Anjiála episode 11

ANJIÁLA – Episode 11
 
© Bunmi B Gabriel
 
**Anjiála**
 
I hummed as I sat on my bed, I was sad and avoiding everyone, especially mom. Uncle what’s his name again? I don’t remember but I think it’s Bartholomew, Bart for short. He entered my room with a smile and went straight to my vanity and joggled my perfume bottle
 
‘What do you want this time?’ I asked with a sigh
 
‘I can’t help but notice how stressed out you are Anji’
 
‘And how can you tell?’ I asked with a sly smile, he chuckled
 
‘You’re almost like your mother, hærd to read but when read, an open book. What’s stressing you out?’
 
‘Mom, she got a new boyfriend, one that will make her hate me so I’m teaching her a lesson’
 
‘Your mother was always the type to never listen, always so easy to deceive’ I nodded in agreement
 
‘She’s too credulous, too credulous’ I sighed, he smiled
 
‘And that was why I tried to stop her countless of times but she would always quarrel with me and when her heart got shred to pieces, she would run back to me and cry and I’d comfort her. It hurt his she always ran away again to be with someone else forgetting me all the time, I’m sorry but your mother is ungrateful’
 
‘Ingrate’ I added, he laughed dryly and sighed. ‘You married Zino’s mom’
 
‘Because I got her pregnant and had to take the responsibility’
 
‘She died later, you still never stopped loving mom even when married to her?’
 
‘Especially when married to her, she was a needle to my ass, really bad characters and attitude’
 
‘You’re glad she’s dead?’
 
‘Bad but yes, she was a bad influence to Zino, made him quite rotten and I had to send him away’ I clicked my tongue and chuckled
 
‘How can you love someone for so long? Isn’t it lame? It feels like a novel’
 
‘When you fall in love deeply with someone Anji, you’ll know how it feels’
 
‘I thought you guys dated’
 
‘We didn’t, she never gave me a chance. I was her crying shoulders alone’ he said bitterly. ‘Now come on, dress up’
 
‘Why?’
 
‘I’m taking you out to lighten your mood, you need to chill’
 
‘I don’t want to go’ I said poutingly, he walked to me and tugged at my arm
 
‘Stand up Anjiála Delgado’
 
‘Aye aye captain Bart’ I said childishly giving him a mock salute, he laughed and flicked my forehead
 
 
‘It’s Santiago, Iago for short’ I grinned sheepishly. ‘Come on Jada junior’
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
I laughed as I rolled in the sand, Iago took me shopping for new clothes and shoes and bags and phone and everything! I felt so loved, like he was my real dad. Then he took me to he beach and commanded and rolled on the sand like an idiot
 
‘It’s fun’ he said. ‘Your mother always loved doing it, try it’ I did and I couldn’t rolling and laughing, I made sand angels and later built sand castles, we did together and I couldn’t help but curse mom for letting go if a man like Iago, he really loved her. ‘Now, I’m going to give you space to talk to your mother’
 
‘My mother?’
 
‘Anji, please take a deep breath and call your mother, she might be annoying but she’s still your mother and I’m sure you mean the world to her’ I looked away from his piercing chocolate eyes, it almost felt like he could read my thought. ‘Anji, call her and see what she’d do’
 
‘No’
 
‘Okay, run’ he commanded like a commander
 
 
‘Eh?’
 
‘Run!!!’ I stood up and ran. ‘Run until you get exhausted, think of all the good times you spent with her and see what your mind will do!!!’ He shouted after me. I ran far away not able to resist his command, we were alone in La Concha beach since it was almost dark, I ran until I got lost
 
‘How is it possible to get lost in a beach’ I mused, I cursed myself and brought out my phone to call him but then I didn’t have his number. I tried Abbie and Arie but they were unreachable and not answering. I sighed and sat on the sand, hugging my knees. My toes sank into the sandy cold gravel. I looked up at the sky and sighed again. ‘Guess I’m calling mom’ I dialed her number and waited patiently for her to pick up
 
She answered in a heartbeat
 
‘Anjiála! My baby, how have you been? I’ve been so worried’ she sobbed. ‘Why did you have to do this to me’
 
 
‘Like you don’t know’ I scoffed
 
‘What is your issue with him, why don’t you want me to get married’ she cried
 
‘You getting married is my dream but getting hurt again is my fear. Mom I know what you went through when dad left, I know how I suffered to put a smile on your face, why do you like suffering yourself?’
 
‘Victor makes me happy! Why can’t you see that!!!’ She yelled, I huffed angrily
 
‘You don’t know him that much woman!!!’ I yelled back
 
‘You’re being selfish Anjiála, you don’t want me to be happy!!!!’
 
‘If I was being selfish, I would have let you die when you tried to commit suicide long ago, I wouldn’t have talked you out if it!!!!’
 
