10– Imagbo Fure

Uma stopped playing his flute and came to sit next to me at the entrance of the cave and we watched the birds fly in circles together.

"Did you like the song?"

I nodded. "You play really well."

"My father taught me to play. And in turn I taught Yoké."

"How did you two become such good friends anyway?"

He smiled, as if he could see the whole memory playing out before him.

"We first met at the farm. I was with my father, and he was with his. And our parents were assigned to work on the corn together. And they began to speak. As a result, Yoké and I spent a lot of time together that day as well. And you know kids, it didn't take us long to start talking like we knew each other for years."

"What happened to Yoké's father?"

"You didn't ask him?"

"I did but his answer was not clear."

"What did he say?"

"He said that the God's were watching over him somewhere. I didn't want to insist because he was already sad that time."

"His father was banished about 3 years after Yoké, and I became friends."

"Banished? Like kicked out?"

"Yes, it was a very sad time for Yoké. My family and I were all that he had left. So, my parents took him in, and we stayed together for long."

"Why was he banished?"

"If your wife or husband dies, you are not allowed to marry again. But after Yoké's mom died, Yoké's father started an affair with some other woman. So, when people found out they reported it to the elders. And then they banished him."

"I thought the only punishment was death."

"Since he had Yoké they couldn't kill him. Because Yoké was still part of the village and had done nothing wrong. He was the only person Yoké had and Yoké was really young. So, the blood between father and son saved him."

"So where is he now?"

"In the neighbouring village as a prisoner. He tried to take refuge there, so those villagers locked him up."

"And Yoké has never seen him since?"

"Don't ever tell anyone, not even Gamu." He whispered. "But Yoké has been there countless times ever since we were little."

"Does he still go there?"

"Not all the time, but he still does. He brings him food."

"And those villagers allow him?"

"The princess in that village is in love with Yoké... so she makes things possible. Plus, I've heard that they are not as strict as us. That's why our villagers do not like theirs."

"Why is the princess in love with Yoké, what did he do?"

"He did nothing, lady." Yoké appeared from around the cave with a bowl in his hand.

I sprung to my feet when I saw him and ran to hug him.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"Why are you telling her the story in so much detail?" Yoké asked Uma with a small smile.

"Now I understand what you meant about her asking so much questions." Uma responded.

He handed me the bowl. "This is for you. Furah sent it. You haven't eaten anything since morning."

I uncovered the bowl and saw that it was filled with boiled corn. My stomach suddenly growled.

I sat down. "Come eat with me you all."

"I'm not hungry. Uma join her, Gamu told me you were here since morning too."

"Yes, I am very hungry."

"Yoké what were you doing there?" I asked him.

"First finish eating."

Uma and I started to eat hungrily. The more I ate the more I felt hungry.

Yoké gave us his back and watched the view.

We were done eating in seconds. I was full.

"Who cooked this? It was very delicious." Uma said closing the covering back on.

"Gamu did. She cooks this so good. That's why you should marry her." I told him.

He laughed. "So, she's using you to persuade me too?"

"No." I laughed. "What do you mean persuade? I know that you like her too."

"Really?"

"Yes, although you act like you don't."

"No, honestly I don't like her that way."

"You are crazy, she is really beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you." Uma winked at me and signalled me towards Yoké.

"What?" Yoké suddenly turned around with a frown.

When he saw the looks on our faces, he understood that Uma was just pulling his leg and shook his head. Uma and I laughed.

"Seriously now Uma, why don't you like her?"

"I like her, she's a good girl. I just don't have feelings for her like Yoké has for you. I want someone that I will love as much as Yoké loves you and who will love me as much as you love Yoké. You two don't let anything stop you from being together. You break every rule, you are not scared. It's just extraordinary love."

"Gamu breaks rules for you too. You just don't see it." Yoké told him and came to take my hand and helped me stand up.

"Yeah, she has really changed from how I knew her and how she is now. She is not so scared anymore."

"Kind of, but it's still different." Uma said.

Yoké put his arm around me.

"Soon the rain ceremony will begin. Uma thank you for looking after her."

"So... are you going to tell us what happened down there or not?" Uma asked him.

"I'll talk to you later. Furah said you can go down now because you have been here for too long. I'm taking care of her now."

"She doesn't know what big mistake she just did leaving you two here." Uma laughed.

"Nothing is going to happen." Yoké rolled his eyes.

"You owe me something. You don't know how many times I went up and down for Rena."

"I will bring you corn from the hut when I get back." I told him.

"Do you think he is serious?" Yoké asked me. "Plus, stealing is not permitted. Let's go."

"Where do you want to take her? She is supposed to stay here."

"I know Uma. We are not going back down."

We could hear the ambience of the other villagers now.

"There begins the rain ceremony!" Uma exclaimed.

He looked so excited.

"Go have fun brother."

"See you, Rena."

"Thank you, Uma."

Yoké's arm was still around my neck, he started walking me towards the forest.

"What happened at the chief's hut?" I asked him.

"Can we just walk in silence like this for a while?"

I frowned.

"Please, my love. It feels beautiful."

We continued walking with his arm still around my neck. I didn't know why Yoké kept delaying the story. I hoped he was not trying to make me forget because I wouldn't forget. I was so worried for him.

We walked through the forest. I put my hand around his waist, and we continued.

The villagers' shouting and clapping were now muffled. I could just hear a loud pouring sound.

"It's not raining but do you hear that?" I asked him.

He smiled. He took me by my hand and lead me through the forest and out before a huge river.

What I saw left my mouth open. I didn't have any words.

There was a huge body of water falling continuously from the mountains and into the river that we were standing in front of.

"It's beautiful right?" Yoké asked me.

"Really, it is magnificent."

"This is the only waterfall in our village. It is called Imagbo Fure."

