Chapter 16

I feel like we're being watched from a distance as the driver parks the bus at the heart of what seems to be a small village.

"Alright we're here" says the driver enthusiastically even for him.

I feel a harsh gaze and a shadowy aura very close to me just out the bus window,I turn my gaze and look outside only to see absolutely nothing but small houses and trees.

Ashanti helps me get down the bus slowly with a lot of patience and by the time we're out there's already a small crowd of people mumbling and waiting for us,small gasps break out from their lips as they look at us …..at me with pitiful eyes and I can't help but feel very self conscious and annoyed.

A small woman pushes her way through the crowd and halts in front of us,she is a bit old with strands of grey hair here and there.She looks at me with her sharp small eagle like eyes yet still manages to keep a stoic expression that gives her small demeanor an aura of authority.It feels like she's examining every cell on my body.She scares me.

"You poor child"She says looking at me almost in a whisper

"Follow me" she says as she walks away through the crowd but only this time they give way for her.

I look at Ashanti questionably but she gives me a tight lipped smile and a curt nod,like as though giving me a sign of reassurance before leading me away.As we walk I feel the gaze of the crowd piercing through my back fiercely and I feel twice as uncomfortable.

"Why are they staring at us like that?"I ask whispering.But Ashanti doesn't answer.She just glances at me and shakes her head.

Her gesture confuses me and I can't help but feel maybe she scared too but even so I still manage to notice that the mysterious driver has disappeared but I don't give that much thought.

The old lady's house is a bit further away from the village right next to a little lake but it doesn't take us too long to get there …….at least close enough,it's not as far as I thought it was a few minutes ago.

"Ashanti,where is everyone, what happened at the mansion?"I ask suddenly finding my voice

Even though I am glad to be out of there,I'm still not satisfied with not knowing anything at all especially when I sustained injuries because of it.

Ashanti takes a look at me and pauses,I look at her back expecting an actual answer.The look on her face is a mix of surprise and something I can't decipher,somehow I wish I had asked this later...maybe this wasn't the best time.

"You don't…. remember anything?"she asks in a tone of utter disbelief

"Remember what?"

She seems to be even more puzzled but just continues to walk as she pulls me along with her.

"Ashanti..."

"You really don't remember anything do you?"

"No"

She exhales but remains silent and I on the other hand decide to bring this up later, something's clearly not right here.

The old lady's house is a seemingly decent cottage that smells like honey and spices.Ashanti helps me into the house as the old woman leads the way into her dark but squeaky clean house till she leads us into a bright room as she opens the door for us.The room is small but somehow not surprisingly neat and airy.It has one window,a wardrobe cabinet and a small bed.The woman gestures for me to sit on the bed that so happens to be just beside the door and I obey.She signals Ashanti to leave and she nods in response before walking up to me and pats my shoulder lightly and I can't help but feel a small pang of panic

"I'll come tomorrow to check up on you"she says before giving me a tight lipped smile.

"You're leaving me?"I ask not understanding what is going on

"Not exactly...it's complicated"she replies apologetically

"Alright thats enough leave"intervenes the old woman opening the door.

They both leave the room but Ashanti doesn't fail to give me a small wave before the old lady shuts the door with the stoic expression still on her face.I get up and limp towards the window and I see Ashanti's back walking down the road leading away from this woman's house.The door opens and the woman walks in with a tray full of bandages, ointments,a small scissors and a bowl of soap.

"Sit"she says with an unreadable tone

I obey not wanting to see what she looks like when she's annoyed.She places the tray beside me and starts checking my wounds, she then finally applies some ointments on my injuries which by the way sting alot.

"Here have some soup"she says ignoring my groans.

I take the soup surprised I didn't know I was hungry until she offered me food.

"Thank you"I manage to mutter

"Your injuries aren't that serious,the cuts aren't so deep as for your left leg it might take a month to heal from the looks of it"she says and I almost jump off the bed.

"A month….why a month?"I ask in shock

"Sit down your leg is badly fractured and needs time to heal,the last thing it needs is for you to keep jumping all around"she says casually as she leaves the room.

"What will I do till then?"I ask now feeling sorry for myself

She walks back into the room holding a cane and a fine row of sticks.She gestures for me to bring my injured leg before she places the sticks round my leg whilst gesturing me to hold them together round my leg and bandaging them tightly.

