Chapter 6 - Blood is thicker than water

Eclipse abruptly got up and rubbed her hands. She kept her gaze low and breathed out of her mouth at the weakening feeling of her pounding heart. All the while, she couldn't help but wonder why Martina asked her such a question. Under Breenis' instructions, she was careful not to talk about her past to Martina.

It was an instruction she followed with ease because she didn't have the courage to tell Martina how they were cast out of their home because of her skin color. She also most certainly did not have the heart to tell her that though her father's blood runs through her veins, he despised her because she looked like their enemies. How could she possibly tell Martina that her birth caused the death of her grandmother?

No. Eclipse shook her head.

She turned back and caught Martina frowning at her. So much innocence was in Martina. She had lived most of her life if not all of it in ignorance. Breenis insisted that it was for the best. Everything, however, that they worked for appeared to be crumbling down. Eclipse wondered why of all the things Martina had to ask her;

'Who is Senza, mummy?' Martina asked again.

'No one,' Eclipse quickly answered and sat down on her mattress. She nervously fluffed her pillow but from the corner of her eye, she saw Martina's unconvinced expression. 'I do not know anyone by that name.' she added.

Martina tucked her lips and brought them to the side in thought. She knew better than to argue with her mother. Even if she was going to brave herself and pursue the matter, she would end up exposing that she went to the forbidden land. The last thing she needed was to get into trouble with Eclipse. Breenis was already mad at her and that was more than enough.

Martina covered herself and closed her eyes to sleep. There was, unfortunately, no ounce of sleep in her. Not after her long day and brush against death. The only thing on her mind was Senza. It was a pity that Breenis killed him before he could tell her anything. With him gone and with the way Eclipse reacted, Martina had to accept that she was going to live the rest of her life in suspense.

****

A cock did not finish crowing when Senza woke up in a daze. His blurry gaze was on a roof he knew all too well. He tried to turn to the side but groaned at the stiffness of his ribs. Senza laid his throbbing head back down on his pillow and what happened came back flooding in.

'A demon,' he huffed and suddenly opened his eyes wide, 'The hairpin!' he exclaimed in panic.

'Oh calm down, idiot.' a young man entered the room.

He bared a resemblance to Senza but was visibly more masculine and taller. He sat down with a plate of rice and set it on the floor. His rich brown eyes brightened as he waved his bushy eyebrows up and down at Senza.

'Welcome back to the land of the living. When we found you in the woods last night, we thought you weren't going to survive. I'm surprised you even came to watch the public execution of that thief. You always hated those sorts of things. Now seeing what happened to you, you were probably right to stay away.' he teased and spooned some rice.

'Dingii, I had something with me. Where is it?' Senza weakly asked.

'Forget about that. What you should be requesting for is water.' Dingi stuffed his mouth again.

Senza hardened his face, 'I am serious, Dingii.'

'And so I'm I. I am older than you. I know better.' Dingii smirked at Senza.

'Damn it, Dingii.'

'When are you ever going to let her go?!' Dingii raised his voice and got up annoyed.

Senza watched him go to the door, peep out and close it. Dingii returned his stern eyes to Senza who looked back at him without any intimidation in him. Dingii went to a chest of drawers and pulled one open without taking his eyes off Senza. With a scowl, he picked the hairpin and Senza longingly stared at it.

Dingii held the hairpin up and looked hard at it, 'So you honestly believe that this thing belonged to mother?' he asked and Senza nodded confidently, 'You're a fool.'

'It's hers.'

'It's been 10 years.' Dingii sat down beside Senza and held up the pin to his face. 'More of these things have been made.'

'No, you know that there's only one of its kind. Father worked hard for four years just so he could have only it made for mother.' Senza defensively argued back but Dingii was still unconvinced. 'Where did you even find it?'

'I saw her...' Senza began and noticed Dingii's eyes widen, 'Not mother but... our sister.'

'What?' Dingii got up appalled.

'I spoke to her just before I was hit by...' the horrific memory of Breenis flashed before Senza's eyes, and he unconsciously shuddered.

'Senza,' Dingii called out to him, but he just sat there lost in thought, 'Senza!'

Senza blinked his thoughts back in order and nervously licked his lips. He picked up the hairpin and caressed the red ruby on it. His mind drifted away to the times he used to spend minutes looking at it whenever he watched Eclipse cook and when she wrapped him on her back. Her smile. Her scent and above all, her love was all he yearned.

A knock on the door suddenly sounded. Senza tucked the pin away underneath his pillow and Dingii cleared his throat. The door creaked open and stepping in was Mbesu. He smiled happily at Senza as he walked in. Following him behind was Tinta, his wife. Unlike Mbesu, Tinta maintained her straight face. Not once did she even look in the direction of Senza.

'My boy, I'm glad to see that you are awake. You really gave your old man a scare.' Mbesu remarked and ended with a hefty laugh that still didn't put a smile on Tinta's face.

'I am sorry, father.' Senza remorsefully said.

Mbesu set his hand on Senza's knee, 'What happened to you?' he asked.

Senza bit his lower lip as he pondered on what to say. Telling the whole truth was a bad idea due to the undeniable fact that Mbesu hated everything to do with Eclipse. Merely mentioning her in his presence got him furious.

Senza faced up to Mbesu and wondered if telling half the truth was okay. He could just say a powerful demon attacked him in the woods but then again, that would mean explaining why he was in the woods in the first place. Senza brushed off the thought about lying because he knew more than anything that he was a bad liar.

