13– Threats

I woke up before the cock crowed. I went outside to Gamu's chamber and started tapping Gamu so she could wake up.

"Rena, what is it now?" Gamu moaned in her sleep.

"Wake up, Gamu."

"What for?" She said rubbing her eyes.

"We need to go to the river and the well."

"The cock hasn't even crowed yet. Leave me alone."

"We can't wait for the cock today."

Gamu was now fully awake. She was frowning and shaking her head. "Rena what is wrong with you?"

"Today I need to see Yoké early," I whispered." He is going somewhere later, if we wait for the cock by the time we finish everything he will be gone already."

Gamu opened her mouth but didn't speak, she just shook her head.

"What?" I asked her.

"Do you have to see him everyday?" She asked me.

"It's different today."

"No it's not." She rolled her eyes. "You are just being silly, as usual."

I couldn't tell her the truth. I couldn't tell her that I wanted us to finish with everything early because I didn't want to miss Yoké. He was planning to see his father today, I wanted to go with him. I didn't know the way, so if I missed him there would be no way for me to get to the other village.

"I'm not being silly, it's just that... Okay let me tell you the truth."

"Go on." She sat up with a frown and curiosity written all over her face.

"Uma asked me to take you to the well early today because he wants to spend more time with you today-"

"Really?" She clapped her hands over her mouth.

"Yes. He said I shouldn't tell you, that's why I was using Yoké as an excuse."

Her eyes almost popped out of their sockets. She looked so excited.

"Let's go Rena. But be quiet so that Furah doesn't wake up."

"Okay, I will help you clean up the hut quickly."

When we were about to step in the hut Gamu stopped me.

"Rena thank you for waking me up." She said with a genuine smile.

I tried to return the smile but I felt really guilty. I felt really bad for decieving her like this. She would be disappointed when she gets there and Uma takes forever to arrive. Or even worse, what if he doesn't come to the well at all today? I couldn't return her smile, I just nodded and then stepped into the hut.

***

"He hasn't even arrived yet." Gamu whispered to me as we made our way to the top of the hill to the well.

"Why are you whispering?" I asked her.

"Just in case he is around."

"I am coming now." I told her and offered her the bucket I was holding.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to see Yoké."

"Why? They'll come together." She said putting the buckets she was holding down.

"No they won't. Uma will come early but Yoké won't. I told you he is going somewhere early today. So I need to go to him instead."

Gamu frowned and put one hand on her hip and tilted her head at me.

"You can draw water so long. I'm going." I said putting the bucket that she had still not taken from me down next to her.

"I'm not drawing water, that's Uma's job..."

We both grinned at what she had just said.

"Don't take long okay. You need to come back quick so that I can go home and attend to Furah."

"Okay."

I went back down the way I had come. As I was going down I saw Abu coming up the hill. There was no way that I could have hid from him because he was already close.

He beamed at me as he approached.

"Rena! Oh I had heard that you had remembered your real name."

I ignored the urge to roll my eyes at him. "Who even told you?"

When he reached me I continued walking the direction I had been going but he turned and started walking with me.

"I heard it from Gamu. She told me. What is the name?"

"Where are you going?" I asked him.

"Come on, won't you tell me the name?"

"Didn't the person that told you tell you the name too?"

"She couldn't pronounce it."

"You probably won't be able to too." I told him. "Why are you following me? Weren't you going up the hill?"

"Why are you always so rude with me?"

"Anyway, since the man himself is present, why not clear the air?" I stopped and faced him. "When have I ever been rude with you?"

He stopped in front of me, he's facial expression changed. He looked surprised, like he didn't see that question coming. "Well..."

"Get to the point, I have to rush back to the hut quickly because Gamu forgot one bucket."

"That day at the event..." he looked around to make sure there was no one around. "I was busy speaking to you that day but when you saw Yoké you just left me mid-sentence. Didn't even care about what I had to say."

"Is that what made you say all those things you told the chief that day?"

He looked down, and I detected sadness. "Not just that. I saw you with Yoké-"

"Yoké, Yoké, Yoké what's it with him? He is nothing but a good friend to me like Uma is. So what's the big deal?"

"Rena don't play dumb with me." Abu's face immediately turned into rage. "Don't try to lie to me. I know that Yoké told you everything. And I meant everything that I told him."

"Oh? What did you tell him? Refresh my mind."

"Rena, you know everything. You are the woman that makes me happy in this whole village, and I will marry you. My heart doesn't see anyone else-"

"What do you mean will? Who gives you the permission?"

"I don't need permission. I just need to say the word-"

"Who in the whole of Toko Village do you think you are?"

"I'm a valued man, Rena. A great hunter. My grandfather is an elder. But more importantly I'm a man in love with a woman."

"But the woman doesn't love you."

"I don't need you to love me back equally. Time will change all that."

