3- noticing the beauty

"that's... tha... my mom" the woman stired the waters with her staff and the image of my mother vanished. "where did she go?, what is that place?" I asked all together and I couldn't understand a thing. "your mother is in the wrong hands, you must do the needful to save her" I looked into her eyes, I wasn't a superhero or something, and this, this was not how I imagined my study case in Africa to be when I first boarded the plane from Scotland.

I runned out of the hut as far away as my legs could take me, if this is a nightmare then I'm ready to wake up now, because it ain't funny anymore. I came to a stop and I was at the top of the hillside. I fell to my knees for the first time I let the traitor tears escape my eyes. after two whole years of pronouncing my mother dead the organisation didn't even report effectively what happened back here. did they know?.

I let more tears fall it was overwhelming to know that my mother was alive suffering somewhere no one to her aid. what shall I tell the professor, and others. will they believe me?. I heard faint footsteps and breaking of branches. my heart began pounding my blood pressure increasing. I forgot I was in Africa, in the woods, what if it's a wild animal. I curse myself for running into the woods, quickly developing a plan to save myself. "you can run very fast too, I had to run so fast so you don't leave me behind" the same girl, I already forgot her name came beside me.

I wipe the tear stains away so she wouldn't notice I was crying. I don't like it when I have to be vulnerable Infront of anyone much less a girl I just met.

"it's okay to cry sometimes, I do that too whenever I remember my father". I turn to look at her and she was staring forward "what happened to him?" I asked curiously. "he was killed by a lion during the hunting season a few days before I was born"

I felt bad for the girl, I wonder how it feels to have a father "Atleast you know he died" the girl faced me with surprise "what do you mean?" I scoffed a bit to hide the pain "Never knew him" she held my shoulder for a second "I'm sorry, it must be terrible" I nodded my head, deciding to drop the topic. "soo, your mother...she... ahh.." she interrupted me before I could ask "she is not a witch, if that's what you wanted to ask" I nodded again but I still wanted to know more, "what's so special about the pendant?"

she looked at me and then spoke calculatedly "it's an amulate, it's different from other Amulates because that is a natural possession from the gods. it has strong powers that can be enough or too much for this world, in the wrong hands it can be a weapon to destroy the world and everything in it"

"the ancient gods are not a myth?" the girl laughed softly "that is what the people of your kind believe, because they go to school, they wear that and the eat with fake hands" it was my turn to laugh, I forgot the fact that a lot was on the line and I laughed "why are you laughing?" she asked seriously "those are not fake hands!" I corrected whilst laughing "what do you call them?". "a spoon, fork and knife just like any other utensils"

she processed what I said and she broke into a laughing fit, surprisingly her voice was soft and classy. she had perfect white teeth. her long black braids fell to her shoulders.her big brown eyes with thick lashes accentuated her chocolate skin. she was beautiful.

"what did you say your name was?" she asked consciously at how I stared at her, she played it off. "aahh.. I.. I'm Mark, Mark summers" she rehearsed the name the slowly repeating it out loudly "Maak?.. what does it mean?". I shrugged my shoulders "a scar or something like that maybe.. what's yours?"

"Dikeledi.. means Tears my mother named me that because I was born during a sorrowful moment".

we stared at each other before she switched the aura. "let's go back, it's not safe out here at these times". we stand up to head back to the village.

we reached the Village and we parted ways. I went back to professor and my colleagues. we unloaded our stuffs, and the driver led the way to the place we shall be camping for the night.

I collected the pieces of wood to start a fire to keep us warm, it's very cold areas down the mountains. I was sitting with the others making different comments about our trip. I acted oblivious of what I learned back there. I planned to talk to professor sometime tomorrow maybe. it was very late and we didn't have dinner, we settled to instant chicken noodles. and sat around the fire making stories before setting the tents to call it a night.