14– Just friends

When we got to the great bamboo wall that separates our village from theirs, Yoké moved a few loose bamboos to one side and told me to crawl under to the other side. When I was through, I held them to the side for him too. When I looked around, I noticed the forest continued from our village into theirs, it was just separated by a line of green bamboo sticks. And there was no difference between their forestry and ours.

“Now we are in Kuja village.”

“So, what’s so different between the Kuja villagers and the Toko people?”

“Just the believes. They allowed foreigners into their land to lead them astray from the Gods.”

“Which foreigners?” I asked him.

“By the way, the people here also speak Loke and Kwali like us and a bit of English. So don’t think you can talk to me about them in Loke or English and they won’t understand you.” Yoké told me.

“Why would I speak to you in Loke? I can’t even speak it.” I rolled my eyes at him.

“Come to think of it,” Yoké stopped and smiled at me. “You never speak to me in any of the native languages. Only in English.”

“Yes…” I said continuing to walk.

He took me by my hand and pulled me back gently towards him. He put his arms around my waist.

“That’s really unfair. I want to hear you speak Kwali to me. You are so good at it.”

“No way…” I said trying to get out of his arms.

“Please, Genesis.” He begged me in Kwali.

“No way Yoké.” I told him.

“Why not?” he continued to speak to me in Kwali. He pulled me even closer to him.

“I’m shy.” I laughed.

“That’s a lie…” he laughed. “My lady is never shy-”

“Yoké.” A voice called in front of us. I almost jumped out of my skin.

Yoké suddenly let go of me and put his hands behind his back.

“Yes.” He answered.

It was a young man. He was wearing a long white robe.

“You are here…” the man told Yoké but fixated his eyes on me.

“Yes, I just got here.” Yoké told him and noticed that he was only looking at me. “Uh… this is Rena, my friend.”

“Yeah, I saw when you arrived. Are you forgetting I’m a watcher here?”

Yoké tried a smile but failed miserably.

“This friend… The princess will be pleased to meet.” The man said.

“You know I always first go see my father.” Yoké told him.

“Sure.” The man said finally taking his eyes off me. “Let’s go.”

He started leading the way and we started to follow behind him. I saw Yoké bite his lip and shake his head. He looked so worried.

I wanted to hold his hand and assure him that I was not going to let anything fall apart, but I didn’t. I continued walking beside him in silence.

As we were walking, I didn’t see any of the villagers nor their huts. We started going up a rocky mountain and Yoké helped me up a couple of times despite the disapproving look of the watcher.

We got to ground where we could see many caves with metal bars closing the entrance. There were three men dressed the same as the watcher and they were sitting together on one big rock and chatting.

“We are here.” Yoké told me. “My father’s cave is the one on that side.”

He pointed to a cave with weeds growing on the top.

Upon seeing us, one of the men in the white robe went away.

“He is going to tell the Princess that I’m here.” Yoké told me. “Let’s go see my father.”

It was easy going up to the cave. There were steps which helped. When we reached the cave, Yoké and I sat side by side in front of the cave. I looked in-between the bars but saw only darkness. And there was a pungent smell coming from the cave.

I looked at Yoké with question. How could his father stay in such an uncomfortable place? And for 10 years? Yoké looked back at me, and he looked broken. He understood the question in my eyes but was helpless.

“Father…” he called, his voice sounded like he was going to cry. I hoped he wouldn’t. “Father, your son has come to see you.”

I heard movement in the cave. After a while of waiting, slow and trembling hands appeared in the darkness and held onto the metal bars. I still couldn’t see his face.

“Son…” Yoké’s father called. His voice sounded hoarse.

“Yes father?” Yoké was smiling now, but a sad smile. He looked desperate.

“Son, is this Rena that I am finally meeting?”

I was surprised that he knew me.

Yoké regarded me. “Yes, father. But we found out her real name is Genesis.”

“Oh… I cannot pronounce that name.”

Yoké and I looked at each other and smiled.

“Good day, father.” I greeted him.

“Rena…” he called.

“Yes, father?”

“Is it okay if I just call you Rena instead.”

“Of cause, father.”

“Okay. I am glad that Yoké finally brought you to come see me after so many times of asking him to bring you.”

I looked at Yoké and frowned at him.

“Really father? Yoké never told me.”

Yoké looked at me and opened his mouth but didn’t say anything.

“What?” I asked him. “You never told me. How could you not tell me that?”

“You didn’t have to tell father that.”

“Why not?” I asked him.

“Yoké, I see she is exactly how you described her to me. So fearless, beautiful, and confident. What great qualities to find in a woman. I like her even more now.”

Yoké just looked at me and looked away.

“Why are you upset son?”

“I’m not upset.” He spoke. But I could see that he was not happy that I told father that.

“Both of you give me your hand.” Father said. “Rena, give your left and Yoké your right.”

I held out my left hand towards the bars and he took it with one hand. Yoké also gave his hand, and father took it in his.

“Only two people in love can fight and argue with one another and still keep the love in their eyes in the process.” Father said.

He took our hands and placed it palm to palm. Yoké put his fingers between mine and clasped my hand. Father enclosed our clasped hands in his. Yoké and I looked at each other.

