The Second Path

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Thank you." I told Ahmed, Sanusi's younger brother as he handed me the Ghana-must-go bag with the plastic cups and plates.

The weekend was over and it was two days after Kauna was out of the hospital. Kaka and I got rid of the glass plates and cups as the doctor advised us to. The only person we could switch the glass cups and plates to plastic ones was with Mama Sanusi. Yes the mother of the Sanusi that died last week.

I was standing in front of her shop in the market as Ahmed handed me the bag of plastic cups and plates while Mama Sanusi sat inside the shop.

After collecting the bag, I looked inside the semi dark shop to see Mama Sanusi sitting on a stool and looking into space with her face rested on her hand. She looked very depressed.

"Is this how she has been since that day?" I asked Ahmed, recalling the day Sanusi died.

He nodded his head. He was also unhappy but he tried his best not to make it obvious.

I looked back inside and Mama Sanusi was still looking into space, without bothering about whose presence was in her shop. My eyes caught the ground not far behind Mama Sanusi and I could see a little blood stain on the wooden ground of the shop. That was Sanusi's blood as I remembered the time last week when he was brought to the shop after he was killed and left with the mark number '13' on his forehead. The remaining blood stain looked like they must have tried so hard to scrub it off but it didn't want to go.

"Try to be safe." I said and looked back at Ahmed, "for your mother."

*******

After I left the shop, I was walking on my way home when suddenly, I heard children screaming. I was around the safe westward side of the river and the screaming seemed to be around that area.

I stopped walking and looked around for where the screaming was. Then there was a little silence. The silence even scared me more than the screaming.

Before I could take another step I heard a small boy screaming for help in that same direction. I felt my chest clench and I didn't know whether to run away or help the boy. Because it felt like the killer was with his next victim.

"Dan allah!" I heard the boy's voice shout louder this time.

I shut my eyes in frustration. Maybe this was my chance to peep and see who the killer was.

I tip toed slowly to the westward river side, so that my presence would not be noticeable. I heard children's screaming this time, not just the one boy anymore. The screaming sounded more like a cheer than a horrific one.

I got to the side I could hear them and they were around the river side where women dried their clothes. The moment I got closer, I saw a group of small children pointing to one direction, some were excited while some were horrified.

I looked up at the pointed direction to see a young boy standing on a tall tree branch. What was he doing? Anybody that saw him will think he wants to commit suicide because the space between the ground and the tree branch he was standing on was very high.

"Please let me come down!" He shouted.

He was shaking almost violently on the branch and took another step, trying to walk on it. My heart was beating heavily in my chest because one crack on the branch could cause him to fall to the ground and die.