Chapter Six

Five days had passed and there was still no sign of Arnold. Was she worried? Why would she not be. Maybe something had happened to him, maybe he had caught some disease and was ailing and she wasn't next to him to give him company. Maybe he was just busy. Maybe he had had a lot in his mind and needed some alone time, or maybe he had finally found a job that required much of his time. Besides, he was a man and a man has to have something in his pocket to maintain his value and worth, all thanks to the society. A man is only loved on the basis that he provides something. She had wanted to go to his place but Angujo talked her out of it, "it would only show how desperate you are."

Angujo told her that if anything had happened to him then they would all have known by then, the air in the village spread news like wild fire in a forest. At least that calmed her down. Schools were to resume the following week, Akoth Ogola had wished that at least he would show up in the weekend to wish her success in her studies. It would make her happy to hear it from him. She missed hearing the sweet words from him and hearing the cool stories he told about the life in the city.

She tried doing everything to help her suppress the thoughts about Arnold but nothing worked until she at last got to her book. The book was given to her as a present by her English teacher, Madam Linda, for passing in her subject and she would occasionally ask for it just to check on how she was handling it. She would also be asking questions about the characters to see if Ogola was indeed reading the book,the questions Ogola really loved answering. She was consumed in her book that she did not notice Mr Wadiaga get in the compound and sit right on the bench that was just infront of her. She always sat under that tree whenever she was free. It was until thirty minutes later that she noticed his presence, and it was only because his phone rang. Ogola's heart almost leaped out of her chest.

"Sir, I did not see you come. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. I love how you were consumed in that. You must really be enjoying the story. Anyway, it has been a minute. How are you? How have you been faring on?"

Well, she was not really doing fine. The question Wadiaga asked made her mind go back to trying to figure out what might have made Arnold to boycott the previous meetings the two were to have, but she would never tell him that. She chose not to. "I'm very fine, Sir. Everything is going on so well so far." She had wanted to ask where he got the bruises from but she remembered he was a drunkard. He must have had too much the previous night and hurt himself somewhere.

"Anyway," continued Mr Wadiaga, " I came to see how you are doing and also deliver some message to you. I've talked to the headmistress about your situation and she agreed to let you continue with your studies. She has also agreed to be taking you to the clinic by herself when need be, I think she knows when best it is to do so. So what we need from you is just consistency and hardwork. Give it all your best Ogola, don't disappoint me. Anyways, I have somewhere else to be, but please, do greet your grandmother for me," and as if forgetting something, "and see you on Monday." Ogola understood what he meant by having somewhere to be and so with that he went off his way. Ogola wanted to so much concentrate on the book but her thoughts drove her somewhere else. She struggled to do away with them but it was too much. She had to know what had happened to him. She had had a bad dream about him succumbing to some weird illness.

She returned the bench back into the house and took off to Arnold's house. She needed help getting into the compound and she knew just who to turn to. She would not just budge into the compound and start yelling out Arnold's name, was she mental? Angujo was good at forming up plans and even though most of her ways of coming up with solutions were risky, Ogola had no other option but to ask for her help. She strode to her home to fetch her and as if luck was on her side, she found her heading out to the shop. She narrated the whole thing to her since she had been her second-in-rank confidant ever since she migrated into that village.

"Angujo," she explained, "I am really worried about him. It's not like him to just go quiet like this, to make it worse for this long. He should have sent Achak to me already."

"Don't worry, Ogola. You know I'm here for you eeh. If we find out that nothing is wrong with him then he really is going to have a lot of explaining to do." Angujo said smiling. Ogola understood what she meant. Angujo's personality always fascinated her. She feared nothing, and even though she was always a quiet person, you should never dare cross her path. She was the kind to go for whatever she wanted irregardless of what was lying ahead. Boys back at school feared her. She was never afraid of picking fights with them, most of which she won. They nicknamed her 'Jabol' (footballer) because of her love for soccer. Angujo never tolerated nonsense.

Finally they had neared the compound. The fence was of mere shrubs and bushes and the home had a wide opening for an entrance. Ogola wanted to remain behind but she knew best not to let Angujo go inside alone. She did not trust her temper. There were three houses, one facing the main entrance and the other two on either side of the main house. None of the two houses was opened except for the one that was right ahead of them, with an old lady seated on the veranda churning milk in a gourd. Ogola signaled to Angujo that they made a turn back home but the girl assumed her, so she just followed her. She didn't want to be seen a fool.

Angujo greeted the lady and after some introductions she went straight to the point.

"Grandma, without wasting much of your time, could we please see Arnold?" Ogola was more than eager to hear what she was to say. She was sure that if it was not throwing insults at them then the whole village would know about them. Why would girls look for a boy, much worse at his home. "Dumb move," she thought

"Oh Arnold," she began, "he had left about a week ago. He said wanted to find something to do and that he was tired of being a burden to my son and I, but I could tell that he was up to something. My daughter, why are you looking for him?"

"Son of a bitch," frothed Angujo. Silence struck. Ogola was too shocked to say anything. Angujo on the other hand was cursing in a low tone not wanting the old lady to hear her. Something had to be said, so Angujo spoke.

"Don't worry Mama, we just came to confirm if indeed he left. Sorry for bothering you. Have a great afternoon." They then turned to leave. Ogola's mind was at work. She tried to find answers to why he had left without telling her. Didn't she have a right to know? It was not fair. As they were almost out of the compound, they came across Arnold's younger cousin, Achak. Angujo wanted to confirm if the old lady was indeed telling the truth so she held the boy by his arm and threatened to give him a thorough beating if he lied about knowing Arnold's whereabouts. Ogola felt that she was doing too much but she too needed a confirmation, so she backed off.

"Where is Arnold? I swear to God if you lie to me I'm going to skin you alive."

"I..er.." the boy stammered.

"You what?" yelled Angujo.

"I don't know. He said he was going back to his home. That he had got himself in a serious mess. That's all I know, I swear." the boy pleaded.

"What else?" came Angujo. She was not yet convinced. Ogola had to stop her or else she would have caned the boy.

"It's enough Angujo. Let the boy be." When the boy had left, she broke down in Angujo's arms. " He was running away from me, Angujo. I am the mess he was talking about."