LOLOMPO

Mayor Kiady Zozimar, the newly appointed mayor of Lolompo, stood in front of the window of his official mayor residence of Lolompo. The view was astounding. The residence, along with the Mayor's office was built on a hill overlooking the entire port towm of Lolompo.

Mayor Zozimar took the last gulp of his coffee. He turned around, and looked at another beautiful view on his bed. Three beautiful European women, courtesy of President Gaston Mahazaka, slept soundly on his large bed. All enveloped in their nude, natural beauty.

As he was enjoying the view, somebody knocked the door. Annoyed, he answered nonchalantly. "Who is it?"

"It's Hery."

His annoyance was gone. Instead, he wanted to play a prank on him. "Come in."

Hery Ephraim walked in, and immediately turned his gaze away. "You don't know how to put clothes on your own?"

Mayor Zozimar shook his hips, twirling his 'thing' around. "HAHAHA, why Ephraim. Don't like the view? What about the bed, then?"

"I don't like neither of the view. So, stop being childish, and start dressing!"

"Geez, you're no fun." Mayor Zozimar went to get his silk robe. "So, how was the job last night?"

"The Mainty Antsantsa gang are all dead. There won't be any more trouble at the port."

"Good. Here," Mayor Zozimar handed Hery a thick envelope. "For your hard work."

Hery checked the content. There was a bundle of money, in US dollars, and a container of pills. "Okay, I'm off now."

"What? So soon? You don't want to try some...European company? Some white chocolate?" He gestured at the women on the bed.

"I don't want to be infected by whatever it is you're having. I'm off now."

"Awh so mean, Hery. Fineee! Make sure to stay in touch. There's more jobs to come."

Hery exited the mayor's building. A few of the guards were smoking and drinking. They were snickering as he was walking towards his motorcycle. He knew why. They're all had their big bikes and fancy cars. Then, among the parked expensive vehicles, was his old Suzuki GS1000.

He didn't care. It's not like he wanted to be here. They all sold their souls to the devil. He was held hostage by one.

The Suzuki cruised along the hill, then joined itself among the other bikes on the road, and a small few of old, beaten down cars. A solid half an hour of riding the bike later, he arrived at a hut on the outskirt of town. Far from anyone, right beside the river.

Hery entered the hut, put down his backpack, hung his jacket, and wore the face mask and yellow protective overall. He took his backpack, and went inside.

"Ines, how are you today?" Hery slowly opened the door.

Ines, his little sister, greeted her brother with a smile, and a cough. "I'm fine. Just the usual, occasional cough."

"That's great. Here," He gave her the container with the medicine. "I got you some more medicine."

"Hehe, thanks Hery." She put down the medicine. "Have you eaten yet? I could make you something to eat."

"Oh right, I brought food from the mayor's house. Let's go and eat."

"Hmm, the mayor huh? Did he touch any of that?"

"No, I made sure he did not touch any."

"That's great. Let's go and eat."

That's the usual routine for the siblings. He got off from work, then went home to wake up his sister. Sometimes, like this morning, he would picked up some food from the mayor's kitchen, and they would enjoy their free breakfast and lunch together.

"Hey Heri…"

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Is there a chance you could...I don't know...not work for the mayor anymore?"

Heri sighed in his smile. "I know you hated it. I hated it too. But we don't have a choice. Only the mayor had the connection to get you those pills."

"I don't know Heri. You out there, doing bad things for the mayor. I don't know how I feel. Sometimes...I think death would be better than to force you to do evil things."

Heri was still smiling, but his eyes were dead serious. "You should know dear sister, that I would gladly go to hell for you. Plus, we only had a few more months left. A few more months, and you would be cured. You said it yourself right. You feel better."

"Hmmm, if you say so Heri."

Heri tried to cheer his sister up. "hehehe, don't worry alright. Once you are fully healed, we will moved away from Lolompo. Maybe even go back to Nosy Loza. I think I'd be a great fisherman."

