THE JOURNEY

The bicycle glided smoothly through the narrow bushy street. It passed every bush smoothly and gingerly moving away from any thorns which might have punctured it. The pathway was fenced by tall trees that provided shade and some bit of privacy from either side of it. This prompted some individuals to relieve themselves just aside it. However, there were times that one would be caught red-handed by a stranger which resulted in shame and embarrassment to the victim. I was not a fan of that at all. And now on the bike, was me, Mike, the son of the great Mr. and Mrs. Isula family.

I continued paddling the bike faster and faster. I heard the chatter of monkeys and the singing of birds. Other birds sang lovely which motivated my mood while others sang sorrowfully which lowered my mood. At a certain point, I slammed the brakes suddenly when an owl appeared in my path hooting sorrowfully. I was tense as my heart skipped a beat. My head whirled with different emotions. I wondered why it had appeared at that particular time and place. I was angry with it for interfering with my journey. A minute passed, and we still stared at each other, as if each one of us was preparing to attack the other.

Finally, I tried to scare it away by throwing my arms at it. Each time I threw my arm at it, it hooted even more wildly and frighteningly. Sweat was now all over my body. I had heard my father speak of an owl as an animal bringing bad omen to whoever it meets. Was it informing me of a danger ahead? Was it implying that I shouldn't continue with my journey? I stemmed the thought out of my mind since I couldn't get enough evidence to support it.

Suddenly, the owl became ready to attack. It spread its body and came frighteningly towards me. I could not recall how I ended up on top of a nearby tall tree clinging to a certain branch with my eyes closed. I also could understand how I found my clothes wet after the incident. I looked down and saw my bike on the ground. When I came back to my senses, I realized that I had lost control of my bladder.

I came down swiftly from the tree and mounted the bike once more. I raced the whole journey without looking back. I never paid attention to any sound that came from the sides or calls from passers-by inquiring why I was too fast. For the first time too, I never cared about greeting them on the way. The owl incident still disturbed my mind. The wind caressed my face and armpits soothingly bringing a sense of comfort. The wind became smoother and merrier, and finally, I forgot about the owl incident altogether. I focused on the good tidings that I would find in my destination. I anticipated a well-fed sleep that night, contrary to what happened at home. I was going to a rich house!

Finally, the narrow path opened to a wide tarmacked road. The road was busy with traffic congestion. I had to wait for several minutes to cross and get on my track. When I had crossed, my hand dug into my pocket and came out with the small map that I had been given. I chose the right way and pursued it to a left path where a big black gate opened. I gently knocked and a short gentleman dressed in a blue uniform opened for me.

"You're the one?" He asked for a short introduction.

"Yes, I'm the one. Were you told I was coming?" I asked, my face lighting with a smile amazed by the home compound.

"Yes, I was told." He replied calmly. He further introduced himself as Jean and went further to show me around the homestead. "That is where you will pack your small vehicle." He emphasized. "There is a mango tree over there. You can always enjoy yourself when you're here." My face lit up with excitement again. "There is a small garden of maize as you go towards that route. Right now, the maize is green and you can roast as many as you like."

I left the gate excited and prepared to enjoy my entire time. I pushed my bike towards the parking area and after breathing some fresh air from the home garden, I went towards the door. Before I opened it, my mind was piqued by something shiny on my right. It was the reflection of the sun on a blue expansive swimming pool. My heart was gladdened knowing that I would no longer need to go to the river where we used to swim with my age mates in the village. I remembered how we went swimming while carrying smearing oil to apply after swimming. When we could go home, no one could know whether we had swam. They used to stress that the river water was dirty. But I didn't see that because I was a small child then. I immersed my curious finger in the water and quickly removed it involuntarily. The water was too cold! Why would it be cold while the sun was beaming hot in the clear blue sky? I went towards the door.

I twisted the door handle and opened it. A clean tiled floor unfolded before my eyes. Beautiful big sofa coaches were sitting proudly at the center of the room. Every luxurious device one could imagine was there. On the other side was a staircase to lead one to the first floor. I quickly ran upstairs to see more and more. The whole building had countless rooms and I was nearly lost at some point while trying to locate my way back to the room which I assumed was the living room. Every room I entered was well furnished with extravagant furniture and premium beds. I wondered who slept on those beds.

I moved from room to room and when I was satisfied that I had surveyed each room, I ran towards the staircase to go back to the living room. However, I noticed a room which I hadn't entered. I ran quickly to open it. The door was difficult to open. It was not locked! I tried pushing with all my strength to no avail. I thought of taking a step back and running towards it with all my might. However, I realized that I could end up hurting myself or breaking the door. I gave up on it and was about to go away when I heard a bang and the smell of something being burned. I was terrified of even touching the door. I stood gazing around wondering what was happening.

My mind brought up stories and myths that I believed were the cause and reason for whatever was getting burned. I had heard that some people got their riches through joining a certain cult which required a specific room to live. Was this the case here? I wondered again and again. I tried pushing the door again but in vain. I ran quickly towards the staircase to the living room to inform Jean, the gate security officer. In the living room, my mind was startled. I decided not to tell him. I resolved to do my research around the whole house to discover the whole truth. I needed to know the source of those riches sooner. I needed to protect my whole family from receiving anything from him and have enough evidence to convince them that the riches were not earned through normal hard work.

Where should I start then? Well, I went to the fridge, took some mango juice, and sat while watching a favorite episode of Shooting Stars that I liked. It was time to wait for him, Jack, my uncle, and the owner of the whole house.