"Your leg will take quite some time to heal and you won't walk around much but if you do have to use this"she says handing me the cane but doesn't let go even after I've taken it

"Only if you have to"she repeats almost in an icy tone

"I get it"I say a little annoyed as I yank it out of her hand

"Good"she says

"Now get some sleep"she says as she packs up her tray and heads for the door and leaves.

One hour, two hours….many hours, even as tired and weak as I am I still find it hard to fall asleep...not when I have no idea how I got into this mess or where exactly in the world I am.

... wait where am I again…. Vegetable city isn't it?Yeah it should be.

I limp towards the window struggling with the cane in the pitch darkness...I still haven't known my way around the room.As I check out the houses and the near by streets,I can't help but notice how similar this "vegetable city" is more or less a little village and somehow I cant help but remember my village.Its been forever since I thought of that place….I never thought I'd have any reason to.Dread fills my stomach and for some reason I'm beginning to hate this place.Just then I begin foot steps,I quickly limp as fast as I can to the bed and kick the cane under the bed before slipping into the bed and shutting my eyes.The door opens and I think she's holding a lamp because the room lights up as soon as her footsteps gets deeper into the room.I feel her gaze land on me and I hold my breath until I hear her leave the room.

Strangely my eyes start to get heavier and heavier and I get really sleepy.

In a few seconds my eyes open mostly because I'm hungry….the soup didn't do much and….

Well what do you know...it's day time.How long have I been sleeping...did I even get to sleep?

It feels like it was night time a second ago but strangely I'm not tired.I hear light mumbling behind my door .It sounds like the old lady is talking to someone.

"Oh yes the girl is still sleeping"I hear her say

... the girl most definitely has to be me ...but what they are saying about me is most important and I want to find out.

I struggle to tiptoe towards the door and open it just a little to see if I can spot her but of course as I open the door I she seems to appear right at the door with a grim stoic expression on her face.I almost fall to the ground out of shock but she grabs my arm and straightens me up right in record time.

"I see you're up early ...what were you doing playing behind the door"she asks

"I wasn't-"

"Don't do that again"

Uh

Just then we hear someone Knocking at the door,she lets go of my arm and disappears into the dark

"Stay here"I hear her say

Not long after Ashanti walks in my room

"How are you feeling?"she asks cheerfully

"Fine"

"I see you and mama are getting along fine"

"So that's her name"

"Yes I thought by now you should have known"she says like as though she's giving me some sort of lecture

"Hmm"

"Anyway her name is mama, the village elder and medicine woman….she's a very lovely lady isn't she?,she sent help to come with me as soon as she heard about you"

"Interesting"

She looks at me disapprovingly"the least you can do is show some gratitude in your speech"

I feel kind of bad now because she did help take care of my wounds and I'm just being uptight.

"Well I just came to check up on you,I'll just get going"she says getting up

"Wait"I say grasping her arm

"I'm sorry I'm being very childish please stay"

"That's better"she says sitting down

I clear my throat

"Um Ashanti you still haven't answered any of my questions from yesterday"

She sighs but there seems to be a sign of cooperation in her facial expression when she looks at me.

"All I remember was…"she starts then pauses

"We were at the dinning table having dinner, Jasmine wasn't with us because she was still really sick"She pauses for awhile like though she just remembered a painful memory.

"We heard a loud crash coming from the kitchen at first we thought it was one of the maids that broke something,so I went to check and there was a huge hole on the ceiling.I went to go call everyone to come see"

it almost feels like I'm there like I can see what's going on….but I can't see anything past that.

"There's someone up there"says Ada as she uses her touch to a good look at the ceiling

"Ashanti call the security"

"Yes ma'am"

"And what did everyone else do ?"I ask

"Well they were just there panicking"

Just then Ashanti turns and looks at me like something just occurred to her.

"Everyone was panicking.. everyone except you"

"Me?"

"Yes you"she says slowly"you weren't there..where were you?"

"Well I don't know-I-I don't remember"

"What happened to Jasmine?"I ask now feeling sorry for not asking about her ever since

"I don't know ...I didn't see her"

"We just didn't see her...her parents …..well that's history now...I just came to check up on you I have to go I'll come visit you later in the evening"she says and goes away just like that.

"Going so soon?"I hear the so called mama say

"Yes I have to go...I have things to tend to,I'll come see her tomorrow"Ashanti replies and with that I here the door up and close

Ashanti seems traumatized…. interesting.