ANJIÁLA – Episode 18

ANJIÁLA – Episode 18

 

© Bunmi B Gabriel

 

Anjiála

 

I sat on the garden’s swing singing softly to hallelujah. It was so hard waiting for midnight, I wanted to see him quick and confirm if it’s him.

 

‘….she tied you to her kitchen chair

 

She broke your throne

 

And she cut your hair

 

And from your lips

 

She stole the hallelujah

 

Hallelujah

 

Hallelujah

 

Hallelujah

 

Hallelujah

 

Maybe there’s a God above

 

But all I ever heard from love was

 

How to treat somebody who outdrew ya

 

It’s not a cry you hear at night

 

It’s not someone who’ve seen the light

 

It’s a cold and it’s a broken hallelujah….’ I sang to myself. I continued singing and swaying slowly. Santiago walked in with a nervous smile. ‘Hey, what’s up older bestie?’

 

‘Hi junior pal,’ he said innocently and came to sit with me. ‘What are you doing here at this time of the night? It’s almost 11pm’

 

‘I wanted to rest away from everyone, and it’s not easy to pretend like I’m not hearing the noises coming from Zino’s room.’ I said smirkingly. He laughed

 

‘I should scold my son for sleeping with a girl in my house but again, I’m too lazy to. In my own time, I did it on the couch when my parents were upstairs.’ I snorted incredulously. ‘Okay, secretly had quickies when there when they were upstairs.’

 

‘And you think it’s right to let your son deflower a girl in your house?’

 

‘Should he go to a bush?’ I laughed at that and shook my head negatively ‘Zino is no kid, he’s almost eighteen so let him live his life.’

 

‘She’s sixteen, have anyone registered that?’ I asked grinningly. He laughed and patted my head. ‘What really do you want from me?’

 

‘Smart a$$,’ he laughed. ‘Okay, I might have contacted your mother on your behalf.’ I frowned, he laughed dryly. ‘Anji, she dumped him and have been trying to get to you…..’

 

‘It’s okay, I understand. Pretend like you didn’t tell me so when she comes, I’ll act surprise.’ He laughed and raised his folded fist.

 

‘Poundsie?’ I giggled and fist bumped him too. We laughed and high fived. ‘So? Aren’t you going to sleep?’

 

‘Nope, the gurls and I are going somewhere at midnight, can we use your car?’

 

‘Will Abbie be able to walk?’ He asked smirkingly. I laughed and shrugged

 

‘Maybe she won’t come,’ he shrugged and nudged me with his shoulder. ‘What?’

 

‘Get a boyfriend.’

 

‘I might get one soon,’ I grinned. ‘Very soon or not.’

 

‘Your mother will ki*ll you.’

 

‘I like to see her try,’ I smirked, he grinned and danced his head like an Indian man. I chuckled. ‘You’re happy you will see her again, right?’

 

‘She’s my dream.’

 

‘And I’ll help her love you,’ he smiled and stood up.

 

‘Don’t stay out too long and no clubbing. Please don’t let Ariana convince you into kissing a random guy, okay?’

 

‘She can’t try that, goodnight future dad.’ I hugged him, he kissed my forehead and ruffled my hair. ‘Where’s my goodnight?’

 

‘Not available yet, come back early,’ he moved back. ‘The car keys will be on your nightstand. ‘Don’t bruise my baby.’

 

‘I will.’ He gave me his middle finger, now this is who I call a dad!

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Ariana laid on my bed singing loudly, she’s crazy. Abbie was well – you know so we were on our own.

 

‘When things are getting down

 

My friends will come around

 

We’ll laugh and stomp the ground

 

We’ll be partying free

 

My is on a twist

 

Beware of all the dicks….’

 

‘What are you singing?’ I asked amusedly

 

‘When things get tough

 

We are better when together

 

Come rain or shine

 

We’ll be there for one another

 

We’ve got the gist

 

We’ll light our own world

 

You know the flicks

 

We’re f****ng d**k freaks….’

 

‘You’re the only d**k girl.’

 

‘Yet I haven’t had sex in almost three years, that sucks. I want Matt.’

 

‘Shut up girl, you’re si….’ I was cut off by the sudden appearance of the heart, it glowed like the moon above my head. With every second, the glow increased. ‘Let’s go,’ I ran to my nightstand and got the cad keys. We left the gem and ran to the car.

 

‘Aren’t we suppose to carry it?’ Arie asked confusedly.

 

‘No, we wait for it to zap off.’

