Devour | on hold

Chapter 11 (That boy)

- Chapter Eleven -

T H A T  B O Y 

It was after my mother’s Celebration.

I left the crowd once we were back on our land, and ran to the riverbank. I sat on a rock dangling my legs, feeling the cold water rush against them. I was six. I lost my mother. Not only that; I just saw her get devoured by the cannibals. I wished I could die too, but death didn’t wish me in return. Not only life had rejected me, but death as well.

I wanted to see her once more. I wanted to hear her voice, and listen as she sings to me. But that was the first time I ever recognized the true meaning of impossible, and I didn’t like it.

I cried.

I wept.

I sobbed like a baby.

I screamed ‘mom’ over and over and over again and she didn’t reply. Lumps formed in my throat and heart and lungs and I finally thought that was death, and it made me happy. But seemed like it took so long, I lost hope in dying then. That was how much agony had had control over me.

I breathed heavily and tried uselessly to dry my cheeks; which were soon getting wet again. I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see who’s there; who had seen me in my most vulnerable moments. Even as a kid, I didn’t like people to see the weak part of me.

I found a boy. He looked like he was a few years older than I. He was tall, even for a kid. He had a messy dark brown hair, and a couple of wide, piercing, hazel eyes. His naturally-tanned skin radiating.

“Hi there,” he smiled simply.

I sniffed and wiped my cheeks once more, “hey.”

He seemed to calculate my reaction, and when he was done – probably gaining positive results – he took a seat next to me. “I’m sorry,” he says.

“About what?”

“Your mother.”

“Ah,” realization hit me once again; I’ve lost her permanently. I cried again, getting lost in some memories mixing with some predictions of a future without her. I got back to reality finding myself embraced in the arms of that boy.

“You’re Lenmana, aren’t you?” He asked pulling away.

“Yeah,” I sniffled, “and what’s your name?”

“Pallanton’s son: Akando.” He said slowly.

I gasped, “I’m not allowed to be with you!”

“Why?” He looked so calm and wise for a child his age.

“Are you really asking me why?” I scowl at him.

“I guess I am.” He was obviously very mature for his age.

“Because it’s wrong, because you’re not from my family, and because I could be grounded for this.” I state looking extremely surprised – how hadn’t he knew? “Haven’t you ever heard of rules?” I exclaim.

He chuckled, “I have,” he nodded. “But I don’t understand what’s the problem in talking to someone who’s not from your family.” He seemed to think for a while – acting – “do you?”

I genuinely considered it for a moment then I shook my head, “no.”

“So why do you think we should keep following rules we don’t even understand?” I considered his words again.

He made me notice things I’ve never really thought about.

“You know what?” He starts again, “I even see this as something mean and insecure. Why would people of the same tribe ignore each other? I mean we live together. We should be friends, why would friends fight till death?”

For a child like me, then, his words seemed really clever and sage. I was overwhelmed by the way he was stable and the way he talked like he knew everything.

“How do you know so much things?” I asked in bewilderment.

He smirked and asked me to go for a swim.

A swim?

Water was my life. Of course I agreed.

That Akando seemed to make me forget about my grief even for a short while.

I liked him. I loved the time I spent with him.

That day when I agreed on swimming, he just smirked wickedly and pushed me in the river, I giggled as cold water tickled my soft skin, and soon he jumped after me. He instantly started splashing water at me, and I quickly joined. He made me laugh, from my heart. He laughed so hard too, and finally the wise mask fell off his face showing the real child he was, the pure innocence he had.

***

Akando has always been that person who light up my days. Sitting next to him in the shade of a tree on the riverbank now, I realize how much this guy means to me and I decide never to lose him.

After telling him about my feelings towards Lenno – yeah which I know is quite shocking – and told him how he treated me usually, but then how he did earlier this morning, I feel like a heavy weight was taken off my chest. And I let out a long, tense, sigh.

“Won’t you tell me what’s wrong with you?” I ask.

“I don’t know,” He seems so focused at a point in the ground that it confuses me; there isn’t anything that.. catchy.

“Len,” he now looks at me. Hearing his Len again feels so good, like the tension between us is finally gone. I smile and tilt my head in his direction waiting for him to go on. “We’ve been best friends for long, haven’t we?” I nod. “And we’ll always be,” I nod again. What is he trying to say? “Maybe no matter how hard I’d ever try to hide it, I can’t hide it from you..”

“What is it?” I start getting worried. What was my best friend hiding?

“I might be in love with someone.” He spills it out too fast.

But, what?!

Who’s she?

Is Akando telling me he’s in love?

I can’t quite know how I’m feeling.

But I hold the gasp. And swallow a huge lump formed in my throat.

‘I might be in love with someone.’ 

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- Nouran xx