wake up in the near future . She told him that they would always be with the living but in other different kinds of forms . Zion had yet to learn what all of that meant .

When they reached the backdoor , he saw how his family had bundled up . They were all looking at him with expressions that Zion couldn't decipher . Even his cousins seemed to know what was happening but he was still clueless . He wanted to ask them what was wrong but he couldn't find the right words . He turned to his mother and squeezed her hand to gain her attention . When the woman looked down on him ,  he decided speak his mind .

" Mama what's happening ?"

" Don't worry , you will find out sooner . Your grandmother still wants to see you . She's waiting for you right now ."

" But where is she ?"

" She's inside her hut ."

" Why is she not in her room?"

" I don't know honey."

Zion nodded his head and walked through the path his family members had paved out for him . He let go of his mother's hand and stalked his way to his grandmother's old hut . A place where he'd watch her do all sorts of foreign things that he didn't have an explanation of . Sometimes she would light candles and chant until they burn out . He would always be amazed at watching her do all those things .

As he neared the entrance of the small hut , he looked at his parents as if asking for confirmation . They both nodded their heads and that was all he needed to enter quietness of the little hut . Before entering he took a deep breath and stepped out of his shoes as a sign of respect . That's what his grandmother always told him .

When he got inside the place was darker than usual with only one candle giving it a source of lighting . Zion looked around confusedly because he knew that it wasn't supposed to like that . Every candle in that room was meant to be giving the place warmth and light . But now the candles were off , creating a gloomy atmosphere in his grandmother's sanctuary .

He looked in the middle of the room where his grandmother was laying on the floor with only a towel under her clothed body . He immediately ran to her side  , falling on top of her in the process . He wrapped his small hands around her neck while burying his face on the crook of her neck .

" Gigi ... wake up , don't sleep ."

his voice was muffled as he spoke .

The old lady woke up from her trance and rubbed a soothing hand on the little boy's back . She smiled softly when she felt something solid on his upper back . She brushed the spot three times before patting him on the head .

" I'm not sleeping just yet Zion ..." the old lady rasped out , her creased hand caressing his damp forehead .

" But mama said it was time for your peaceful sleep ."  Zion said , looking at his grandmother's  dark eyes ." And I don't even know what that means Gigi ."

" Well , your mama is wrong ."

" Gigi , why is there only one candle ? Did you throw the others away ?"

" No , they're here ... But it's not their time to shine tonight . Their time has long passed , do you know what that means Zion ?"

" No , but you said these candles are a part you ... So does this mean that you'll buy new ones ?"

" You're so clever ..."

Zion smiled brightly when he heard those words . He was laying besides his grandmother , his small hand in hers . It felt like they were in their own little world as they conversed and laughed and unknown to him , all the candles were lit up instantly . The room was brightly shining an orange hue on their happy faces .

...

Linda looked at her husband confusedly but the man was watching the hut with intense eyes , his blue orbs wildly dancing on the whites of his eyes . His face was of disdain as he disregarded his wife's warning earlier and Linda had to hold him back slightly . She didn't like the look on his handsome face because it gave her unwanted goosebumps .

" I don't understand Linda , I thought your mother died a few minutes ago . Who could Zion be possibly talking to ?" the man spoke after a while .

" I don't understand either ..."

" Maybe we should go in there , what if  your dead mother is casting a spell on my son ?"

" My mama does not cast spells Donn , she's not a witch ! How many times do I have to tell you that ..."

" Then explain why she never allows anyone except Zion inside that hut ! You know what , I'm getting my son out of there ."

Linda decided to block her husband by standing in front of him . She had a deadly look on her delicate features as she cut him with her eyes . The man took a step back , his blue eyes searching her face before storming away but not before narrowing his eyes .

" Fine , leave because that's what you do ." Linda whispered to no one in particular .

She waited outside as dusk broke through the daytime . The weather was starting to get chilly and her thin clothes did nothing to warm her up . She hugged herself tightly as she waited , all the while listening to her son giggle from inside the hut . The light coming from inside was reflecting on the outside as well and all she wanted was to feel the warmth against her skin .

" Gigi , I promise I will be big and strong . You will see , one day I'll build you a very big hut and we will live together !"  she heard her son's sweet voice , resulting in her tears blurring her vision .

" I promise you Gigi ." Zion spoke again .

After minutes of drying her tears , Linda lifted her head to see an approaching figure . When she blinked her eyes to find Zion standing in front of her with a big smile on his face , she crouched down and hugged him . The boy hugged back with any second thought .

" Mama , Gigi said she will not sleep until she sees the man I will become . Don't worry okay ? Gigi is okay ." Zion said .

" Okay ..." Linda answered , her eye staring at the bright light emitting from her mother's hut . A lone tear fell down her face when the lighting dimmed until a wind blew inside and the place darkened . Rest in peace she thought before holding her son tightly .

Rest in peace mama .