Manifest

Six

The chief's flight was late. Which was incredibly lucky because Anne got to the airport ten minutes after the flight was set to land. It would have been very easy to lay it all on Nature, but he was too vindictive. He'd get her back and then she'd have to retaliate and so on.

She hadn't seen the chief the whole year. At this point, Anne was beginning to feel like the chief's car belonged to her because there was no one else to drive around Uyo. A little part of her was frustrated that she hadn't been given the chance to go to Abuja with the chief's entourage when the previous president died. The rest of her was relieved for freedom.

Without the chief to govern her faith and her actions, Anne found herself. She discovered a renewal in her faith that she'd never known before. For the first time, Anne was her own person. As much as it scared her, it excited her.

It affected everything she did. It seeped into her relationship with Nature, and it even helped bridge the broken wreck that had been her relationship with her stepfather and stepsisters. When she'd told the chief about it, she'd received a laugh in response.

"You never miss an opportunity," the chief had said through the phone.

The moment movement became rapid around the arrival port, Anne sat up in the car. Suddenly, security was moving about and more umbrellas than were necessary were suddenly shooting open around the doors as a crowd began to emerge.

Smiling, Anne got out of the car, just as the people in the cars on her left nd right exited as well. The chief didn't want didn't want every mbono to know she was arriving, but she was definitely not going to be travelling around Akwa Ibom without escorts. So Anne had arrived with few. 

The people at the entrance shifted as those on the edge bowed slightly. A tall, muscular woman exited the airport. She frowned up at the rain just before she stepped beneath the closest umbrella as security began to push people back from her.

The chief hadn't changed one bit. She was the same as Anne remembered. The chief watched her surroundings as she moved, making sure to nod in people's directions as they bowed in her wake. Occasionally, she offered a smile, but other than that, she didn't engage.

She was dressed in a black sweater, blue jeans and her compulsory, black boots. Beneath the sweater was the long edge of the blouse trailing down to her knees, above the jeans. From afar, Anne could see the shining reflection of the thin, metal gloves the chief liked to wear. Her hair was held up in a mountain of twenty-inch, thick, natural dreadlocks that jumped with every purposeful step she took. It hadn't been long since they separated, but Anne could see more grey hairs lining the front of the chief's beautiful locks.

The closer she got to Anne's car the clearer Anne could see her. By the time she found Anne in the group of mbono, her smile grew wider.

"Anne," she called as Anne walked up to her. She bowed her head as the chief hugged her tightly, squeezing Anne till she couldn't breathe. "Are you fatter?"

"Chief," Anne greeted as mbono began to crowd the chief, blocking state security from coming further.

"My people," the chief said, reaching out and touching mbono. As she went, they all whispered quiet prayers in the rain. "I've missed you. Oh, Uyo. I'm so glad to be home. Moses, is that you?"

Anne stood back, allowing them a moment with the chief. She'd have her for the entire ride home so there was no need to fuss. Everyone wanted a pat or a word and the chief gave as much as she got, hugging and squeezing and squealing at mbono till the rain tapered out.

By the time they got into the car, the chief was soaking wet. Anne watched her through the rearview mirror and was surprised to find her leaning back in the seat with a pained look on her face.

"Chief? Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine," the chief said, groaning as she removed her sweater to reveal the top part of her short-sleeved ankara blouse. "Everything just-hooo!" she exclaimed. "Everything just feels so empty."

"What does?"

The chief sighed and looked at Anne through the mirror.

"It's not your place to worry about me."

"Yes, Chief." Anne decided to change the subject. "Senator Emana has been calling me for an hour.

"What does he want?"

"He wants to see you. He booked you a room at-"

"Get me a hut at one of the gatherings. I want to stay with my people."

Anne laughed out as she put the car in reverse.

"That's exactly what I thought you'd say."