Sacred Oaths

EPISODE 29: OATHS.

SACRED_OATHS

Author: Samuel Frederick

Episode 29: OATHS.

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30 minutes.

30 minutes of driving, yet, Boma hadn’t told me where we were going to. It was getting late already and the sky had turned dark. I kept on demanding for our destination or at least some information concerning our whereabouts, but it all fell on deaf ears. He ignored me all through the ride!

At long last, Boma stopped the vehicle and killed the engine. I looked around and noticed that we were in the middle of a vast, narrow road. The next thing I knew, he stepped out of the car and turned over to open the door for me.

“Thank you.” I said as I stepped out too, surprised at his kind gesture.

“Follow me.” He simply said, holding my hand, leading me across the narrow path.

We went into a forest, side by side, despite the darkness. I felt my heartbeat pounding really fast in my chest due to my aggravating fear of any potential danger lurking around us. We continued walking with Boma’s hand still clasped around mine until we arrived at a dead end, which had a small clean stream right ahead, just in front of us.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Boma asked, more to himself than to me as he fixed his gaze ahead of the stream in adoration.

I could hear the chirpings of insects, the loud noisy croakings of frogs, the sweet melody of the chirping crickets, and I could feel the breeze from the serene atmosphere that rustled and blew against the rusty bushes. I admired the way fireflies flew around beautifully, giving a twinkling shade of light in the void darkness. Most beautifully, I adored the sight of the moon’s reflection upon the surface of the stream water. It looked heavenly.

“I don’t know what to say.” I responded, charmed by the beauty of all I had just seen.

“You don’t have to say anything; just feel it in your heart.” Boma said softly, captured by nature’s beauty.

I moved closer to him and entwined our fingers, resting my head on his shoulder. “Where exactly is this place?”

“This is where I come to when I need some time alone.” He responded calmly, almost in a whisper. “I usually come here to think and clear my head,” he added, covering our entwined hands with his free hand.

“How did you discover it?” I asked, looking at his face. He looked back at me, with a slight smile forming on his lips, and pointed at a log of wood behind us, asking me to sit, which I diligently did, and then he sat beside me.

“Do you remember those three days when you got missing? I almost ran mad.” Boma explained, barely taking his fine eyes away from mine. “I would always drink myself to stupor after I dialled your number to no avail. I could drink up to five or six bottles of alcohol and still feel the pain inside. I realized that drinking wasn’t helping matters for me, so I stopped. But I still took one or two bottles sometimes!” He laughed coolly, and I was forced to laugh as well, despite how hard I tried not to. He knew he had definitely broken my willpower, so he smiled proudly, and continued speaking:

“So on the third day you were missing, I got drunk while driving and I had to stop the car by the roadside to ease myself—and that was how I walked into this place. I liked what I saw and something in me compelled me to sit here and pray. I remember praying in tears for God to return you back to me, and mysteriously—or better still, just like a miracle—you were the very first person that called me first thing the following day to come and pick you at that hospital. It looked like a dream! A phenomenon! Since then, I developed a special bond for this place,” he concluded, smiling at me.