Chiquitita – episode 8
CHIQUITITA
(THE LIVING GODDESS)
EPISODE 8
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WRITTEN BY NATHANIEL ANUMA
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Fernando began to hurry through the large passage of the hospital. His movement was like that of a father whose child has been kidnapped, viewing from his footsteps which moved faster than his heartbeat. What if his colleagues have discovered his plans and secrets? What if they have gone to Delber for his crush and love? These questions rang like the early morning prayer bell of one of the Pentecostal churches. Its sound gets slow from the beginning but dramatically increase in speed at the ending. Just before Fernando finally got to the end of the passage, the doctor’s voice which called him back interrupted him, so he turned and met him, behaving like an escaped prisoner. One could see some droplet of sweat on his forehead.
“You look devastated” the doctor an-lysed him physically, spiritually and psychologically. “Let’s meet in my office” he proceeded.
“I have no time doctor. I have a lot of shit going on in my head right now” Fernando retorted which made the doctor take another look at him by slightly bringing down his medicated glasses like a lecturer taking a look at a female buttocks from the window of his office.
“Are the shit in your head more important than your mother’s life?”
“No, but it also concerns my life”
“Wouldn’t you rather die to see your mother live?”
“What if my death doesn’t make her live?”
“Only when your dead body doesn’t generate money for the surgery. She has only five days to live and as the days go by, so as the money for the surgery increases. That’s what I wanted to tell you. Have a nice day, young man” the doctor adjusted his eyeglasses back to its original shape then left.
Fernando slowly turned. Her mother has five days to live if the surgery doesn’t take place, while he has six days to live if he doesn’t bring the head of the living goddess to Fandom with his colleagues. Would he rather die to save Chiquitita’s life or kill her to save his mother’s life? He wanted to make up his mind to kill Chiquitita, but the bible quotation from his mother gave him a lot of hope. Therefore, he hurried again towards the exit through the passage. On his way, he brought out his cell phone to dial one of the boys’ numbers but none picked. “F-ck!” he shrieked and ran out. How would he know that the girl he fell in love with, and fighting to save her life cannot be loved by any man otherwise die too?
Nevertheless, the twins had been enjoying Nina, Fernando grandmother’s, company. She was an old woman filled with Catholic doctrine. Never will she end a conversation without quoting the bible or using one of the Catholic languages or making the sign of the cross. She was actually singing one of the Catholic hymns with joy when Chiquitita came out from the house to see her setting breakfast outside, on a permanent long wooden table with chairs around it. She looked around to love the sight of the environment; she could see flowing rivers at a distant, other buildings, and children playing on the sand. Due to the presence of tall and fresh tress, gentle breeze circulated the environment to the extent her gown had to dance along with the breeze. She smiled and began to climb down the wooden staircase. Hearing the sound of her footsteps, Nina turned.
“Come my daughter, come and sit down” she poured some tea in,side a cup. Chiquitita kept smiling even when she arrived at the table. Nina looked at her again and said, “May the peace of the Lord be with you my dear”
“And with your spirit, ma” she replied happily.
“Ooh..” Nina exclaimed. “You are a Catholic”
“Yes, ma”
“That’s lovely. I guess my grandson made a nice choice”
“Uhm.. I don’t.. un..” Isabella’s presence interrupted Chiquitita. All greeted before sitting down to have the breakfast. The twins sat together with the same dress while Nina sat opposite them.
“Can you tell me why my grandson brought beautiful girls like you to me? Is he planning to marry both of you?” Nina smiled at her incredible question.
“No, he’s just helping us” Isabella replied, glanced at her sister then continued, “They are people attacking us, so he had to bring us here for safety” the explanation sounded strange to Chiquitita coz she couldn’t remember the men who are after their lives.
“And why are you being attacked?” Nina dropped a cup of tea with her eyes fixed on the twins.
“We have no idea” Truly Isabella had no idea. All she knew was that they will be people from marine Kingdom who would come for them, but she needn’t mention it to Nina or tell her about their story of belonging to the marine Kingdom.
Nina, on the other hand, gazed at them quietly, lifted her cup of tea, drank a little then the table gave out the sound of the cup when she dropped it. “You know..” She began. “The devil looks for those who have great potentials and destiny in order to destroy them. On the other hand, Christ came for the sinners in order to bring them close to God. Joseph brothers wouldn’t have been looking for a way to kill him if not that he had what they don’t have” she paused and picked her cup of tea again while the twins looked at each other.
“Uhm.. please ma, what are you trying to say?” Chiquitita found her voice.
“It’s clear. When you understand the bible, you understand people and their situations. Nobody will attack or wants to kill you if you don’t possess great potentials or power which they don’t have” Nina explained which was true. Why didn’t Fandom send the boys to castrate another girl other than Chiquitita? He knew she has what he doesn’t have. “So tell me my daughters” Nina continued. “What exactly do you possess, or should I say who are you?”
