Chapter Eighteen

"You are going back already? But I didn't even get to spend any time with you." Nyonge says as Munzi pays for the fermented milk she's bought for the journey.

"I will come back more often from now on." She answered giving him a hundred shilling bill.

"Are things with your parents okay now? I heard what happened with Kanzi. Everyone is sympathising with your family." He says handing her back twenty five shillings, her change.

"Why are they sympathising with us? I thought they already knew about Kanzi dying." She asked and placed the milk in her bag.

"They didn't know the truth about how she died. Also they now support you on Kabila's case. He's a traitor and blackmailer."

"I was right, humans are really simple." She said smiling relieved that the truth was now accepted. She felt bad for Kabila. If they were to treat him like they had done her, then he was done for. Only the strongest could survive such treatment.

"Aren't you one of the humans?" Nyonge asked tilting his head.

"No." She shook her head. "I'm a goddess of the moon. Benevolent and just."

"Hahahaha. You will never change will you?" He asked.

"I'm not opposed to change if it's for a good cause. In this case, I'm funny and make other people happy so I guess your inference is correct." She said and smiled as he laughed even harder.

"Munzi." A girl about her age called interrupting their moment.

"Excuse me." She said to Nyonge and turned to face the girl. "Yes."

"Can I talk to you?" The girl asked playing with the hem of her blouse.

"Sure. I gotta go Nyonge. I'll see you when I come back."

"Safe journey and stay safe. Men are dogs." He said.

"Aren't you one of them?" Munzi teased smiling at him.

"Nah. I have class." The sound of her laughter was what he heard before he watched her walk away with the beautiful stranger. If only he had her courage, then he would follow her. But his sense of duty to his community held him back.

          ******

"What can I do for you?" Munzi asked.

"My name is Akila. I was a class behind you in school. So you might not know me." Akila explained. "Can I come with you?"

Munzi looked at her taken aback. What was troubling this girl so much that she wanted to leave their beautiful village.

"I don't know Akila. I'm not the best person to go to. Maybe you can talk to your parents or something?" She suggested eyeing the approaching bus.

"I can't. They already hate me so much." Akila said and tears started falling down her face. Munzi looked at the bus that was about to leave. She couldn't afford to not get on the bus. The next one heading to Elino would come in a week.

"What happened?" She asked.

"I had an abortion and my parents found out." Akila said wiping her eyes. Munzi searched they girl's eyes. They were needy and scared. Just like hers had been more than a year before. Maybe if someone had helped her, she would have had a better story to tell.

"Come on." She resolved taking Akila's hand and walking to the bus. They boarded after she payed for both their tickets and she offered Akila the chair next to the window. Her body still looked weak from the abortion. She needed the fresh air.

"Are you sure about this?" She asked as the bus started moving West.

"I don't have a choice." Akila said looking outside the window.

"We always have a choice Akila." Munzi said. She didn't want her new friend to have any regrets.

"This is the only one where I don't get hurt again." She answered and turned to look at Munzi.

"Okay. I understand. Do you want to talk about it?" Munzi asked searching Akila's eyes.

Akila looked around her and most of the people were asleep.

"Kabila raped me." She said and Munzi gasped. She hadn't expected that. The guy had already been engaged to her younger sister. It was such a relief that she had been able to stop their marriage. She nodded encouraging Akila to continue.

"I was coming from the river, when he approached me and covered my mouth. He pulled me into a bush and I don't know. It just happened. A few weeks later I found out that I was pregnant. My family is not well off and I didn't want to keep the baby. I went to a witch doctor and I had an abortion. I feel bad because I'm not sorry. I wasn't going to have that demon's baby." She finished and looked at Munzi with a determined look. Munzi smiled. She didn't support abortion but she understood. She would have done the same if she were in that position. No one deserved the kind of life that the baby would have been forced to live. With a father that would disown him and a mother who wasn't capable of providing anything including love. And Akila was still a child. She deserved to have a chance to choose her life.

"Come here. I got you." Munzi said pulling her into a hug. A hug that symbolised the beginning of a beautiful friendship that would last decades to come.

"Can I stay with you?" Akila asked after pulling away from the hug.

"Of course." Munzi said. "It's going to be an eight hour journey express. By the time we get there your ass will be on fire." Munzi explained and laughed as she watched Akila blush at her crude language. "How about we get to know each other."

"I would like that very much." Akila said. "But first, what's Elino like?" She inquired.

"It's dirty and polluted but only in some places. Otherwise it's a beautiful place. Sometimes." Munzi smiled through her explanation as she remembered the park, her new apartment and the school.

"It sounds perfect. Everything in Kianyange is almost too good. Especially when something so dark is hiding behind the beauty." Akila said and a sad look took over her face.

"Enough of the sadness. I have learned that it's the bad person that should suffer not the victim. So let's promise to never again pay for the sins of other people." Munzi said holding out her pinky finger.

"I promise." She said.

"I promise. Let's forget the bad memories and live happier than anyone else." Akila said linking her pinky finger with Munzi's.

"Deal." Munzi said smiling and unlinking their fingers. Being with Akila felt right. Even if she couldn't have her family or Adrian close by, at least she wouldn't be alone anymore.

"How old are you Munzi?" Akila asked placing her hand on the armrest and leaning her head on it facing Munzi. Munzi did the same.

"I'm nineteen. How old are you?"

"Twenty."

"But I thought you were a class behind me in school." Munzi pointed out in confusion.

"I was held back two years due to school fees."

"Are you planning on going to school in Elino?"

"I have been thinking about it and I think I do."

"What do you want to study? There are many schools there."

"I was thinking law. I want to be able to put bad people behind bars." Akila confessed. "After what happened to you and I and God knows who else, I just developed that passion. I'll be a clean up organization getting rid of the dirt bags from the street."

"That is beautiful Akila. With your passion, I'm sure that you will make the best lawyer." Munzi said touched. Not many had passion like that, it was blazing hot.

"Do you think I can get a scholarship or something?" Akila asked.

"I don't know. I mean it's very hard and took me a year to get one and go to school but we'll try and see. If it doesn't happen then I have a plan." Munzi said smiling determinedly.

"What plan?" Akila asked starting to feel scared by the fire in Munzi's eyes.

"I'm going to become a billionaire no matter how much it costs. Also I will complete for the school pageant. If I win and I must, I will get the publicity I need. And then I will sing my heart out and use my music to start out. After that I will write my story and get it published. And then I will start a pharmaceutical company and a mental institution. Hopefully by that time, the world will be a little more developed."

"Why do you want it developed?" Akila asked still digesting Munzi's big plans.

"Because on my wedding day, I'm wearing a figure hugging dress with a thigh high slit. Also it will be lacy from my breasts to my waist. I'll be a boss lady. Like they say, bitch with a dick."

"Just what kind of life have you been living in Elino? I should buy you a toothbrush. You have a very dirty mouth." Akila said and they burst into laughter.

"Give it time my friend. The world is unending."

They finished their journey talking and just laughing about everything.