AFTERMATH

I lay on the graveled floor bleeding. It's now a crime scene. Everest is nowhere near. People are nowhere near. Just cooing I hear. The street lights shine bright. The moonlight's nowhere near probably hiding in shame after siding with her. I lay here taking my breath little by little, step by step, puff after puff. It thickened, my breath. My chest feels tight like it's been forced to carry a load so heavy coupled with running a marathon. So this is it? I pen my death down as I penned her mother's as I should pen hers.

I give up. Goodbye Everest. Goodbye me. Hello Saraj. I close my eyes and on the floor, I layed. No sound I heard only the whispers of the wind giving the gists to the tress. The trees carry it to the birds. The birds to the waters and so on.

____

TWENTY-ONE YEARS AGO.

THE YEAR SARAJ WIND GAVE UP HER SOUL, 2000. HMM.

It was a normal day in the Wind's home. A beautiful afternoon it was. Everything was going smoothly. A no school day, a Saturday. Everest, four (4) years of age was with her mum. A single mother thriving for the family. They weren't suffering. They lived a comfortable life. Saraj made sure of that. They were in the kitchen eating lunch. Everest was a smart one and still is. She started talking so early.

'Mommy. Mommy? Where are you, mommy? The food will lose its heat. Mum!'

She got off the chair she sat in, went in search of her mother. She went to the rooms both hers and her mother's. She went to the sitting room. Not there either.

'Is she outside? Hmm?' Her cute face was beaming with questions. Her little brain racking in search of her mother who said 'Wait, dear, let me ease myself.' She slid the door open, went to the garden. She saw a figure walking to the backyard.

'Mother?' Isn't that her?

She ran after the figure's shadow and mom was there. 'Mom, I was looking for you.'

'Sorry dear, I wanted to plant these so we don't have to buy them. Okay?'

'Okay.'

And to their surprise, from nowhere a gunshot was heard. Her mom quirked. Everest didn't even move an inch. Her mom was still fine and so was Everest.

But to their surprise again a gunshot was heard. She was shot, Saraj, with an arrow. Everest still stood there unshaken. 'Mommy, should I pull it out?'

'No. Leave it.'

'Okay. So what will we do? Are you going to die mum? Should I call someone?'

'No.'

'Hmm?'

'Don't call anyone. Just stay with me. Let's do the breath game.'

'Okay.' She sat next to her mother. The shooter was somewhere near.

'What is the first rule?' Her mother asks in pain bleeding slowly.

'When no one asks of your health, breathe.'

'Okay. Very right. The next rule.'

'When you fear something bad is about to happen, breathe.'

'My daughter is growing up. The third one.'

'When something bad happens, breathe.'

And that's how they repeated it from the first to the third. It might not make any sense to us but it does to them. Those rules are what her husband said to her continuously on his death bed. It didn't make any sense to her then.

'The next one.' She managed to say with a voice less than an audible one but Everest carried on unshaken.

'When something bad happens, breathe.' Mommy, are you going to die? You do not seem well. Should I call anyone?'

Saraj smiled and replied. 'No. Just stay with me. When you hear me no more then, call someone. Then right after go to eat.'

'Okay, mum.'

Saraj wasn't talking anymore. Her soul left her body cold. Everest knew that was it but did as she was told. She let go of mommy gently, went to their neighbor's house, then knocked. It took a while before the door opened. A boy came out the door holding a bow, twelve (12) years of age he was.

'How can I help you?' He replied politely.

'Can you call your parents? My mom is sick.'

'Okay.' The next minute his parents came out and asked Everest what the matter was. She told them everything. They hurried so fast that they both almost slipped. Saraj lay cold dead. Everest stood in sight of all eating as she was told to. And that was it. Saraj Wind was murdered by an unknown criminal to this day. But Camilla's supposed errand boy, I, came running and confessed so I suppose that little step took my will again forcefully.

FEW MOMENTS AFTER

I stood behind my door in the dark after returning from what just happened. I took a deep breath. I let a small puff out. I switched on the kitchen's light took ice cream from the fridge cos I was heating up. All the blood was still on my hands. I didn't give a care. I scooped a large scoop of the vanilla-flavored ice cream. I lean on the marble slab looked ahead a bit at nothing in particular. I enjoyed the brain freeze it gave me. I didn't change my clothes nor wash off the blood I smeared on the bowl. I just ate from the large ice cream bowl to my satisfaction. I stop there calmly and I say out.

'Rule 1, When no one asks of your health, breathe.'

'Rule 2, When you fear something bad is about to happen, breath.'

'Rule 3, When something bad happens, breathe.'

'Breathe.'

'Rule 1, When no one asks of your health, breathe.'

'Rule 2, When you fear something bad is about to happen, breath.'

'Rule 3, When something bad happens, breathe.'

'Brea...' I got interrupted by the knock on the door. I got interrupted by the sirens of the police cars. I got interrupted by the continuous attempt to break open the door.

I pay no mind to it. I continue to scoop from the large ice cream bowl. I continue to say the rules unshaken.

They broke in. A Large "bam" shook the police guy behind the one who broke open the door. I still scoop unshaken. I continue to say the rules there unshaken. They got to where I leaned and said,

'Everest Wind, you are under arrest for the murder of Dain Date.'

I follow them without question. At least I have eaten to my satisfaction. We got to the police station after they bumped me against the door and yelled at me to shut up cos I refused to stop saying the rules. I was unshaken in all of this.

' Oh my God! 'Where's she? The woman who attends to me always.' I refer to the policewoman who always seemed to be on my case every time. The one who interrogates me every time I come here. 'Where's she?'

'She's on leave. I'd be the one attending to you Everest.' She boldened her last word, my name. I sat down with no arguments.

'So you killed a man.' The black woman in police uniform asked me boldly.

'Obviously.'

'And how did you do that?'

'Check the footage.' I reply.

'Make a statement ma'am.' She said curtly.

I obeyed not because she said so but cos I wanted to. 'I stabbed his intestines till they bleed and made a sound "puff". I demonstrate with my hands letting air out of my mouth and throwing my fused fingers in the air.

'Okay. And this is your twentieth (20) time in here?'

'Twenty-first (21). It's my 21st-time sentence but not for murder. Drugs!' I let out a choking laughter almost leaning in towards the policewoman. Other police officers grabbed me by my arms waiting for her next statement.

'O...kay. Just take her away. she's not a visitor.' She said and they did as they were told. I still laugh, a rather choking irritating one.