Before the twins responded to that question, Fernando arrived. He became relieved to see them happily taking breakfast without harm coz he thought his colleagues had discovered his secret and eventually came for them. Therefore the next thing that came out from his mouth after greeting was, “Are you both okay? Has anyone come here for You?”
“No” Isabella replied while Chiquitita admired him. Her eyes caught with his own that moment before she averted them.
“How are my parents?” Chiquitita asked him.
“They are fine. I assured them that you’re in safe hands too. Guess you brought your phones. You’ll speak to them next them”
They all concluded other issues with eye contacts reserving it for privacy sake. Of course Nina understood but pretended and bid her grandson a warm welcome as she poured a tea in a cup for him. The breakfast ended with jokes and pleasantries.
Still at Delber, beside the flowing river, Isabella boild with anger in the presence of Fernando and her sister. She wanted nothing but to know how Fernando knew those who want them dead. The sound of the flowing river and chirping of birds could be heard loud and clear. Chiquitita occasionally look at the river as if to swim in it.
“Listen Fernando, we don’t know why these people want to kill us. I guess you should tell us” Isabella glared.
“I have no idea” Fernando replied.
“Then how do you know we are being chased?” Fernando didn’t replied rather looked away through Chiquitita’s face. “You know what i think? I think your’re working with them?” Isabella fired.
“Yes, I am!” he fired also to the extent Chiquitita startled to the sound of his voice. “I know you’re from marine Kingdom and I know that your sister here is a living goddess! We met Fandom for money ritual and he gave us a condition to kill Chiquitita, the living goddess, but i changed my mind after i set my eyes on her. I changed my mind because I’ve fallen in love with her!!” Fernando hands kept demonstrating his anger.
His voice and explanation rendered all speechless, even Nina who watched them from the window, though didn’t hear what they were saying. It was at that point too that Joan and Juel arrived, but after sighting them, they left unnoticed.
Chiquitita’s mood changed after hearing that because some of them sounded strange. Therefore she asked, “What’s he talking about? Why are were from marine Kingdom? How am I a goddess?”
“You need to remember who you are. You need to remember me” Fernando brought down his voice, staring at her. Chiquitita reciprocated the gaze but Isabella grabbed her hand.
“Let’s get out of here, Tita” she dragged her, leaving Fernando all alone. Nina also left the window at that time.
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6:09
Fernando sat all alone beside the river. He kept throwing stones in,side the water and thinking about his short time life. He could remember his teenagehood when he planned to live a luxurious life. That was actually a fateful day when was coming back from school with one of his friends named Sam. Both looked dirty and immature with bags hanging on their backs.
“When i grow, I’ll be so rich that even my gateman will have his own car” Fernando had said.
But look at him now sitting beside a river with a lot of problem filled in his head. How would he had known that it would be like this? Just as he wallowed in thought, Chiquitita came from behind. To his greatest surprise, she sat down beside him then began to throw stones into the river too.
“I wish I can remember the first time we met” she broke the silence. “Though i.. I.. just came to thank you”
Without replying, Fernando brought out a small gun. Seeing that, Chiquitita gasped with hands covering her mouth. She wanted to run but he held her back. “I’ll never hurt you. Moreover, a bullet can’t kill you, only with a sward or knife” he stretched the gun to her. “Take it for protection coz I don’t know when I’ll be coming back her. I wouldn’t want to lose you while i’m away looking for money for my mother’s surgery”
“Why don’t you wan to lose me?” she stared at his l-ips.
“I guess I’m stupid to love you at first sight”
Both remained quiet for a while, making use of their eyes only until Nina’s voice came from the house. “Nado!”
That made Fernando to return the gun into his trouser. “I have to go” he left while Chiquitita kept looking at him. Of course she had some feelings for him..
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8:54pm
Fernando met his colleagues at one of their apartments. They were preparing for another hunt for the living goddess. But surprisingly, Joan slapped Fernando immediately he entered the room. The pains alone couldn’t let him react that moment.
“Dude, what is the meaning of this?” He shrieked, holding his cheek, while Juel brought out a gun.
“What do you think you are doing with that girl? Hiding her from us? What I f-ck is wrong with you?!”
Hearing that, Fernando understood that his secret had been discovered. He turned with the anger. Nothing seemed more important to him that moment than accepting the truth that, yes, he had fallen in love with Chiquitita the living goddess. Therefore he said, “Listen, Joan, Chiquitita is from a Christian home. She may be some kind of goddess but I’ve fallen in love with her. Lets figure another way to do this other than killing her”
His statement pissed the boys off to the extent they became quiet.
“Do you know the consequences of what you about to do? We have not less than five days to die if we don’t castrate her, and you’re talking shit!” Joan pointed a gun at him.
“Please, It has not gotten to this” Fernando pleaded.
“Face the wall” Joan ordered. Immediately he did, they tied them down with his mouth covered too. “Let’s see how you gonna save her now, Mr Lover boy” they picked a bag, matchet, knife and their gun. After they left, they locked the door…
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TO BE CONTINUED.
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