Under the moonlight

Chapter 27

"He is gone, D. Gone. "

Kojo was now shedding tears uncontrollably. If the circumstances were different, I would have teased him about crying in front of a woman like that, but at that moment, I felt sorry for him and without knowing, I was also crying.
I understood that Kojo and Amare had known each other practically from the time they were born. They had been friends all their life and one of them dying was definitely a hard blow on the other one.

The few times that I had interacted with Mulutu had shown me that he was a nice person. We were not close but at least we could exist together without tearing each other apart.
I also liked him because he supported my relationship with Kojo. That was surely important to me.

"Kojo, I know that this is hard for you, but you have to be strong."

I knew that whatever I was saying did not make much sense to him then, but it was better to say something nonsensical than just stand there and look at him.
I wondered if Kia had already gotten the news.
She had rejected Mulutu over time and I knew that when she learns of his death, she would somehow make it her fault. That was her problem, she felt too much.
I had to find her and deliver the news to her in the most gentle manner ever.

"We have to get you home, Kojo. You need to rest."

"I do not want to rest. I want to stay with you."

He sounded like a baby, with tears streaming down his face like that and a stupid pout on his face, he sure did looks like a baby. I liked this side of Kojo that he never showed.

"As much as I am flattered by those words, I need to get you home to your mother. She must be really worried right now. And you also need to rest. "

He opened his mouth to say something but I cut him short before he could.
I was already dragging him to his home.
We were silent along the way. It was not uncomfortable. It was more like, the both of us were taking that moment to appreciate the fact that had each other by our audience that day.
Although no-one was talking, I could tell that there was a kind of yearning hanging in the air.
I caught Kojo stealing glances at me several times and frankly, I was not bothered.
A few minutes before I would have given anything to get those glances.

"Why are you looking at me like that? You know I can see you right?"

" I love looking at you, D. You are beautiful and I love looking at beautiful things."

In a split of a second I felt my blood suddenly grow hot. I felt my cheeks flash, but thank God for my dark shade because I would not want him to see me weakened like that, just by his words.

"Thank you."

That was not what I meant to say, but we'll, sometimes love slows you down.

""I still have that effect on you, D. Admit it."

"Can you please just walk. We are already here. "

I had to stop h from talking because I had to be composed when I met his mother.
It was not the first time I was going to meet his mother because in our village, children are raised by the whole community, so we had met a few times.
But this was going to be different because her son was coming back from war.