“This love that I find between you two today, may it keep growing. May it grow so strong that it is able to walk over any barrier and hardships that may present itself between or before you two. May it grow bigger than any principal or law that will find it. May this love endure and be endless.”

He left our hands, but our hands remained clasped. Yoké and I had still not broken eye contact. I was still in awe. I realized the depth of what just happened here. Yoké’s father had just blessed us. If the elders were here to witness this, they would have allowed us to marry. But I knew that was not the case. They did not witness anything. Once we step back into Toko village things would go back to normal. Yoké would become a “nobody” again, and I would have no say when Abu decides to go tell his grandfather that he wants to marry me.

Yoké’s face suddenly changed, it looked defeated and broken. “But father it’s not possible for this love to endure. Father, you know very well that they won’t let me marry her without you.”

I closed my other hand on top of his hand that was clasped with mine.

“Father, I told you about Abu, no one will take my side against him. Without you I have nothing, I can’t even have my love.”

“Son be strong. Why are you crying? Don’t you know that love beats everything in the end?”

“Father, why are you talking like you do not know Toko village?”

“Oh, I do know Toko village, but this love I find between Rena and you, this love is questioning my believe in Toko village.”

“But this love…” I said. “It has no words to defend us, it has no arms to protect us, this love, they won’t even look at.”

“What should I do, father?” Yoké asked. “This world took my mother before I could even see her face, life took you away from me when I was just 14 years old, I don’t want the same world to take the only woman that I’ve ever loved away from me. I don’t want somebody else to marry her. I want her. I don’t want any random girl picked by the elders. What should I do, father?”

Father sighed. “Listen children…”

We shifted quickly and looked towards the cave with desperation.

“Sadly, I do not have any answers to your questions about what you should do. I only have one way to guide you.”

“Yes…” Yoké and I said almost impatiently.

“Look into your hearts… that love will guide you. When you feel hopeless, look up at the stars, the stars have aligned a fate so beautiful for your love. Trust in your love. Trust that it’s greater than anything that seems too great to overcome at the moment.”

We both remained silent. I still didn’t understand how exactly that was going to help keep Abu away from us or keep us together.

“Father why do you add mystery over our confusion?” Yoké asked him.

“Love itself is a mystery. Look, it has brought together two people so different.” Father replied. “Only it can help you.”

We were distracted by footsteps we hadn’t realized were getting closer. We turned around and saw the watcher which we had encountered at the great bamboo wall. Yoké and I let go of each other’s hand.

“Yoké, the Princess awaits.” He said stepping aside so that Yoké could lead the way.

We both looked down and saw two women standing at the bottom. One was wearing a short skirt made from lion skin and a matching cropped top covering just her chest. The other was wearing a skirt and cropped top made from some animal fur. Their hair was black and long and fell over their shoulders and down their waist.

I couldn’t really see their faces properly from here. I could see that one had her arms on her hips.

Yoké started to get up.

“I’ll stay here with Father, you can go.” I told him.

“No.” The watcher said. “The Princess is keen to meet you. I told her about you.”

Yoké frowned. “What did you tell the Princess?”

“What did you tell me?” The watcher asked him.

Yoké just shook his head. “Genesis let’s go.”

“Father, goodbye. See you soon.” I told him.

“See you, my child.”

“Bye, father.” Yoké said.

“Bye, my son.”

We went down to the Princess.

“Yoké…” The young lady I guessed was the Princess said and looked at me a little disapprovingly, the woman next to her looked much older than us. “How are you?”

“I’m good.” Yoké told her.

She was wearing a band of flowers around her forehead and upper arms. She took his hands. She had a way of dragging her words when she spoke, I didn’t like something about her tone.

“I missed you, you know.” She told Yoké.

The woman next to her, wearing normal animal fur kept her eyes on me.

“Yeah, me too.” Yoké said. “Meet my friend Rena.”

“Oh, Rena… she’s also a princess?”

“No.” I said smiling at her. “It’s just a name.”

“But you are not from Toko village… What are you doing this side?”

“I am from Toko village…” I didn’t quite understand her.

“You are not. You are white.” She pointed at my arm as if it was something I could just brush off. “Your people were here a few days ago, they were showing us your picture and looking for you. They still didn’t find you?”

“No…” I said. “I didn’t see them. I’m also looking for them.”

She nodded slowly. She looked at me for a while and then looked up at Yoké.

“Yoké why did you bring her?”

“Well, I’m the one that wanted to come.” I told her before Yoké could answer. “The thing is Yoké is always talking about you, how beautiful you are, so I finally wanted to come meet the “pretty princess” that stole my friend’s heart.”

She looked at me for a while and then smiled to the side. “So, what do you think of her?”

“Yeah… she is beautiful, but…”

“But what?” She asked me, frowning.

“I don’t want Yoké to hear this, he might have second thoughts about you…” I said, examining my fingernails.

She looked furious, and the woman next to her looked thrown aback.

“What are you talking about?” Yoké asked me.

“Bana, please take Yoké to my chamber, his friend Rena and I will be right behind you.”