‘Now I know Victor is right, you only care about yourself and want me to die thinking and loving only your selfish father. I should hand you over to him like he said and move on with my life because you’re a obstacle to my happiness!!!!!’ A moment of silence followed, she was breathing heavily and I was stunned, bemused. I swallowed the huge lump in my throat and closed my eyes. ‘Anji I didn’t mean that’
 
‘Yeah, you didn’t. It’s a good thing you don’t know where I am’ I took in a deep breath ‘since you want to be a single woman with no child again, then fine, so be it. I’m no longer your daughter, you are just Jada Delgado so forget you ever had me’ I sobbed
 
‘Anji….’
 
‘Good bye mom, don’t ever come looking for me because you won’t get me back, ever’ I hung up and switched off the phone, I opened it, brought out my aim card and broke it. I cried as I hugged my knees, my face buried in my palms
 
After everything we went through, after all our struggles together, she could let it go like that.
 
I was still crying when my mind recreated a mental image of something I saw earlier, I stood up and ran back to the direction, it was a rock I saw earlier, a really heavy tall one with familiar writings. I walked closer to it and remembered what the white guy said. He was right, there was always a clue everywhere we went to, we just needed to look deeper
 
‘Sand and sand and crabs
 
Solid and tall and marked
 
Lift and whirl and whirl
 
A precious gem is found’ I recited. ‘All I need do is lift the rock, how am I suppose to to that’ I said exasperatedly. I hit my head, shouldn’t have broken my sim card. I was still scrutinizing the rock when I felt something yank my feet and pulled me away
 
I scre-med as I was drawn on the sand and dragged into the sea, I got the chance to see the water tentacles tying my legs together and dragging me to the bottom of the sea. I couldn’t breathe or shake it off as it dragged me further from shore. I wiggled and muffled trying to get off. I was running out of breath, my eyes were closing and I was feeling dizzy
 
Ten unshaped forms surrounded me, the current of their speed creating a whirlpool, I was losing consciousness. The tentacles let go of me and I felt a bite on my forearm, the form were going to eat me! The one who bit me ripped the flesh off, another came and took a chunk of my shoulder flesh, I bled and tried to scre-m
 
‘Mmph’ I muffled, they were ripping out my flesh endlessly, the pain was beyond description but I shielded my neck and head. I couldn’t take it anymore, I had been holding my breathe for eight minutes. I closed my eyes and gave up but a swift white hair passed my vision
 
‘I told you to trust in the strength of Aramis!!! Call on his name Anji, don’t give up’ his voice was filled with worries and pain. ‘Call my name!!!!’ He roared. I opened my eyes and with the last breath in me, I scre-med
 
‘Aramis!!!!!!!’ I don’t know where the light came from, maybe me. A powerful white light burst from my body, like an explosion. The entire sea froze or maybe the one around me, including the man eaters. They shattered to pieces and the water unfroze and enfolded my wh0le body, I could breath and I was conscious, the pain stopped my the water pushed me out or rather tossed me out
 
I scre-med but a strong pull ran me back to land and dropped me gently on the ground. I coughed and tossed gasping for air
 
‘Anji, are you okay?’ Arie asked worriedly, they helped me up, I was flabbergasted, in a state of shock
 
‘What happened?’
 
‘I…I….’ I looked at my body and blinked, I was okay. ‘I was attacked by things, I got eaten and I almost died if not for Ar. .how did you guys know I was in danger?’
 
‘I saw your miss calls and called back but your number wasn’t in existence. Arie urged me to run us here and I tracked your body draw to the water’ Abbie explained
 
‘Thanks guys’ I said giving them my hands, they helped me up. ‘I found the gem’ I told them walking back to the rock, I pointed to it and Abbie nodded. Her eyes turned orange and the rock lifted itself out of the way. She walked closer, her eyes still glowing and made her index finger do a whirling gesture, the sand whirled and whirled and whirled until a box came in sight. I exhaled through my mouth and carried it out.
 
I still couldn’t shake off the fact that I almost got eaten alive or I was eaten but survived
 
I put the box on the ground and searched for a opening, none. I tilted my head and inhaled. Energy slipped through my finger and froze the box, the top shattered to pieces and I looked in,side. It was a sandy colored gem
 
‘Cool, you’ve got ice power’ Arie chirped, I smiled sheepishly and collected the gem. It glowed and entered my body, my forearm as usual was the next clue paper and I knew I would be wearing gloves until we solve it. ‘Let me read it’ she squatted and took my hand ‘I see you
 
You see me
 
We are us
 
And us are we
 
The single ray
 
The burning blaze
 
The redirected flame
 
Unto the twilight flake
 
But beware of the angry queen’s rage’
 
‘Uh oh, this one doesn’t sound good at all’ Abbie said shakily
 
‘Angry queen’s rage’ Abbie repeated again. ‘We’re not going to get away with this one easily gurls’
 
‘We better be ready and it’s time our ladies give us some few trainings’ I said seriously
 
‘Anjiála!!!!’ I heard Iago shout from somewhere
 
‘Go’ I told them. She closed up the sand and dashed off with Arie, I stood up and ran towards his voice. ‘Hey Santiago’ I shouted,  his face washed with relief but I wasn’t at all. The new one seemed more like a war than ever and I had a strong hunch that it was only the beginning.
 
 
To be continued