Lahat ng Kabanata ng Rayuwa : Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 70

BINTA It was now two days since the wedding. We never left our room. Food was brought to us whenever it was time to eat, and in the evenings, we would walk in the garden for fresh air. I noticed all our clothes were being packed, but I did not ask Adam why. I knew he wanted to surprise me. Lunch was filling. There were roast and rice with salads. The sweet fruity yoghurt for dessert was beautifully made. Some of the caterers had remained after the wedding under the queen's instructions. She wanted us to start our honeymoon before we even left. Maryam had left immediately after the wedding. She never said goodbye to her brother. I chose not to bother about her actions. As things were, she could not do anything to me. I was now of higher standing than she was. Whether she liked it or not, she would have to respect me, or there would be consequences. I believe that was why she left because she could no longer bully me. I noticed Adam had a broad grin on his face. We were seated on the

BAMALI I wasn't thinking straight when I teleported out of the cell I was kept in. I knew I could not return home, neither did I have any friend brave enough to defy the Sarki. I knew it wouldn't be long before they knew I had escaped. The only reason I did not teleport in front of everyone was to buy me time to escape Buchum before they began to search for me. When I saw my wife and son in the dungeon, my heart broke into pieces. How could the Sarki be so cruel? My wife and son had done nothing wrong, yet he did not hesitate to ridicule and torture them. I was angry. I was angry at the council for not supporting me while I was away. I thought they were my friends; I believed we were a team, but I guess I was wrong. I thought the Sarki was kind; I was wrong about him too. The one that angered me the most was Aljanna-Daji. She had betrayed me. I needed a place to hide and lay low. So I decided to seek out the help of a secret friend of mine in Buruku Village. It was far enough, and I

SAFIA Baiwa settlement was small. The old woman I lived with often left to help the infected people in Rukum. I figured that the woman had a vast knowledge of roots and herbs. Although I was feeling better now, I still needed a stick to help my walkabout. The old woman, whose name I later found out her name was Aishatu, promised that I would be able to walk properly soon. She had guessed that my legs might have been kept in a stagnant position for too long, causing my difficulty in walking. She said if I exercised them often by walking about, they would get better. I had spent a week with Aishatu, and my wounds had healed completely. Aishatu was shocked by the speed at which my wound healed. She felt I was hiding something, but she only tried to insinuate, never saying it outright. It was my eight-day in Aishatu's home. I had not seen her all morning. Wondering where she might have gone, I finally heard her singing a mourning song outside. The song she sang was only sung when someon

SAFIA Aishatu was overjoyed when I came out of my hut. She had already made breakfast. I appreciated her genuine kindness. There was food scarcity in Rayuwa, and yet she was eager to share her food with a stranger. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?" She asked me, and I smiled in response. The breakfast was quite tempting. It was waina and vegetable stew. There was a hot ginger drink to serve as tea and some fried grasscutter meat for protein. My mouth began to water when I saw the food spread on the mat outside. I ate the meal with gusto. I noticed that she kept smiling and staring at me. She looked like a giddy little child. I began to wonder why she was so happy. "When do you want to see the garden?" she finally asked. I should have guessed that was why she was happy because she did not waste any time asking. She asked immediately after we finished washing the dishes. "About that.." I began and watched her face drop. "Please, I need your help." She began frantically, "you wi

BAMALI Buchum was as peaceful as I had left it. The sky was still red, and the vegetation remained the same, but there was peace. I watched a bird fly above my head; it was apparent it was carrying a message. The pigeons were customarily used to send urgent news. Only the gods knew what story the pigeon was taking. I did not intend to report to the palace until later, so I went home. My wife sat outside, staring at nothing. It was clear that she was deep in thought. I cleared my throat a couple of times before I could capture her attention. When she finally looked at me, there was distance in her eyes. Her emotions were mixed, and she was having trouble expressing it. She stood up and ambled to where I stood. I was speechless; I did not know what to say to her. I had messed up and put her and our son in danger. My actions had brought my family shame and disgrace. Deep down, I didn't think I would find her at home, but there she was, in front of me, trying to understand who I was. I