The Outcast – Episode 8

THE OUTCAST – Episode 8.

Written by Amah

I was already weak from the Long walk, my head was still aching and my leg injury was making me unable to keep up,

She Was so fast, her legs were moving speedily like an antelope,

I shouted behind her to slow down, I don’t know if she understands my common language because she never turn to check if I was catching up or to even reply me,

I wondered if she was deaf or understands only sign language, what language is she really use to, I noticed behind her right arm she have a big mark, either fire or knife which left a Large scar in her,

After walking far away from me she will she will suddenly slow down for me to be able to cover the distance, when ever I get close she speed off again and wait up when she noticed she has gone far,

I try to manage with my leaping leg which wasn’t helping my journey with the strange girl,

I started seeing smokes ahead of me and different vegetable farm lands, I knew we were close to the outcast clan,

I wanted to ask the young girl who owns the farm land, which was properly rigged, everything on the farm land was properly cultivated and it was all in order, I had questions running through my head, but I know is a waste if strength asking the strange girl taking me to Zila she Will never reply me,

We passed a dogged out stream, and a water fall, this place looks so natural and beautiful, there was also strange sculptures on the foot path,

everything I see around was creative and in order, even the corns and tomatoes farm was properly lined up,

there were different kinds of tree all around,

I began to see few people, i saw some of them by the water fall, washing something, few young boys by the farm, some by the tree, their faces were half covered with knitted corn crown, I couldn’t see their eyes but most of them stop what they were doing to stare at me,

They would have being mistaken for a normal people but they are the outcast and does not belong with us,

Father said some of them are slaves back then and if they offends their owners the good Masters will be punished them accordingly while the bad masters will either sell them off to a bad person or send them out of the clan into the forbidden,

So the outcast is made up of rejected souls, deadly infectious sick people and the cast out slaves,

the outcast are abnormal people, who doesn’t belong with our people, so they can’t do normal thing or put things in order like I see all around me

“This can’t belong to the outcast, they can’t be this orderly than the normal people, but no normal person can come all the way down to farm in such a place, a forbidden land, so all the land I was seeing obviously belongs to them,

I was tempted to touch some of the sculpture by the road and also wanted to touch some of the strange fine leaves on the foot path just to be sure they are real, as I stretch my hands a voice hush me to stop, a man voice different from the previous voice that spoke to me on the trap road, it came from somewhere within and cautioned me not to touch anything, I looked up and there he was, a mask man up the tree,

I guess he was following us since we began our journey, he was moving from tree to tree as we journeyed down.

I pulled off my hands quickly, remembering the instruction I was previously given, I looked up again but I couldn’t see the person, he was hiding among the branches,

I wondered how many of them were watching me yet I can’t see their faces

As we got close their were things I so much wanted to feel with my hands but I couldn’t, if i look at most of them is was as if they were even telling me to touch them, there were attractive sculpture by the foot path, but I kept a straight face so that I won’t break any law or become part of them outcast,

We got to an open space with different shapes of huts, some big while some are small, I counted thirty huts all together, and they were spaced out from each other, but still within a stone throw,

unlike my clan, we don’t live in a huts we live in a well built stone house, is only the kitchen and the outer house is built like a hut, but here, the outcast lived in a hut that is built with baboons, palm leaves serves as roof, but despite how low and simple it was they were in unison, and fire was set in some of the outside small house, without roof close to the main hut, which I assume was the rooms,

I followed suit until she paused in a different round shaped hut that was far from the others, there was a small farm land behind it,

The young Lady pointed at the hut , I asked her if that’s where Zila was but she didn’t reply, is not like I was expecting her to talk but I would have appreciated even a head nod of head than a totally silent, I try to use sign language if she will understand but she turned and left,

I needed to get Zila, so that we can be on our way back, she don’t belong with this strange and forbidden people who lives in a cheap leaves hut and up the tree, I thank the gods that they are not horror looking and Zila is not in a cage like the dream I heard,

I shouted Zila severally but no response came from the hut, I wanted to peep in but scared of touching anything, if Zila was kept separately, in a different hut, it means that they don’t want her to be contaminated, or become like them,

I wonder how Zila lived in this forbidden land comfortably without thinking of home since two months,

I slowly leaped closer to the hut but a voice stopped me from behind, I turned and saw a young man, who I was a head taller, who’s face was covered in a see through weaved light cloth, I can’t Tell what he looks like behind the face cover but he was young, he wore a different clothing from the girl that lead me down

His own was plain black wood leather, a cowry beads necklace on his neck, he has come leaves in a clay pot,

“My name is Ladi, I was told you sustained some injury from the boundary trap, here… Take this ghevi leaf, squeeze the leave on your palm until the juice is out, rob the juice on your wounds, by sun down it will heal up, no forbidden hand has touched it, it wasn’t plugged with a bare hand, so feel free with it… your sister is not inside the hut, she is by the water fall, by the normal stream, words has being sent to her, she will be here in no time..

Ladi’s name sounded familiar, could it be the same ladi that was sent off many years ago before Zila was born, Who’s uncle accused of wiping off the entire family with a deadly sickness, he was still a small boy then, and could have being burnt alive if not the intervention of my pah and few others..could he be the same pers…..

I heard noise from my right hand, Zila was screaming my name and running towards me, I opened My arms and she fell into them, she held me and was panting heavily like somebody that ran a marathon, I held and kissed her hair, I have really missed my beloved only sister, the young man still stood at a distance and watch

I couldn’t wait to take Zila home to mother and father but I needed to use the ghev leaves Ladi brought on my injuries so that I will be able to walk back home, I also have questions for Zila that I really needed answers.

To be continued

 

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