"Ah no. you suck at fishing. You should go to the field instead brother. I'll go to the sea instead."

"Pfft, yeah right. You can't even ride a car without throwing up. And you wanted to go to the sea?"

"I was sick! I can't help it."

"Nah, don't blame the disease. You just had motion sickness. That's why you throw AURGHHH!"

Heri managed to dodge the piece of grapes being tossed his way. A few exchanges of grapes later, they were both laughing. This was when Heri thought that, life is good. It was worth killing a few people for.

Ines went back to sleep after taking the medicine. Heri took a bottle of Coke, and popped its lid open. He went outside, and sit on the stairs, and watched the calming flow of the river.

"Pretty cool view, huh?"

Heri was shocked. There's a kid, standing not far from where he's sitting. How long was he there? And, more importantly, where did he came from?"

"Uh, yeah…?"

"You have any more of that Coca Cola?"

"Maybe. You want one?"

"Yes please."

It was very weird. But Heri decided, he was just a kid. So he went inside to the fridge to get another soda.

"Whoa, is that your sister?"

Heri turned around. Seems like the kid followed him inside. "Urm...yeah. That's my sister, Ines."

"She looks so young. Oh wait, you're twenty right. So she must be about...fifteen, right?"

The situation seems to be getting weirder and weirder. "Ye...ah. Why?"

"Does she still have TB?"

"Okay, how did you know that? Who are you?"

"Hehe, don't worry about that. I am here, with a suggestion."

Heri almost wanted to throw the kid out of his home. But for some reason, he's still talking to the kid. "What suggestion?"

"You see, I wanted to defeat the Mayor. But I'm, as you can see, still a kid. So, I would like to acquire your assistance, in being my eyes and ears. I want to know every movement of the mayor and his men. What do you say?"

"Hahaha, it seems like you are asking me to die. Very well then, what do I get in return?"

"Your sister. Safe and sound, and disease free."

"Pfft, yeah right. What can you do? Even the mayor had a hard time bringing her medicine here."

"What? Kiady's pills? You think that scumbag would really give you medicine for free? No way. That was just painkillers. At most, all it does is get your sister's sleepy. That's it."

Heri was enraged. He was still undecided on whether he could trust the kid. But to think that the mayor could potentially do things that could directly inflict harm on his sister? That made his blood boiled.

"And, supposed I help you? What then? Do my sister have to wait to be cured, until you defeated the Mayor?"

"Oh no, I can cure her right now. Watch."

The kid marched straight into Ines's room. Heri ran after him, but the sudden bright purple light blinded him. When the purple light subsided, he saw that the kid was holding his sister's hand. He pushed the kid aside, and woke his sister up.

"Ines! Ines! Wake up! Wake up Ines!"

Ines was surprised, and annoyed, to suddenly be woken up like that. "WHAT? Geez, did the mayor 's evilness rubbed off on you or something?"

"Never mind that. Are you okay?"

Ines's expression clearly was asking the silent 'what the hell, bro?' to him. And then she felt it. It was easier to breathe. She took a deep breath. Exhaled. Took another breath. Exhale. It was smooth. She didn't cough. Not even a sore throat.

"Heri, I can breathe. I can breathe again."

'Oh thank god."

They were celebrating, and hugging each other. And who could blame them. For about a year, Ines was coughing like crazy. And he just found out that the pills did nothing. Now, it seems like Ines was cured.

"Yeah, that's good. Push the healer away. You got what you want already."

Heri and Ines looked at the kid, on the floor. "Oh right, hehe. Sorry kid. I thought you did something to my sister."

"Of course I did. I healed her. Wow, your welcome." he said sarcastically while rolling his eyes.

"Heri, whose this?"

"This, my dear sister. Is your healer?"

"What? He healed me? Oh my god, what did he wants."

"He wanted to destroy the mayor."

"Oh. Well okay." Ines turned to the kid. "Can I help?"

The kid grinned. "Sure. The more the merrier."