 

‘But if it does, how do we keep up and do you know how to drive?’

 

‘Nope, and that’s what makes it fun!’ I started the car and drove off to the road my instinct led me to, Arie screamed in fright holding her seatbelt. ‘Who!!!!!’

 

‘I’m too young to die!!!!!’

 

‘There it is….’ I pointed to the jewel heart flying fast in the sky, it was like the heart was slowing down for me. I drove hitting things and almost people. I can drive but I wanted to make Arie’s heart sink and annoy Santiago.

 

Punishment for calling my mother

 

The heart led us to school and entered the building. I stopped the car outside the gate and bit my lip.

 

‘You okay Arie?’

 

‘That -was – radical,’ she said flusteredly, she got out of the car and threw up. I came down too

 

‘How do we get into the building? The gate’s lock and the security.’

 

‘We go through the back,’ Arie whispered weakly wiping her mouth. ‘I know a way.’ She ran off to the back of the school, I played follow the leader. She stopped at a big tree. ‘Hope you can climb a tree?’

 

‘Yeah, last one over the fence will take the blame for ruining Santiago’s car!’ I shouted and ran to the tree.

 

‘Hey! No fair!’ She whined. I laughed and climbed the tree much more faster than her, I jumped over the fence and waited for her with a smirk. ‘I believe I can fly!’ She sang and jumped, she fell on me intentionally. I moaned in pain.

 

‘Serves you right,’

 

‘Get off me,’ I moaned painfully. She stood up. ‘I can’t feel my back.’ She grinned, her white teeth glowing in the dark.

 

‘Come on,’ she jogged to the near by window and pulled it open. ‘We don’t have much time.’ I rolled my eyes and followed her.

 

Ariana

 

Breaking into school was awesome! I skipped behind Anji who was limping because I fell on her, serves her right for making me puke. She seemed to know the way, she kept walking on high alert. She stopped at the artifacts room

 

‘We’re here,’ I could see the light from the room. She opened the door and we both grunted, the light from the heart was too bright. We closed our eyes and walked in. ‘I wasn’t expecting the sunlight at night.’ She scoffed

 

‘How do we see what we are doing? I can barely see even with my eyes closed.’ I complained, she chuckled.

 

‘I already know where I should put the heart, the hole in the chest of the terrified woman.’

 

‘The what?’

 

‘The terrified woman,’ she repeated. ‘I always felt a connection with the statue from the first day I saw it, I knew it would be important.’

 

‘We are looking for a prince, not a woman Anjiála.’

 

‘The woman is the king, disguise for his sake. I’ll find my way there, I just need you to hold still.’

 

‘Ok….aaaaah! The light is getting too bright,’ I cried. ‘My eyes are burning.’

 

‘Lumina! Lumina!’ Anji called. ‘Please help us!’

 

‘Astra I need your help, I don’t want to be blind.’ I said too. The light was really blinding me even though my eyes were close.

 

‘Here, this will help,’ Astra said from my front. She wore me a glasses, I opened my eyes. ‘This won’t last for the heart is getting stronger and more fiercer by the minute, Anji you must put it back quick but your have to defeat the night ranger.’

 

‘But I don’t know how to fight that much, I mean I took karate training from age 5 to 14 but it have been two years since I did that.’ Anji protested

 

‘That’s for you to bother about my dear. You must prove yourself worthy, even if you can’t defeat him, manage to hurt him.’ Lumina whispered and disappeared with Astra

 

‘Have anyone ever told you ladies that you’re useless!!!!’ Anji shouted and huffed. She exhaled through her nostril and walked to the statue. The heart floated above it head. ‘Eeeeep!’ She squeaked and jumped back, a brown mini tornado whirled in front of the statue. It stopped and revealed a tall man in brown armour. ‘Hey you,’ the man looked up and saw the heart. ‘You sew, I brought it here with her, that doesn’t that make me worthy already?’ He drew out Hus sword. ‘Guess not.’

 

The light was getting too bright, the glasses were failing and I knew she could feel it too.

 

‘I’m not fighting with a weapon, be fair.’ He tilted his head and dropped his sword. ‘Why do I get the feeling that I’m about to get beaten to sh*t.’ She whined.

 

He swung his fist at her skull, she ducked and twirled to the side, like he was expecting it, he swiftly roundhouse her face. I winced, that’s gonna leave a mark. Anji staggered back but the guy wasn’t giving her time, he grabbed her hair and smashed her on another statue. It was funny, Anji have been training since the Raging queen, what was she doing?