"Imagbo Fure. What a beautiful name."

"So, I'm guessing you understand the meaning?"

I nodded. "Imagbo Fure, Love's Potion."

"Amazing right? Because love is already powerful, beautiful and enough, so what lacks from love? This waterfall is greater than love, it surpasses all feelings, it is powerful and beautiful more than love. It inspires love."

I looked up at him, he looked content and happy.

"Just explaining this fills you with so much excitement.” I told him. I felt happy seeing him so genuinely happy.

He turned toward me and looked deeply into my eyes. "Because it is said, one cannot understand the beauty of the meaning of Imagbo Fure without knowing or experiencing love."

I smiled. "I understood the meaning."

"Before, I never understood it because my love meant pain. Sneaking to go see my father and finding him so dirty and weak really hurts me. I only knew pain in love. But with you... I smile in love, I rejoice in love. I am marvelled by love. That is why, even if you leave one day, I will never forget you. I will never stop loving you."

He touched my cheek gently and then he hugged me tightly.

"I'm so sorry for all the times I hurt you. I'm so sorry for all the times I shouted at you, ignored you, or insulted you. You are so gentle, anyone that hurts your feelings deserve to be punished because you don't hurt anyone." He said. "In fact. You are always so sweet and loving towards everyone else. Even the chief deserves to be punished."

I laughed.

"I'm serious." he smiled. "You are an angel, and you fell from the sky that day they found you."

I continued laughing but he didn't laugh. "Why are you speaking like that?"

"I can only imagine what your family is going through thinking that they lost you."

I tried to imagine people with my colour crying that they did not know where to find me, but I couldn't get involved emotionally. I couldn't feel anything, anything as such just felt strange. I couldn't even imagine being in a hut with so many people with my colour.

"Just promise me one thing." Yoké told me.

"What?"

"That you will never forget about me. That you will keep cherishing our memories. That you will always keep a space in your heart for me. Even if it's a little one." He looked so sad now.

"Why should I forget about you? Don't be silly." I touched his cheek and brushed it with my thumb.

"Promise me, Genesis."

I looked at him, I was confused. That name Genesis...

"That is my name..." I told him.

He nodded sadly. "You remember?"

"Yes, that is my name. How did you know that?"

"Do you remember your surname?"

"Genesis Leticia Roseburg." I said instinctively. "Genesis Leticia Roseburg?"

"You remember."

"But how?" I was so confused myself. "I never knew it. Only now when you called me Genesis. How so?"

"It's part of the memory gaining tactics. Sometimes you just need a key word, and you will remember so much."

"The way you said it... promise me, Genesis."

"You will remember quickly soon."

"What is going on, Yoké? How did you know my name?"

"Your people were here Genesis. They came looking for you."

"What?" I couldn't believe my ears. "My family?"

Yoké lead me to the still log in the river and made me sit down. He sat before me on a rock.

"Your family sent people to search for you. They came with a picture of you. They were three people. They were asking around the village and everyone they asked pointed to the chief's hut, so they said. That's when they came to the hut and entered. They met with the chief and Furah. Since they couldn't understand these men, Furah called for me. The child they sent went to my hut, but I wasn't there. People told the child that I was at the well, that's when the child came and told me that Furah was looking for me."

I still couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"What did they say?"

"They said that they were sent to look for you. The pilot signalled when your plane was about to crash, so they decided to come to that location but there was nothing there. Since then, they've been searching everywhere far and near that location. That's how they reached here.

"And they said that the plane was found in our neighbouring village and everyone in it were dead, and the faces couldn't be recognized. They counted the people in that plane, but they were not enough. They went back to your family and told them, but your father insisted that they come back and search again. That's why they decided to keep looking for you."

"Where are they now?"

"They have returned back to your country. Furah told them that you were living here but the villagers did not want a foreigner to reside amongst them, so they let you go. The men spoke amongst themselves and said that you were probably dead by now. So, they left."

"But I'm alive." I said touching my chest. I began to cry, and I did not know why. "I'm not dead."

"That's why Furah asked Gamu to take you where no one would spot you. She didn't want them to take you away."

"But why didn't you tell them that I'm alive? She wouldn't have known."

He looked down at the water.

"Why didn't you tell them that I'm alive?"

"Because I also didn't want to lose you. I knew that if they took you, you would go forever."

I understood why I was crying now. I was crying because of what I missed. I would have loved to talk to them, to find out more about myself and my family.

"Really, Yoké?"

"I'm so sorry."

"That's so selfish. Now I will never see them again."

"If I was selfish enough, I wouldn't have told you about this until tomorrow. Nothing I've ever loved stuck around long enough. I knew that one day you would leave too." He told me. "They haven't left yet. They are in their jet. They told me that if they went back early your father would think that they didn't search efficiently. I know where you can find them. I can take you there if you want me to. Do you want to go?"

"Yes, I want to talk to them. I have so many questions."

"Just to ask them questions?"

"Yes."

"They will never leave you behind after seeing you. You are the reason they have been searching for months. Do you think they will leave you and go tell your family that they saw you but left you again? If you want to see them, then you must go back with them too."

I shook my head. "I don't want to go and leave you here. If I go you must come with me."

"I can't. You know that. Uma told you about my father. I can't leave him all alone. I am all that he has. If I leave him, he will die."

"I can't stay here without talking to them. If my family kept sending them back and forth for me then it means they really want me to come back. I also want to meet them. Maybe I can ask them to take me to my family just to see them and then bring me back again."

"It's your choice."

"Maybe you can come with me to my country and then we can both come back here again."

"Maybe."

"Yoké?"

"Yes?"

"Should we?"

"It's your call."

"Let's go."

Yoké looked unsure and sad, but he still got up, took my hand and helped me up. Then he started to lead the way to where he had left the men.