Balogun

AFRAID

"I guess that's just the part about loving people: you have to give things up. Sometimes you even have to give them up."
- Lauren Oliver.

"Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you are not really losing it. You are just passing it on to someone else"
- Mitch Albom

xXx

Abike woke up the next morning around six a.m. and Murewa was up and ready by the she opened her eyes.

"Do you ever sleep?" She murmured as she stretched sleepily.

He flexed his arms to adjust the sleeves of his camo round neck polo and smiled at her.

"And you love to sleep," he said. "I wonder how you coped with bringing me a glass of milk by five a.m. everyday."

"It's because I was always excited to see you." She sat up, smiling at him.
He looked up from tying his boots.
"You were?"

"Yes."

"I messed up those times, didn't I?" He made fast work of tying his boots and turned to her.
"I can't believe you chose to stay with me."

She climbed down from the bed and padded towards him.
"You look good in my shirt," he said and picked her up as she reached him.

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his neck.

"Can we go riding again today?" She murmured and he laughed.

"You want to learn? Or you want to ride with me?"

"Learn."

Someone knocked and he set her down.
"It's Jamal. I have to go, ma."

She sighed and nodded.
"Jamila would bring you food soon," he said just as Jamal pushed the door open and poked his head in.

"Abike, hi."

"Hi." She replied shyly and looked away.

Murewa bent to kiss her hair as he picked up his bag from beside her.
She waved goodbye at them as he shut the door.
Yup. Lonely again, she thought to herself as she looked around the room.

There was nothing to do for now so she decided to go back to sleep.

xXx

For the first time since they started the training several weeks ago, Jamal and Murewa were impressed with the young recruits.

They started this morning's training by seven a.m and it was almost ten a.m, yet the boys were showing a kind of tenacity they had never shown before.
They went through their training with a precision and organisation that was purely admirable.

"That boy is good." Murewa nodded at a particular boy in the clearing whom Jamal had also been admiring.

"Really good."

"I don't like these particular set of boys though. They have no brotherhood." Murewa shook his head and Jamal laughed.

"They are always like that. Even the last set. They only grow closer when they enter level two. Because by then they know it's no longer a competition. It's now a way of life."

"Hmm," Murewa nodded. Maybe Jamal was right. Maybe he should give the boys more time.

"I have a question," Jamal said again, turning to face Murewa.

"Don't ask."

"What did your father say yesterday? I know it was about Abike. I didn't want to ask yesterday because everything was already messed up with you searching for her that night and all..."