"I love someone else, okay? I love Yoké-"

"Don't you dare mention that nobody to me. He is not capable of marrying you. He has no back bone, no support structure. He is no one. He is just an orphan. Such people are meant to be left to die and not even given a chance to marry. They are shameless and should be fed to our dogs."

I looked at him blankly. I was speechless. How dare he speak like that about Yoké. Feelings I had never before felt swelled up and bubbled up inside me. It took over my brain and before I could think twice I lifted my hand and slapped Abu across his face so hard that my palm itself burned.

He touched his cheek where I had slapped him and stayed with his mouth opened.

"Let it be the last time that you ever speak so ill of Yoké. My Yoké!"

"Rena..." he called.

I turned to walk on but he grabbed my arm, and he gripped it tightly. It was painful.

I looked him straight into his eyes although my arm was hurting. He stared back coldly.

"Rena..."

I gulped. He looked so angry and started to tremble.

"Rena... How many times did I call you?" he asked me. "Three, is it not? Now listen to me very carefully. You are my future wife and I will never allow you to be with Yoké in the manner that you two were at the river ever again. If I ever catch you just as much as looking at him. I swear to the Gods, you will regret it. He already knows what he has to do."

After a few moments of silence he let go of my hand.

"Rena you have no idea how far I'll go for you." He sounded sad again. "Like I told that nobody, even if it means that both of you have to leave this world. As long as I don't see you in the arms of anyone else but me."

At that moment I realized how crazy Abu was. There was something wrong with him. Yoké told me that when you love someone, their well-being becomes your priority. Even if it means seeing them with somebody that's not you, as long as that's their happiness, you'll let it be. But this envious and sinister energy Abu was giving off, this can't be love.

I thought I was left speechless. I thought I didn't have words big enough to describe how Abu made me feel at that moment or how I felt about him and his so-called love. That is why the next words that left my mouth shocked me more than it shocked Abu.

"Then kill us if you like, I swear to the Gods, even on that day we'll die holding each other."

I didn't want to hear anything else that would come out of Abu's mouth after what I had just said, so I ran away from him. When I ran far enough I looked back but he was still standing there in the same position I had left him. Since he wasn't looking my way, I took the turn towards the mountains where Yoké's hut is.

***

I was out of breath when I arrived before Yoké's hut. I checked to see if Abu wasn't following me and then bent over and breathed heavily.

At the same time Yoké stepped out of his hut and stopped in his tracks when he saw me.

"What are you doing here so early?"

"So what time am I allowed to come here?" I asked him.

He smirked. "Good point, but I did not expect you to be here at all. Where's Gamu?"

"She's at the well."

"And why are you breathing like that, did you run here?"

I shook my head. "Not really."

"Are you sure. You look so out of breath."

"I'm fine, I just need water."

He went back into his hut and came out with a small bowl of water. He came close to me and made me drink from it.

"Is that enough?" He asked taking the bowl away from my mouth.

I nodded. He took the bowl back inside. I noticed there was a dead fire in his yard.

"I'm going to see my father today. You came at a bad time." He told me as he came back outside.

"About that... That's actually the reason why I'm here. I know you said no but I want to come with you. I want to see your father at least once."

"No... I told you why."

"Yes but I'm sure she won't mind if I tell her that I'm just your friend."

"Genises please. I don't want to upset her. I told you she's the reason why my father is still being preserved alive. I can't play with that. I can't take any chances with that."

"We are not taking any chances. I'm just your friend, okay?"

"No. She won't fall for that."

"She will if I tell her that you speak about her all the time to me."

Yoké kept quiet and just looked at me.

"Please?"

"You won't give up will you?" he asked me.

I didn't respond.

"Fine. But please promise me one thing."

"Yes?"

"You won't tell her anything about us no matter how much you feel like it."

"Okay."

"And you won't mind anything she says or does with me or around me. Remember that it's all for my father and that I have no feelings for her whatsoever."

"Okay."

"Then let's go. I actually woke up really early today. I went to the river already and even drew out water already. You almost missed me."

"What about Uma? When is he going to draw water?"

"I don't know. He knows that I'm going to see my father today."

"Could you please go to him and ask him to go to the well now. Please. I made Gamu wait for him."

"But it's too early. You know that."

I told him how I had managed to bring Gamu out of the hut so early so he agreed to go tell Uma to go to the well as quickly as possible for Gamu.

After that we strolled hand in hand all the way. When we got close to the next village we stopped and he turned towards me.

"Genises, please don't upset her in anyway. Be strong for me. And I'm sorry if anything I'll do or say in front of you will upset you. Okay, my love?"

I nodded and smiled up at him. It can't be that bad...

He started kissing me and as he did, he ran his hands through my hair and brought it into a ponytail in his hands.

"I remember your hair being like this when I first saw you. You should try it again sometime."

"Crazy." I said. "I don't want everyone looking at me.

He then kissed me again and then let my hair fall from his hands over my back. He started to look at me as if we were not planning to go anywhere.

"Can we go now?" I asked him.

"Yes."

He turned around and started walking and I followed closely behind him.