Anjiála – episode 14

ANJIÁLA – Episode 14
 
© Bunmi B Gabriel
 
Anjiála**
 
Ever since I accepted the mission, all I had done was think and think and think even more. I sighed lost in thought as usual. We were at a party at Mateo’s, his house is unique and large, compliment of being the fist son of Amaranto. His dad owned the school but I hadn’t seen him yet though
 
The party was going great, Abbie sitting at a corner with Zino chatting and drinking what he was giving to her, he was intentionally getting her drunk and I don’t need to tell you why. Take a wild guess. Arie said it wasn’t our business, they made a bet with each other and they will suffer for it. Talking about Arie, she was the queen of party with her hot dress and hairstyle. All the guys were glued to her, she was dancing on a table and making them crazy beyond description.
 
Mateo was with Siobhan but his yes never left her body, obviously was admiration, desire and whatever else he felt there. I on the other hand sat alone in a isolated corner, avoiding humans as much as possible. Daniel and his brother whose name I still can’t remember were present too. He was a must avoid
 
‘Hey,’ he said softly. Where did he come from? How did he see me? Crap! ‘Why are you sitting here all alone?’
 
‘I’m bored and I want to sleep.’ He sat down and loomed ahead
 
‘Are you avoiding me because of the k-ss?’
 
‘Yes.’ I said honestly and pouted. ‘I don’t really feel the sane way you do, I have a boyfriend waiting for me.’ I lied and s-cked my bottom lip
 
‘Wow, his he cuter than I am?’ He asked teasingly like he knew I was lying. I closed my eyes and sighed dreamily, the image of his back replaying in my head.
 
‘He is more than I expect.’ I blunted out
 
‘What do you like best about him?’
 
‘His height, his voice, his hair, hi….’
 
‘Okay, I get it!’ He exclaimed laughingly. ‘You don’t have to feel bad about it, I don’t really like like like like you, just like like you. I’ll be dine after I get a real k-ss from you.’ He said wiggling his brows, I chuckled
 
‘That would be cheating on him, wouldn’t it?’
 
‘Yeah yeah whatever. I still think I’m better looking than him.’ He said childishly. I laughed
 
‘You haven’t even met him!’
 
‘I don’t care, no man on earth is more s€×ier and cute than I am. Have you seen my awesome beard and muscles….’ He said flexing his dry muscles. ‘I’m more than aquaman.’
 
‘You don’t say,’ I said laughingly. ‘You are indeed muscular.’ He grinned like a creep. ‘What?’
 
‘I made you laugh.’ He sang, I smiled and looked away blushingly. He moved some strands of my hair out of my face. ‘Now, why really are you sad? I wasn’t born yesterday.’
 
‘When were you born then?’ I asked teasingly and nudged his side, he giggled like a girl fanning his face
 
‘This morning – now what’s wrong?’
 
‘Oh nothing,’ I said with a sweet singsong voice folding my legs up and swaying back to froth. ‘Just disowned my mom, that’s all.’
 
‘Hmmm, that sounds serious.’
 
‘It is, she chose a man over me so why should I care?’
 
‘You love her.’ He pointed out knowingly, I shrugged
 
 
‘Doesn’t change a thing, I remain the abandoned one. If she truly loves me, she will come find me here and abandon that ugly troll.’ I said with a childishly annoyed pout
 
‘Is he really bad or you see just being too sensitive?’
 
‘The former, he told mom to forget about me and move on with her life for I’m selfish.’
 
‘Wow, I see.’ He murmured. ‘Well I don’t think you should be away from her that much, you will only hurt yourself more than now.’ I rolled my eyes and stood up. ‘She’s your mother, at least you have one.’ He added sadly
 
‘I don’t want to talk about this, bye.’ I scurried away to the second floor, I made myself comfortable at the balcony and sighed heavily. Maybe if dad wasn’t an ass, all this wouldn’t have happened to mom and I ‘the moon goes beyond the stars
 
And the water starts rising
 
The elephant play their songs
 
And the macaws rage dancing
 
 
And all this words mean nothing at all
 
And all this things I sang
 
Is not worth a single call
 
But I sing to let you know I’m here
 
But I sing so you’ll hear my voice
 
 
My little starlight know I’m near
 
I’m little Anjiála, know I care….’ I sang the song he would always sing to make me go to sleep. I was very close to him, he was more mom and dad to me than mom was, it really broke me when he left. He wrote that song for me on my second birthday and he sang it until he left
 
I could never forget
 
I kept singing as tears ran down my cheeks, nothing was okay ever since he left. It was one problem to another for me, and I still really was hoping that one day he would come back for me, he would return and say he’s sorry for abandoning me, not mom.
 
