It rained that night. Gamu told me it was the first time that it was raining in Toko for 3 months. She said that that meant that their God was very pleased with them, that's why he brought rain again. She told me that since it rained after so long, tomorrow there would be a celebration in the village.Kids played outside in the rain until late that night. I could hear their screams of excitement muffled under the pouring of the rain on the straws of our hut. After that they were still... I assumed they all went back to their huts. Now only the sound of the pouring of the rain reined. I cried the whole night. I didn't feel the excitement of the rain. I didn't want to celebrate tomorrow. I just wanted answers. Why? Why? And why? Why Yoké said those things to me. Did he really mean them? Me and him had been speaking nicely ever since he came to interpret for me the first time. So what went wrong?Yoké couldn't just kick me out like that. He meant so much to me. He meant so much to me but
Something strange happened. I went out with Gamu in the morning as usual, and I didn’t see Yoké at the well. Uma was there drawing water alone.We greeted him and he greeted back.“Where’s Yoké today?” Gamu asked him before I could.“Oh, he was called to the chief’s hut a few moments ago.”Gamu and I exchanged looks.“Why?” I asked.“I don’t know. A small child was sent to call him from the well. You didn’t see him on your way up?” I shook my head. I was worried now. “Besides interpreting, is there another reason why Yoké would be called for by the chief?” Uma shrugged. “Yoké is a teacher, maybe they want him to explain something. I don’t know.” “What if he is in trouble?” I asked. “What could he possibly do wrong? Unless it’s with you.” Gamu laughed. “Can you believe that this girl sneaked out last night to see him.” “Why are you telling everyone now? I told you not to tell anyone.” “Uma is not everyone.” Gamu said. “Tell her Gamu. I’m a good friend. Besides, Yoké already tol
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 myself 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
I could see their big white jet. I could see them drinking and laughing in their jet. I looked at Yoké."You sure about this?" He asked me.I took a deep breath and nodded. He lead the way and I walked behind him. We got to the jet and it took the men a while to notice us standing there.They all looked shocked as they stepped out of the jet one after another."Genesis?" One of them asked, he was the tallest and had brown hair. They were dressed so funny. Their skin were as light as mine. Their hair were different colors. One's hair was brown, the other blonde and the other black."Hi..." I said. "You are alive?" The tall one asked me, brown hair. I nodded. "Those people told me that you left from here... He..." He looked at Yoké. "You were there. Why didn't you tell us she's alive?""It's not his fault." I said. "Oh my, you've been here all by yourself surrounded by all these weird people." The tall one said. "Are you even okay? You've lost so much weight." He put the back of hi
Next morning we were woken up by someone calling Yoké's name. I jerked awake, which in turn woke Yoké up. Standing before us was a little child, a girl. She was topless and wearing a little skirt."Yoké are you sleeping?" she asked him. Her voice was soft and pure.I looked around, it was broad daylight there was no one else around besides this child.I got out of Yoké's arms quickly. "It's morning Yoké.""I hope no one saw us here." Yoké said. "Beki where is your mother?""She's coming." The child responded."Let's go Genesis." He took my hand and we went the other way quickly.***Yoké took me back to the cave and we stood against its walls and waited for Gamu."When will you go see your father again?""Maybe tomorrow morning.""I want to come with you.""Uma told you about their princess. I don't want her to get upset seeing you with me. My father's life is actually in her hands. Those people never keep their prisoners locked up for more than a year. If the prisoner doesn't die in t
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 s
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 nev
The next day, after the river I refused to go with Gamu to the well, I went straight to the hut. I didn't tell her about the Princess nor her servant or else she would have known that Yoké went to the next village. When she came back from the well that day she waited until we were alone and then started to complain about her back pain because of having to carry the buckets all alone. I didn't respond to anything she said. I just sat on the stool with my back against the wall and played with the carved hyena in my hand."Rena are you listening to me?" She asked me."I am.""What did I say?""That you have a pain in your lower back."She looked at me in disbelieve and then shook her head. "What's wrong? Tell me." She came to sit on the stool opposite mine."What do you mean?" I asked shaking my head. "Nothing.""No Rena, there is something wrong because that's not what I said. I stopped talking about my back a long time ago. I was telling you that Yoké was asking me about you.""Okay."