The Seven Wives : Complete

NEI

Chapter 4

Nei went to her homested, one just next to Lo's as the wives were arranged in a semi circle. She analyzed her home, when she turned back she could see even the difference in structure further fueling the fire of hate burning with in her. The seers speech ambiguous, but she knew who her enemies from the onset were. She didn't have to have it spelled out.

Swallowing a shaky breathe she entered her home. Her feet stepped on the palm mat that covered the floor. She had worked on it for weeks the exquisite design showing how well of a weaver she was.  Her eyes scrutinized it, hating how worn out it looked. She was very proud of it at first, it made her home different from that of Lo's and Banga did complement her work once when she asked him if he'd liked it but all in heist to get her to bed.

Her home with the large windows remembering how much light used to come in. She turned to find them barricaded. The sun's rays couldn't even enter now. She shuffled in her feet avoiding to look ahead instead focusing elsewhere.

Her children were to stay with Fen, they shared a distant bloodline. A kinship trust had been established since the first day she came, those of the clan of the ox were to band together against the common threat. Alliances had to be crafted between the women or else you would simply suffer alone.

Fen was  on her seventh moon of pregnancy and still hadn't given a son but that didn't mean she would give up. She had been sent two sun's (days) trip away from here, the unborn and the dead were polar opposites  in their belief, a pregnant woman could not behold the life of the dead lest the spirit of the deceased decides to take that of the unborn child to their world hence the distance. All pregnant women from the immediate families had been relocated elsewhere far away and Fen choose to go to her mother's.

Nei couldn't face up to her children as much as she tried. She felt her heart die with Mali. She failed him she thought, she should have watched out for Lo and now she's gotten rid of her son.

Pushing her body to walk forward with her drained energy, she focused on her son as tears pricked the side of her eyes. He was to lay in the middle of the compound so that everyone could say their goodbyes but she was selfish, she would grieve for him alone and not allow the others to mock even his death.

She found the wax candle having been relit and the fire burning in the  room. Her eyes finally came across someone she hadn't expected, Banga on his knees. He kept his gaze forward but the shadows playing on his face showed tears on the verge of falling. She kept her face watching him while keeping mum. she was glad it hurt him too, she knew he wasn't heartless. A brother and a son all in one day.

She went on her knees behind him careful not to disrupt his moment with their son. She would sit there as long as it took taking this time to openly scrutinize him.

He didn't move for a long time, he didn't cough, he didn't even flex his legs but she could see the muscles in his shoulders tighten with every passing minute. She had mourned alone for the past four suns and he wasn't there. She had began to wonder if he had abandoned their son. Did he no longer love him.

She watched him grieve cutting him some slack as her heart softened. He was the most affected, his brother was also dead. They were close she remembered. They practically ruled together. He was his advisor in most things except for the peace quest he has undertaken in the last ten season of his life after becoming chief.

Her eyes moved past him to their son. Mali still layed in state with his military regalia, a sword and his favourite bow tucked beside him.

He was a great shot, during festivals he always represented the family. Banga always choosing him over his own first son. Her boy was ruthless, always coming with something from the hunt, a boar from the forest just like his father people started to call him the boar too. That was his title something Banga never looked down, ashamed upon. They were alike in so many ways.