“Okay, Princess.” The watcher which had gone to call her, came to stand by Yoké and waited for him to lead the way.

The woman stayed by the Princess’ side.

Before turning to leave with the watcher, Yoké stared at me with question and fear in his eyes.

“See you, friend.” I told him in Kwali.

I talked to her. I poured out my heart to her. When I finished, she told me that she didn’t like how judgmental I was and would prefer that I leave Yoké and her alone in his time there. She asked Yoké if it was okay for me to wait for him at the exit with her maid. Yoké hadn’t heard a word that I had said to her, he looked unsure and afraid. He told me that he would come get me once he was done so I waited at the wall with the lady. I wasn’t sure how the Princess would take everything I had just told her. I didn’t know how she would react once alone with Yoké. I didn’t know what she would decide after all this.

The woman and I stood by the wall. I stood against it, but she was leaning against it and facing me.

“Do you know that the Princess and Yoké have been together for a very long time?” She asked me. “They were together before the Princess was even crowned princess.”

I looked at her and didn’t say anything. My mind was too preoccupied. I was feeling uneasy. I didn’t know whether I had done the right thing talking to the Princess or not. I didn’t want anything bad happening to Yoké’s father because of everything I had said to her.

“Since you and Yoké are such good friends, I’m guessing that Yoké told you they have been together since they were just 14. Yoké loves the Princess so much. I hope you know that no one can come between them.”

Why was she telling me all that?

“Yoké is well acquainted with the royal family. They love him so much.” She added.

“Why are you telling me all this?” I asked her.

“Does it bother you?” She asked and waited for my answer.

I frowned and shook my head slowly.

“You should know this already. Why does it seem like all of this is new to you?”

“It’s not.” I told her.

“Then you know that Yoké has agreed to marry the Princess?”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Was this woman just trying to get a reaction out of me or what? I knew it couldn’t be true. No way.

I laughed in disbelieve. “That, I don’t believe. Yoké tells me everything. If he had agreed to marry the Princess, he would have shared it with me.”

The look on the woman’s face stopped my heart. She looked dead serious.

“Rena the friend.” she said, as though she was not convinced by our little act. “I don’t know where you are from, but I know that you have feelings for Yoké. You need to know that we have been watching the love between the Princess and Yoké unfold ever since they were just kids. In fact, I myself witnessed their love. How they grew from shying around each other to finally becoming carefree and displaying their affection for one another publicly. If you think you can come between that you are deceiving yourself. Stay as a friend as Yoké put you.”

My feet suddenly felt weak, like it suddenly couldn’t support the weight of my body.

“Yoké agreed to marry the Princess himself. He himself said when he wants to marry the Princess. And it’s soon. I just don’t want you to get between them.”

I couldn’t control this feeling that was overpowering me. “If you think that Yoké loves the Princess so much then you shouldn’t be worried about someone like me, a simple friend.”

“I’m not worried at all. I am just warning you. Because you are the one that will end up regretting. Besides, what Yoké finds in the Princess you don’t have any of them. I’m sure you know that a man from these villages would prefer a woman of these villages. And not some foreigner.”

I knew what she meant by that perfectly well, and I wanted to tell her that Yoké had told me that he prefers me and only me. I wanted to tell her that he loved me the way I was. I shut my mouth and looked away because I knew that I couldn’t. I wasn’t supposed to. My heart started to beat faster. I didn’t like this feeling of feeling limited. I never liked it. It reminded me of the nightmares I used to have.

“I know what you are thinking…” the woman said, stepping closer to me. “Oh… how sad…”

She said it with pity. “I hope he hasn’t already taken advantage of your innocent feelings for him. I thought you people were wise people. You came into our villages long ago and tried to teach us to change our way of living, but here you are becoming a victim to the very same people you try to teach. Let me tell you something about the men of our village-”

“Yoké is not a man from your village.” I found myself saying.

“At least now you will understand better. Did you see how strict the people of Toko village are? Did you see what they do to people that are immoral?”

“I know.”

“Exactly. Now, do you think that a girl from your village will ever give into another man that hasn’t married her? No, right? Because they are scared. Scared to have their lives cut short. So, do you think that a man from Toko village would ever win over a girl like that? Never. That’s why Yoké took advantage of you. Because he is a man. He only loves one woman, and that’s the Princess. Any other girl that will make herself available will just be something he can play with.”

I wanted to show her that her words meant nothing to me. I tried hard but I couldn’t. I was hurt. I didn’t know whether she was speaking the truth or just being hurtful because she was the Princess’ servant. I couldn’t stand there any longer. I felt like crying. It felt almost as bad as the day Yoké told me to stay away from him forever.

I took a deep breath in and tried to sound as unbothered as I possibly could. “Nothing like that happened. Yoké and I are just friends. It’s getting late. Tell him I’ll meet him at the village.”

“You don’t have to go.” The woman called behind me. I didn’t look back. I moved the bamboos to the side and disappeared to the other side.

I immediately broke out and started to cry. I ran as fast as I could although I did not know where I was going. I just ran and ran until I was out of breath. At least now I could focus on the burning pain in my chest rather than the pain I was feeling in my heart.