I Am... Ashanti

It Comes Together

Hershel muttered "I'll be dammed" for what seemed to be the hundreth time as we stared down at the woman he'd knocked out.

I can't say I blamed him. The woman, was practically a carbon copy of my mother, with only a few differences in stature and facial structure that only an accustomed person would pinpoint.

"We need to get her off the floor." I murmured, still looking at her. Hershel nodded, and bending over, scooped her head into his hand before lifting her into his arms.

As he carried to her to a bed, obviously binding was out of the question now, I made me way into the kitchen to get a hot compress.

She was stirring from the bout of unconsciousness that had been induced on her. The throaty moans coming from her throat were testiment of her now blocked nasal cavity, corteusy of the butt of Hershel's gun.

Making my way towards her, I pulled up a chair next to her and sat down, fiddling with my hands all the while as I waited for her eyes to open.

"Oh Gwad." I heard her finally say, looking up, to see her cupping her nose. Hershel had cleaned her nose up, but there was still blood on her shirt, it had congealed and stuck the garment to her skin.

"Here." I muttered, pressing the compress to her nose. A sigh of relief fleeted out her mouth and her eyes darted towards me. The look in them guarded as she moved my hand from the compress and took over holding it herself.

"Are you ok?" I asked. She scoffed at me, removing the compress from her face.

"A' you ki'ng me?" She managed to snort, glaring hotly at me. "I 'a a boken noz"

"Yes I suppose that was in poor taste, and your nose is unfortunately broken." I quipped. She laughed, expelling a gust of air through her nose and groaned in protest as it rattled the fragile structure.

"But other then that?" I ask, she turns her head to the side, and pushing aside a mass of thick kinky hair shows me a protruding gooseegg on the side of head.

Hershel who'd just walked in, let out a low whistle as he saw what she'd shown me. "Looks like I did quite a number on you" he said, rather jovially as he put down the first aid kit.

If looks could kill, Hershel would be in the 7th circle of Hell currently. The glare she was directing at him surpassed any traditional burial or any ascending or descending of a place delegated by God. No, her gaze was a straight path, into the coldest, darkest realm of hell. She was furious.

"I apologize for my actions. It's just, I'm assuming you're aware of the circumstances we've been put under and so precautions must me taken." He said, a rather apologetic look on his face.

"I suppose you'll now want the full details?" She asked looking at the both of us, we nodded. "Well I guess an introduction is due. My name is Abena, and I am your aunt."