‘Juanita?’ A deep baritone voice asked quizzically. I turned and tilted my head at the man. ‘Is this really you Anjiála?’
 
‘Yeeees?’ I drawled unsurely.
 
‘What are you doing here?’ He gasped…..wait! I looked at him closer
 
‘Dad! What are y….’
 
‘You can’t be here, I can’t let my sons or wife see you…quickly get out.’ I was still in shock when Mateo’s younger brother I had met came in
 
‘Dad, mom’s calling,’ He said waving his phone, he smiled at me. ‘Hey Anjiála, what are you doing here in the balcony? The party is downstairs and why crying?’
 
‘Nothing!’ Mr father said sharply. ‘Your rude friend was just leaving.’
 
‘She’s friend to Zino’s cousin and she’s not rude, she’s cool. Even grumpy Diego like her too and you know how hærd it is to get him to like someone, especially a girl.’ He was grinning widely, Diego was the youngest and he looked a lot like father, I saw it but never registered it. I understood why I liked them all so quick.
 
‘Thanks Mattiàs but I’ve got to go, bye.’ I glared at my father and hurried out. I let the tears fall as I ran out fast, I got outside and inhaled the fresh air. ‘And I was hoping he would be sorry,’ I said and laughed bitterly. ‘a****le.’
 
‘Hey, you okay?’ Arie asked behind me, I looked over my shoulder.
 
‘How did you know?’
 
‘Daniel told me you were upset and I thought finding you would be okay but then I saw you running out.’ Her voice was filled with concern, Abbie came too.
 
‘I found my father.’ I paused and licked my l-ips.
 
‘How come?’ Abbie asked confusedly, I arched a brow at her. ‘I can’t get drunk, my speed system burns out alcohol.’
 
‘Oh, Mateo’s dad is my birth father.’
 
‘Wow.’ Arie murmured not surprised. I gasped
 
‘You knew!’
 
‘No, you know I don’t get surprise easily.’ She shrugged, my phone buzzed. I brought it out and checked the message
 
Helena: found the next one, go to he castle of Fenwick, the ghost king. It’s in France, find a way to get there and quick before midnight.
 
How did she know so fast? I marked her as suspicious. I sighed and put my phone back
 
‘Arie, do you know The Castle Of Fenwick?’
 
‘Yeah, it’s in France. It was once the home of some rumoured ghost king and now it’s been used as a tour factor. Why?’
 
‘That’s where we might find the next one, can you take us there?’
 
‘Now?’
 
‘Yeah’ I murmured
 
‘Come on then!’ She ran off, we followed her out of sight, she held our hands and teleported us there. ‘The place is close.’
 
‘Shouldn’t be a problem for you’ I smirked, she grinned and teleported in. We were in a wh0le different world, I looked around the courtyard of the empty gray castle. ‘Wow, she’s right.’ I thought.
 
‘What did the riddle say again?’ Abbie asked glancing at Arie for answers
 
‘The royal castle
 
The griffins flies
 
Beware of their cries
 
And don’t fall for the lies
 
True test is laid
 
Trust yourself to scale
 
Pay no sign to the illusion
 
And you’ll be fine’ she repeated and clicked her tongue
 
‘What’s that incessant cry?’ I gro-ned covering my ears
 
‘The griffins’ cry’ she gasped. ‘Gurls, run to the castle!!!!’ Abbie tried to run but couldn’t
 
‘My powers are gone!’
 
‘Mine too’ I said alerted, Arie gro-ned and pulled our hands. We ran to he castle and soon enough, thousands of griffins dived in from the sky screeching like Arie but much more louder and painful. One flew by and scratched my neck with his claws, another clawed Arie’s hair out. She growled viciously and caught the big bird lion by it wings, she slammed it head on the ground before we finally made it into the castle
 
‘The claws are poisoned, let’s find the gem fast before we pass out’ Abbie said under her breath. There was a quick quake, the ground split and swallowed Ariana. Abbie got dragged into a black h0le leaving only me
 
I blinked and clutched my medallion, here goes nothing
 
 
To be continued