The Night Rider

Chapter 66

I sigh deeply, slightly shocked. I too pull a blade of grass from the ground and start twisting it between my fingers. 'I don't really know what to say. You're right, it doesn't necessarily seem appropriate'. I notice in myself that I've been trying to hide a lot from Rafiki lately, to protect her. However, she always knows or finds out. Sometimes I feel like a worried mother trying to protect her child, maybe that's what I am.

I search for the words, but I cannot find them. Somehow I am glad when Rafiki starts talking. 'From the first moment I knew you were taking over my pain, I feel you are stronger than Chea and my mother. I know your whole history, all the emotions you had and even now I feel your confusion'. I close my eyes for a moment and focus on my feelings, I try to connect with Rafiki. A huge blockage stops me.

'I am the only person who shares your magic, the only one who can keep your body so intact'. I give her the same explanation I gave Novak. Rafiki does not react, she stands up. I lean on my forearms to look at her. She stretches her hand above the grass, seems to close her eyes. In one swift movement, she turns herself 360 degrees. I only realise what is happening as soon as she stands as she did before.

The green grass around her has changed into withered, black and dead grass. I can just see the last sparks in her palm disappear. 'I have been living on the energy of others for years. Hundreds, maybe thousands of deaths are to my name'. The aggression and desperation is palpable through my veins. I push myself off the grass and stand directly in front of her.

With slow steps, I move closer to her. 'I know that, how do you think nobody knows it was you? How do you think it stayed hidden that Reviri burned down those villages? Rafiki I have been hiding all the news for at least five years'. Almost every night I went to see the writer of the newspapers. Every time I saw something that might resemble Rafiki, I sent a note to the printer to get it out, burned the piece or made the draft disappear.

Express I put my foot on the black grass. I take hold of Rafiki's hands and slowly pull her towards the green grass. As soon as her foot leaves the black, I let go of her hands. I too let my hand hang over the green, make a turn and let the grass die. The two black circles look dark, it shows the darkness of magic.

Again, I let my hand hang over the dead black. This time I make a grasping movement in the air, move my hand upwards. The dead grass regains its green colour and seems to come back to life. As if nothing had happened, the two circles have disappeared. I turn back to Rafiki and look at her. 'Everyone has their good and bad sides, you just have to learn when to use them'.

My hand opens again and hangs over the grass. This time I do not make whole circles, but rather half-moons. Two half circles touch each other on the backs, as if you have cut a whole circle in half and turned it 180 degrees. 'Each half circle represents a side, one good, the other evil. They stand with their backs to each other, two enemies. In themselves they are good in their own way but worth nothing.'

Horizontally, I draw a line through the middle of the half-circles, straight through the middle where the backs meet. 'They will always be connected, they need each other. Whether you like it or not, they are equals'. These are lessons I once learned from a wise woman, Alysha. How I miss that woman. When she told me this the first time, I thought she was crazy. I did not see any good in my father. Yet the contrary has been proven, it is true.

Every person carries something good and something bad, it just depends on which side you use. The kindest people have something dark. The darkest people have a good nature that drives them. After many years I could see that my father's good nature was his idea of perfection. He searched for his ideals and wanted to carry them out in his way, no matter how evil it was. 'What is your dark nature?'

I turn around when Rafiki asks this. 'I will do anything for what I believe is right, even in the darkest forms. Somehow I resemble my father in that, however much I despise it'. Rafiki nods understandingly. My hand lands above the black grass, makes the same movement as before and gives life back to the plants. 'One day you will be able to do that too'. Rafiki smiles slightly, she seems to let the words sink in.

Only then do I notice that the sun is starting to disappear behind the mountains. Without saying a word Reviri stands next to me a few seconds later. Rafiki jumps on her dragon without saying a word and holds out a hand to me. Although I don't need it, I take her hand. The animal's wings unfold and lift us into the air. In silence I look around me at the sunset. Celeste, thank you. Surprised I look at Rafiki's dark hair. 'What for?', I ask in surprise. 'Everything'.