Chapter four: Anka camp

Asani and Anike brought Ayooni to a nearby café so she could explain what had been going on with her. Anike ordered a cold tea to calm their nerves. She told her that the food part is done carefully to explain the deal to you.

I have been having strange occurrences, Ayooni confessed and it started on the day of our graduation. She told them of the man she saw on the school lawn starring at her, and how she could sense and feel people's thoughts even though she was convinced herself it was a normal thing and anybody could do it as long as they focused and practised hard, she talked about the message Anike had passed to her during her speech and how she seems to have travelled to this man's house unknowingly and saw him panting her. I don't think he knows who I am either she said, I can tell he is as frustrated as I am with this occurrence.

Anike sat dumbfounded, you telling me I told you something like this and you two didn't bother to ask or tell me anything about it, if this hadn't happened in front of me today, I wouldn't know I could do a mojo mind thing, which is cool, I did ask you Ayooni countered, I asked you why you spoke to me in Occitan and how do you know how to speak the language, because I know it wasn't part of the language we are familiar with.

Anike looked glaringly, how am I supposed to know that was what happened if you didn't elaborate, I am no genie I can't read your mind, and that aside, how is it only Emman knew you can do what you do and not us, that's enough Asani said .... we need answers, not an argument. What's done is done and it passed, and how can you not tell she is as confused as we are you of all people should know how her mind works, she analyzes and dissects before she can say a word and all these are confusing for her already don't add to it.

A.Y she said softly leaving Anike alone to her stew, I need you to do a rough sketch of the guy you keep seeing, I already did, I wanted to show it to you when I have the chance she said.

Asani smiled at her warmly and gave Anike a pointed look as if to say I told you she wouldn't have kept it from us, I know this guy Anike said, he is the author of my favourite book "Beauty in the Land of the dead" I was supposed to give you this on your birthday because I know you would love it too but it was sold out and I had to pre-order a new one, told you about it.

Oh! This is great, he is real Ayooni fretted, so I wasn't imagining things, I am seeing him for real, how do we find someone who is already a celebrity, she asked. I don't know yet but we need to get answers first.

The three of them agreed to that and headed towards their train.

After two weeks in camp, the three friends are barely getting by. Their first week was said to be passable none of them are used to the stress of running parades and doing too many recreational activities. Ayooni has always been a light sleeper, Asani is a morning person but Anike wakes up late and this has been a thorn on her part since the camp begins.

They were planning on the upcoming carnival when Cassandra one of the friends they made in camp suddenly slumped on the field. Ayooni with the help of her friends carried her to the infirmary but she died anyway. The three girls dragged their tired feet back to their bunk after the whole ordeal, death is real and unexpected Asani said. That is why I live in the moment, Anike retorted, Ayooni who was listening to her friends whine about their dead friend began sobbing quietly.

Cassandra was her friend, she was a paediatric and hoped to open her clinic and just like that she died, it turns out that she has an ulcer and she has been neglecting her health. She was carefree, Ayooni brought up the image of the lady with the plump figure, her smile has always been mesmerizing, she had once told her that she wished she could have her figure and now she's dead.

Ayooni drifts off while thinking of her dead friend in a dream. Yemi stood at the edge of a mountain, this place looks familiar, she thought. Yemi turned around annoyed at himself for not being tactical about his thoughts, he now realised she appears to him whenever her thoughts were at the strongest in his mind. Hi, he said to her, this place is beautiful, isn't it? Ayooni wondered how she got back to this mountain when she was just thinking about her friend and now she is dreaming of this guy again, she sighed softly and replied to his greeting mainly because she doesn't want to look rude.

I have been here before she said to see him look surprised, how did you get here he asked her, this is the outskirt of a village called Anka which is just a few miles from here. Anka is in Zamfara she said to him for clarification, and I am currently there, so I know this mountain. Yemi stared at her now taking in her expression, she looks sad he thought and the thought of her looking sad doesn't sit well with him, you look sad, he said to her.

Ayooni looked at his forwardness and felt a pang of annoyance and grief at his pointing out what she was going through but she answered anyway, a lost a friend thirty minutes ago, he felt bad hearing this he wished he could help, he wanted o reach out but he heard a rustle behind them and Cassandra stood there all smiling.

"Benvenguda brilhanta a vos l'Oracle e sa Divination (Bright blessing to you Oracle and her Divination),vos pòrti d'istòrias de las desconegudas e dels secrets dels coneguts per vos son la question e la responsa a ela. amb l'ajuda de la Tèrra, Fuòc, Agua e Aire, lo camin cap al camin ven mai clar e lo camin ven mai larg" (I bring to you stories of the untold and secretes of the known for you are the question and the answer to it. with the help of Earth, Fire, Water and Air, the way to the path becomes clearer and the road becomes broader trust yourselves and your hearts for that is where you are the strongest). She smiled at Ayooni and hugged her I am glad I got to say goodbye to you dearest friend, please don't be sad, I am happy here.