Flawless

The Father's Reincarnate.

Josh:

"What do you think?"

Kath's lips flattened into a firm line, her face still had fresh blood that oozed out of the cuts and bruises. Her sleepy eyes scanned the building we were about to enter. "I think it was worth two forest days."

I tucked in my pistol and shifted my weight on my left leg. I never knew we would make it to my mother's abode but thanks to Kath, we were standing right in front of it after traveling two days in the forest.

It was a three-storey building painted sky blue. It's windows were high and tinted that it made it impossible to see what went on inside the four walls.

"Shall we?" I held out a hand.

She cast one long look at the building again before placing her hands in mine. "Yes, we shall."

She didn't look like the party queen I always thought her to be. In fact, Kath has been a bag of surprises for the last two days. Normal Kath wouldn't have given it a second thought before saying no to the idea of traveling through a forest.

"Let's go! Or are you finally considering me?" Her eyes held a glint of hope waiting to be ignited or quenched by my next words.

My mind shot back to the previous night when we slept under a tall mango tree but quickly, I shook it off.

"I know you're thinking what I'm thinking..." She smacked her lips and tickled my palm.

Sweet lord!

I forgot to mention that the 'mango tree' experience was not a surprise. I expected it not wanted it.

You wanted it.

I closed my eyes in attempt to shut my inner voice. I was in need, she was available. I wasn't thinking, she was calculating. That and only that are the analysis I was ready to provide, maybe, for now.

Her face was close to mine when I opened my eyes. "Kar-leen is waiting for me."

She snorted. "It's always been about her..."

"Because she's the only one I see," I groaned.

Maybe, that was dumb.

She bit her lower lip and rolled her eyes. "No. You're compelling your mind to see her an--"

She couldn't complete her sentence. She fell down to the earth, lifelessly.

"Kath?! Kathleen?!!!"

I knelt on a knee and get her pulse, she was breathing slowly.

Tranquilizer...

My eyes searched earnestly like an Owl's for anyone or anything but I found none. I needed to concentrate. We were either being followed or the enemy was from mother's building.

Then I perceived footsteps. Faint, swift and careful. My hands grabbed at my pistol immediately my eyes spotted a black figure.

I shot.

The only response was a rustle of leaves not the usual agonizing yelp. Then, silence. I loved silence, the kind that followed the agonizing screams of an human. Not this, that was so deafening.

I got up and narrowed my eyes at the direction I heard the footsteps earlier.

"The more you look, the less you see. What has your father been teaching you?"

There, she sat on a plain rock, adorned in black. She didn't look like she's aged a bit. Her eyes were still a shade between red and pink though it still held the glow from years ago. Her lips were perfectly curved to an admirable smirk and her skin, a contrast to the black robe she had on.

"M-other," the pistol fell off my shaky hands, "mom."

She walked down the rock, behind her followed a total of nineteen armed men dressed in leaf-green clothes. Two of them held the twentieth man, my prey.

"I hurt your man," I confirmed.

"Alertness. Precision. Focus," she took another step and paused to pick a sharp stone, "when word got to me that intruders were in my forest, I knew it was you. That's why the journey was smooth all through, wasn't it?" She asked, stooping.

"Yeah... Smooth," I replied with a nod, "your men attacked professionally. Hope I didn't disappoint you?"

She drew a line on the floor and raised a hand to stop her men. "You didn't. You hit nine of the ten men I sent,"

"I could've died," I stated, matter-of-factly.

"Confidence in my blood, nothing's stronger," she threw the stone far away and took another step forward, "you never disappoint me. Babajide."

Babajide. Babajide.

"Mommy!"

I couldn't lift my legs even when I saw her run towards me, it was like they weren't mine. And suddenly, I felt arms around my neck.

That was all I needed to travel back in time to the days of babysitting and an exclusive mother love.

I would have succeeded in holding back the tears if I didn't feel her hot tears on my shoulder. Her tears broke me.

"Babajide, omo mi," she wept.

I remembered mom used to say I'm a younger version of her father. He reincarnated through me. That's the reason behind my Yoruba name, Babajide, meaning 'the father has reincarnated'.

"Mommy..."

Tears spilled from my eyes and I didn't hold them back. Though my hands hadn't found the strength to return the embrace, her arms clung to me like it guaranteed that we were never going to be separated anymore.

"I came for answers, Mom. I need to know why..."

She nodded affirmatively. "Yes, son. It's time."

***
A/N: What a sweet reunion... I'm very happy for Josh and Tumise after years of separation. I wanto dance, I've been waiting for today❤

I apologize for the slow update, too. Most people don't even know FLAWLESS is back again😔 spread the word❤❤❤❤ Thank you.