Noting the tension, Dingii said, 'He got attacked by the condemned thief's comrades during the execution. You know that it was Senza who caught him stealing from that old woman.'

Senza secretly flashed a grateful look at Dingii but Tinta picked it up. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the brothers. Mbesu nodded his head convinced and got off Senza's bed.

'I'm glad that you survived that attack. I wouldn't want to lose you.' Mbesu remarked and shifted his gaze to Tinta, 'Please prepare a bath for my son and,' he averted his warm eyes back to Senza who just smiled faintly at him, 'Cook him pounded yam and that antelope Dingii and I caught. Be sure to give him the best parts. My son is a hero.'

Tinta curtseyed, 'Yes, my husband.' and at that she left.

Mbesu rubbed his hands together, 'I am going to meet up with a few of my friends. I'll see you later.'

As soon as Mbesu was out, Dingii closed the door again. He shook his head disapprovingly at Senza but Senza just pulled out the hairpin again. He clenched it in his fist and held it close to his heart.

'I must find our sister. She will lead me to mother.' Senza declared with determination.

Dingii groaned annoyed and wiped his face with his palm, 'She is not our sister and mother is dead. There's no way she survived all these years alone out there.'

'Mother is still alive. How else would a baby grow up to 10 years without anyone looking after it? That girl is our sister, Dingii. She has our blood running through her veins.'

'But not father's blood. She is fair skinned. A reminder of mother's sins.' Dingii hissed and stood by the window watching Mbesu leave their yard.

'The fact that she came from mother's womb makes her our sister whether you like it or not.' Senza spat and glared at Dingii who scowled back at him, 'I don't care about what mother did. She is my mother. I am going to find her.'

'You are talking about going into the evil forest.'

'For mother, I will go to land of the dead if I have to.' Even if it means facing that demon again.

Dingii sighed and sat down on the bed. He sighed again at Senza's seriousness. 'Okay fine,' he accepted, 'We will go together.'

'No, you must stay. Remember you are to be married in a week. We can't have you risking your life. You are father's heir.'

Dingii shook his head annoyed, 'You can't honestly expect me to let you go alone, Senza.'

'But you must. I am two months away from my 16th birthday. I will be a man like you. Allow me to make my own decisions.'

Dingii sighed and nodded his head in defeat, 'All right, you will go on your own... only after you recover. I will keep your secret.'

'Thank you, brother.'

Tinta took her ear off the door in sheer shock. She backed away and went straight into her room where she locked the door and sat on her bed astonished. Tinta shook her head in denial and threw her pillow to a wall in rage.

'It cannot be. No,' she whispered to herself, 'That witch can't still be alive.'

Tinta got up and bit her finger. She walked back and forth in her room-the beads in her hair shaking as she shook her head. Tinta stared at her reflection in the mirror and gazed into the anger reflecting back. She took slow breaths and slowly, her anger left her. A smile lingered its way in and Tinta cracked up laughing.

'No, I shouldn't worry. This is a good thing. That foolish boy will die out there just like his mother died. Then I will have only Dingii to get rid of. As soon as that happens, I will be the heir to all of this. Yes.' Tinta twirled around happily and smiled at her reflection in her mirror. 'For so long I have feared my fate because I have been unable to bear any child. I guess the gods haven't forsaken me after all.'

Tinta cheerfully left her room and met with a maid. Together, they went into the kitchen where they found another one chopping up the meat. Tinta breathed in the iron scent and sat down on a stool with her legs crossed. She smiled from ear to ear. The maids exchanged baffled looks and continued to work.

'Hurry up and cook food for my son. He needs to get fit soon.' Tinta bit the tip of her long nail, After all, as soon as he gets stronger, he will be off to his death.

****

Eclipse stood facing the river deep in the dark night. Her soul was troubled and her frown was evident of it. The cool wind swept passed her, and she dropped her wrapper to her feet. Eclipse took her first step and breathed out through her mouth at the coldness of the water. She sucked in some air and walked on until the water reached her waist.

Eclipse poured some water on her chest and on her face. She went at it until her hair was completely wet. A set of hands touched her shoulders from behind and the next thing Eclipse felt was a chin on her neck. Eclipse dropped her head to her right and the chin moved even further. She took in the hug that followed.

'You seem troubled.' Breenis said to her.

'I have missed my sons a lot today. They must be young men now. They were only 9 and 6 the last time I saw them.' Eclipse confessed with a faint smile.

Breenis poured some water down Eclipse's hand and softly rubbed it, 'You have also missed him as well.' she gently said.

'He is my husband.' Eclipse replied with a grin.

Breenis chuckled at her answer and turned Eclipse to face her naked body. Their large breasts were only separated by an inch. 'Woman, even after all these years, you still can't accept that he divorced you.'

'You wouldn't understand.' Eclipse chuckled back.

Breenis scoffed at her defense, 'I am far above human emotions. You should know this.'

Eclipse maintained the smile on her face as she watched Breenis fade away until she could no longer sense her presence. She swam back to the bank where her wrapper was and slowly covered her flesh. It was time that she went to bed. As she walked back to the cave, Eclipse wondered if her desire to see her sons would come to her through her dreams.

'Perhaps this time, I will see them as men and not the heart broken children crying for their mother.' she whispered to herself.