Manifest

Thirty-five

Anne had to tell Nature she could help. The faster whatever the ekpo were planning worked, the better it would be for everyone. She cringed, just thinking about it.

She was pacing when an mbono escorted him out of the hut to pee. Heart racing, Anne followed them. The mbono allowed him to do it behind a tree, but she wouldn't turn away from him, as was protocol. Anne walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"I want to talk to him."

The mbono shrugged and walked away, just as Nature zipped up his trousers and slipped his hand into his pocket. When he looked up and saw her, his lips pursed, like he always did when he was uncomfortable.

"I've been wondering where you were," Nature said.

"I know about you and your family," she whispered. "What's going on? How can I help?"

"Help with what?" he asked. "Are you going to help explain why we're being held captive?"

"Honey," she held him by the head and pressed her forehead to his. "Please don't lie to me. When this is all over, I want to be able to trust you again. I'm trying to help you so please talk to me."

For a moment, they remained quiet, breathing in each other's air as the rest of the world stood still. Then Nature sighed.

"Babe, you need to stay on your lane."

"I'm on your lane."

"You could get in serious trouble."

"You would have been the one in trouble if I hadn't taken your name off the ekpo list."

Nature cursed and tried to turn away but she held on.

"Listen to me. I know you're ekpo. It's done. We can't change that. But I'm not going to be able to just sit around and do nothing when I know you are in danger."

"Anne-"

"That's not the girl you fell in love with, Nature."

"Anne, you're a faithful mbono."

"So are you. Look, you're still wearing your pin."

Another moment of silence stretched between them. Anne waited, willing to push further if the need arose.

"I have mkpo ufok," he said.

Anne plastered his face with kisses. He trusted her enough to tell her this much and she couldn't bear it.

"Okay. What's the plan?"

"I'm supposed to wait for a signal but I don't know who to call. Dara's in Ini and god knows what things are like back at the compound."

"Dara's in Ini?" she asked. "Doing what?"

"I told her not to tell me."

That didn't even matter. Anne was so happy he trusted her.

"Thank you for trusting me."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to lie to you, I swear."

"Don't worry about it."

"Anne," he said with a frown, causing her to stop. "I'm serious. I want you to know that I would never lie about anything else. I swear to you."

Anne knew it. He didn't even have to say it. She was a fellow in the faith. She knew the stakes. She understood why one wouldn't want to publicize a membership in a tabooed and supposedly dead faction when your partner was Uduak's left hand.

"I know," she said. "I'll talk to your people for you."

"How?"

"You need to talk to the rest, right? I'll look for them. You hear me? It will be alright."