EJIMA

CHAPTER 52

“Great,” Ugomma hissed and slumped on the floor, “We are finally lost.”

“Don’t be so sure.”

“I am certain, Jide. Look around you. Do you know where we are going?”

“Maybe, but this path could lead us to the queen.”

“Lead us to the queen?” Ugomma smirked, “You said that last month. And it's two years now, yet we haven’t found this mysterious white queen. How are you sure the path wouldn’t lead to an evil forest or worse to our death?”

Jide didn’t argue, she had expected him to say something nasty or funny, but he didn’t. He just walked further into the forest and watched the treetops as if he could read the language of the birds. He closed his eyes and opened them again, muttering some silent words.

Ugomma folded her hands over her chest as she watched the slagging shoulders. She wasn’t convinced, but a little part of her wanted to trust him. Perhaps he knew what he was doing. Besides, he had led them to six different villages over the last two years. They had restocked their supplies and had bought new horses and blankets. Maybe she was being paranoid. If only she gives him time, perhaps he would lead them to the queen.

“Okay, we would take that direction,” Jide said, pointing to the east, over the vast body of gray and black stones.

“What?” Ugo’s eyes widened as they followed his fingers. White smokes capped the stones, and the rocks that extended to the far sides were almost touching the sky. There was no way they could climb the mountain and walking around it would take months, “Are you being serious right now, or is this one of your funny pranks?”

“Do I look like I am joking?” Jide said, biting his index finger thoughtfully, “Well,” He turned away from the mountain to the fading trail of the forest, “Maybe we should stick with this path.”

Ugomma shook her head. She was right. The boy was clearly out of his mind. She should have read the handwritten on the wall. They were lost, trapped in a forest, far from home. And the fact that she had run away from home, means that nobody would look for her. Even if they wanted to try, where would they begin the search?

“Jide, that path leads back to the village we just visited.”

“You are right,” Jide sighed and sat on the floor, he hugged his knees, and the folded skin on his brow added more dejection to the patch under his eyes. “I am sorry Ugo, but I think…I think…I think we are lost.” 

“Tell me about it,” Ugomma hissed and tugged roughly the hair under her ear. There was a funny feeling on her stomach, a feeling which she could not understand. She felt like crying and laughing at the same time. How could she have been so stupid to follow Jide blindly? She should have seen it all along that he was punishing himself for what happened to his parents. She should have seen it. There was no white queen. For all she could tell, he must have made it up, he must have come up with the idea to keep himself from the village and the rest of the world. Was he going to commit suicide? Was he going to die in isolation?”

“We should return home,” Ugomma said and walked back to her feet, “I will talk with my father and I know he would see reasons to accept you into our family. But this mission is over. This white queen nonsense stops here. We will head back home this moment.”

“It is easy for you to call that place home. Your mother was not stripped to the skin and burned alive, neither was your father beheaded and hanged on a spike for public display? It is easy for you to call it home.” Jide gnashed his teeth, “I would rather die here and be forgotten than return to that hellish village.”

“Fine,” Ugomma yelled, “If you want to die, then die alone. I will trace my way back home without you.”

“Okay” Jide yelled back, “You can return for all I care. I never wanted your company after all.”

“You think I would have tagged along if I knew how stupid this whole episode was? It's been two years, Jide. We wasted two solid years for nothing.”

“I don’t care.” Jide stood, “I don’t care how long it takes. But I have set out on this mission and will complete it, with or without you.” 

Ugomma breathed in. The fire burning in Jide’s eyes was intense and it scared her. It scared her that she was losing her friend to grief and anger. It was eating him, little by little. It’s just a matter of time before it consumes him. What had happened? 

“I don’t expect you to understand.” Jide continued, “You can return to your family for all I care. This was my father’s dying wish. He said I should follow the east trail until I find the white queen. Even if he was wrong, I should die doing his wish than bowing to some stupid king and chiefs that knows nothing but to execute their subject. Do you think any of this would have—”

“Please” Ugomma cut in and wrapped her hands around him. Her eyes were heating and the tears that came flooding didn’t need permission. Holding him was the least she could do. It pained her that she could not drown his sorrow. She was helpless in this situation, but she was not going to wait for memories and emptiness to claim her best friend’s consciousness. She was going to stay with him. She was going to bring him back to his jovial self.

It took another two seconds for Jide to return the hug. He was panting and crying too. After all these years, could it be that his father was wrong? Could they have been chasing after a mythology that never existed?

“Let’s go home,”

Ugomma was surprised by his words and as they pulled away, her heart fell when she saw the sadness looming around the corner of his eyes.

“This is the end of the road, Ugo. I think you are right. You’ve been right all along. There are too many secrets I wish I have answers to and my father has left me without a clue. I am tired of boxing the wind. It’s time I work on myself and forget about all these questions. Somehow, I think it is best if they remain buried. I think it is—”

“—Did you hear that,” Ugomma cut in.

The frown on Jide’s brow was the testimony she needed to know that he hadn’t heard the noise. There were questions in his expression too, and instead of explaining, she walked towards the right, towards the mountainside, where he had pointed initially.

“What’s wrong,” Jide whispered.

Ugomma did not reply, she continued towards the bush. She had heard something, a strange cry that sounded like that of a man. It had come once, but loud enough for her ears to pick them.

The walk into the forest stalled when they came behind a broad tree, standing beside the sanding path. The afternoon sun was harsh, yet four men sat in a shade, and three of them were smoking their pipes, giving no care to the heat. Their clothing was tattered and revealed dark skins underneath. There were no branding or markings to suggest the tribe, but the bows and arrows suggested that they were not forces to be reckoned with. 

“Come on, Chuka, make that animal shut up,” One of the men, smoking his pipe said. 

Chuka, the man he had referred to, gave him a disapproving look but did not take his eyes away from the animal. He had the rein in his hands, yet all his effort to make the Zebra stand was proving abortive.

“Wait, I know that Zebra,” Jide said.

Ugomma frowned. She was about to speak when he continued.

“I saw it the day my father died. It was the same Zebra my father had ridden.”

“Are you certain?” 

“I can bet my life on it.” Jide said enthusiastically, “Let’s save it. These men must have stolen it.”

“Save it? There is no way we could.” Ugomma cursed. She was talking with the air. Jide was already on his feet and was trotting towards the men.