Sacred Oaths

EPISODE 34: THE RING.

SACRED_OATHS

Author: Samuel Frederick

Episode 34: THE RING.

__________

I cried and cried till I couldn’t shed tears anymore. It was too soon. He was gone too soon!

My whole world turned upside down. I was shattered deep down in my heart and soul. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t come to terms with the awful reality! He was truly gone! Boma was gone, never to return!

I cried, protested, wailed to no avail, hoping for a miracle to happen, waiting for him to rise up, but nothing of such came forth. I watched as his body was lifted right before my very eyes, away from the room, to be laid to rest. He had died in my arms, breathed his last in the very hands that’d once cuddled him in bed and caressed his beautiful face.

I thought I was hallucinating. I thought I was in a trance. I thought it wasn’t real: it didn’t look real… it didn’t feel… real… at all.

I locked the door and sat on the floor and squeezed myself in a tight corner, gazing into thin air. I paid deaf ears to the persistent knocks and voices at the door and stayed that way till dawn, mourning my loss in deathly silence.

__________

Five hours.

I remained in that exact position for five good hours without moving an inch. I could see bright rays of sunlight from the window, beaming straight at me, as though offering me their condolences.

Then, there was a knock at the door again.

“Go away!”

“Fifi, please open up.” Nancy called from the hallway, still knocking persistently. “I’m begging.”

“Leave me alone!”

“Fifi, come on!” She begged, her voice sober. “You can’t be alone through all this when you have us here. Open the door, please.”

Sighing, I stood up and wiped the sweat and tears from my face with the back of my hands so that I could attend to her. When I opened the door, I realized that she wasn’t alone. She stepped forward and wrapped me in a warm hug the moment I opened up, and I hugged her too, trying so hard not to cry for the umpteenth time.

I eventually withdrew from the hug and stepped back inside, returning to my previous position on the floor. Nancy and Rita and the rest of the guys walked in too, all gloomy and dispirited.

Nancy and Rita joined me on the floor, each by my sides, bearing sad faces.

“Fifi it’s okay,” Rita consoled me, putting her arm around my shoulders. “It’ll be fine.”

“Please take it easy, things like this are bound to happen. It was his time to go.” Nancy added, trying to comfort me as well, but I looked at her sharply, as she dropped those words. Rather than finding solace in her words, my eyes welled up again, particularly because of her last statement.

“I would like to be alone,” my voice literally croaked as I spoke. “I appreciate your kindness, concern and care,” I sniffled a little bit, and wrapped up with, “but I just want to be alone.”

Without hesitation, they all started to leave the room one after the other, sending pitiful glances at me. Nancy and Rita hugged me one more time, and then they both stood up, left the room and closed the door gently.

I broke down in tears again, staring into space with my head up. I still couldn’t believe he was gone, particularly at this moment I carried our child in my womb, especially when I needed him the most. It was supposed to be an endearing moment for the both of us. Why did it have to be now? I thought to myself. Why did Boma have to leave me this way, hopeless, helpless and alone?

In the middle of these thoughts, I heard a knock at the door, and I had to quickly wipe off my tears and clean up my oily face.

“Yes, who’s there?” I called out.

“It’s Simon.” He answered. “I’d like to have a word with you.”

I wiped my face properly, sitting up well. “You can come in!” I approved.

The door creaked open and Simon walked in, alone. He stood at a distance at first, scrutinizing me with a straight face, before walking over to me with an unusual gait, which proved the impact of Boma’s demise on him too.

He bent low and sat right beside me on the floor, leaving less than an inch of space between us. Then he placed his hand on mine and joined them to show his sympathy.

“Boma was my friend,” he said, gazing at the wall, tightening his grip on our entwined hands. “And he wasn’t just a friend but a brother to me. I took him as my family, my soulmate and my companion the same way he took me as his blood. He saw me as a younger version of himself—like a younger brother and he took me in and made me what I am today. Whatever I am today, I owe it all to him, and I understand exactly how you feel. It isn’t easy for any of us either, but we just have to accept fate the way it is,” he finalized, still keeping his eyes on the wall. “What has happened has happened, and we can’t do anything about it. All we can do is move on and pray that he finds peace in God’s place.”

“Where is his body?” I managed to speak, in-between tears.

“It’s still in the next building, at the boys’ quarters, safe and secure.” He answered.

“Why is it still there? Shouldn’t he be buried by now?”

“No, we can’t bury him. It doesn’t work that way.” Simon replied.

“What do you mean…?”

“Boma wasn’t the only one we lost. We also lost two of our most precious guys, Emface and Nicholas. We have certain rules when cases like this arise.”

“I still don’t get you,” I said. “Rules like?”

“What I’m trying to say is, Boma’s body has to be burnt while the other deceased men would be buried individually.” He explained.

“What?!” I screamed, wide-eyed. “Over my dead body!”

“Fifi, that is our rule. The leader must be burnt when he’s dead and his followers would get buried instead. I didn’t make the rule on my own.”

“I said, over my dead body Simon, I won’t let that happen!” I protested. “Never!”

“I am sorry to say this, but you have no official say on this case,” he said, shutting me out. “I just felt like you deserved to know about it, considering the chemistry you both shared. It’s going to happen outside the compound tonight and everyone would be there, including you. You are going to be initiated and appointed as our new leader, due to his offspring in your womb. You don’t have a choice.”

Simon finally stood up and released his grip from my hand, leaving me astounded beyond belief. He dipped his hand in his pocket and removed a silver-plated, cube-shaped material and handed it to me.

“Boma’s plan was to propose to you and build something worthwhile.” Simon revealed, turning around to leave. “He loved you, a whole lot.”

A tear glided down my cheek as I opened the cube, only to see a dazzling ring right inside, glowing back at me.

He truly loved me, indeed.