 

She groaned, he kicked her chest making her body roll and bashed on another statue. She was breathing heavily, I could barely see. He pulled her up by her hair, her feet left the ground, I was panicking. She suddenly grabbed his hand holding her hair and gave it a very painful twist, the popping of his dislocated bone came next. He roared in pain, she have him no time to recover as took off his helmet in a swift movement and roundhouse kicked his face. She dropped to the floor and cleared his feet, he fell with a thud. She got on him fast and rained punches on his face, he grabbed her hair again, she howled and lifted her left knee up.

 

Ouch! She smashed her knee on the weakness of every man and chopped his neck. He passed out.

 

‘Knight my foot,’ she spat, she coughed holding her chest and vomited blood.

 

‘Anjiála!’ I ran to her, she wheezed and panted. ‘Are y….’

 

‘Screw my health,’ she straightened up and ran to the statue, she climbed on and grabbed the heart. ‘Aaaaaaaaaaah!’ She screamed and fell but never let go of it.

 

‘Anji…..’ I went to her

 

‘Don’t, don’t come closer,’ she moaned painfully. She staggered to her feet and turned to the statue. ‘Wind and water, a pure force. Fire and earth, a mighty lot. Surge of power, kiss of peace for with you, new hope shall meet.’ She shouted and placed the heart in the hole. She slumped motionlessly immediately, it was like everything became still. For twenty seconds, the world was on pause, then it played with a bright explosion.

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Anjiála

 

My head throbbed, my heart aching and beating fast. I breathed heavily as I peeled my eyes open but held my breath in shock. A face hovered over mine, the most beautiful face I’ve ever seen.

 

His glass silver eyes glistered with amusement, excitement, confusion and curiosity. White stars twinkled at the pupil of his eyes, rainbow flashing through the big bright silver orbs. His head was tilted, making the curtain of his white hair bent to a side. His lips were parted a little in such an adorable manner, it made him look like a little baby boy, so soft and fragile. He blinked and smiled, his cheeks turning red.

 

‘Hello?’ I hoarsed, he bit his lip and giggled. He patted my cheeks like a baby and giggled again, okay what? I sat up and looked around, every single artifacts were destroyed, the windows shattered and the sun almost coming out. The door had fallen and Arie was sprawled on the floor, motionless. I averted my eyes back to him when he prodded me. ‘You don’t remember who you are, do you?’ He shrugged and pointed at Arie. ‘She’ll be okay,’ I smiled a little. ‘What’s your name?’

 

He shrugged

 

‘Can you talk?’ He opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t. My stomach churned nervously, it was no good. The cute guy sitting with legs crossed, swaying back to froth and staring at me with adorable puppy eyes was the guy from my dreams. He was here, he was Aramis. ‘Your name is Aramis, I’ll call you Arris for short.’ He giggled and clapped his hands.

 

‘He lost his memories,’ Solaria’s panicking voice broke behind me. ‘What are we going to do now!’

 

‘Calm down it will come to him with time.’ Lumina’s said calmly. ‘Anji, you will have to watch over him until his memories return.’

 

‘You want her to talk care of a man baby? She lives with someone, how will she pull that off!’ Astra exclaimed. I wasn’t bothered, my charming was right before me.

 

‘I’ll take care of that,’ I smiled. ‘I’ll watch him.’

 

‘What will you tell Santiago?’ Lumina asked worriedly.

 

‘I’m not good at lying so I’ll let Arie think of one when she wakes up. He’ll be fine.’

 

‘Anji, you don’t get it, he’s vulnerable and can easily get killed. You can’t protect him!’ Astra shrieked.

 

‘We need to leave this place first, come on.’ Lumina came to my front and tried to touch him, he caught and twist her hand. She yelled in pain, her hand turned black like it was burnt. ‘Okay, his self defense is on, I’m getting dizzy.’ She cried. She slowly faded away

 

‘Lumina! Oh, his defense is on so he’s not vulnerable as we think. You’re the only one he will listen to so figure or out.’ Solaria said with fear.

 

‘We have to heal Lumina before she permanently disappears,’ Astra whispered. I crawled to him and took his hand, he blushed. ‘Take mine,’ I took hers and we appeared in a lonely road with Santiago’s car. Solaria came with Arie. ‘You’re on your own now, bye.’ They disappeared. I sighed and looked at the grinning boy.

 

What am I going to do with him now?

 

To be continued