LEGEND OF DEATH'S ASSASSINS

CHAPTER 10

What is that beeping sound and why is it disturbing this peace that surrounds me?

The darkness that engulfed Nadi, held no comparison in the entire universe. How long has he been staying here? Two hours or two years?

Where am I and what is this place?

He tried to speak, but there was something in his mouth, he couldn’t say for sure what it was, nor how it had gotten to his mouth. If this was the land of the dead, then it wasn’t what he had expected, not with the way he could move every part of his body. He tried to open his eyes too, but the sudden sharp pain he felt at the back of his eyes, made him shut them immediately. The light was too bright and harsh for his liking.

“What happened?”

The answer to that question came when he heard the crooked deep voice. Isak. The name of his father formed without effort. He couldn’t mistake those voice. They always seem to roar like a storm, particularly whenever his father was angry.

“I told you this boy is a useless son. He doesn’t want to kill himself, but now he is aiming at bringing others with him. He will never amount to anything good. I have given up on him a long time ago.”

“Please, calm down, Mr. Isak.” A courteous voice said. It was the voice of a doctor perhaps, those people usually wear a calm posture, even when their own house is on fire.

“I hope not to, Doctor.” Nadi heard his father yelling again, “This boy is forcing my head to turn gray. Sometimes, I wish he was just dead.”

Nadi could not explain it, but those words seemed to drive a cold nail into his heart. It was deep and he could almost feel them piercing his soul. Sadness also followed. For the millionth time, Nadi wished he was never born. For the thousandth time, he placed a curse on the day he was born. He placed a curse on the midwife that announced his name to the world. What was the essence of living when the people who brought you up are seeing you as an accident that shouldn’t have happened? What does living even mean?

“I really wish he is not my son.” His father continued, “That’s if he is my son. It’s hard to tell.”

“Isak,” Came the angry groan. Nadi could almost picture the face of his mother right now, “Are you questioning my marital fidelity?”

The man did not answer, instead he walked out of the hospital, muttering something about a child, being the same as the mother.

“I am sorry, Mrs Isak,” The doctor said. “We have done our part. It’s left for you and your husband to decide.”

Nadi had kept his eyes shut, for fear of attracting attention. Even though it appears as if they were some paces away from him, he wanted to keep it that way. Let them think he was still sleeping. At least, that would save his ears the shout and the blames they were already pilling up for him.

The voice and the footfalls of the doctor and Iyella faded as Nadi listened. Maybe they’ve gone to the doctor’s office or after his father. Nadi could not say for sure, but he needed to act fast. He was tired of this life. Enough was enough. He is going to run away from home. He is going to travel far and never return. Maybe that would give his parents the breathing space they have been hoping and craving for. He will leave this hellish place and never return.

“You can open your eyes now.”

Nadi needn’t look to know who the voice belongs to. She was sitting close to his bed, with those beautiful smiles lining the edge of her face.

“What happened?” He tried to speck, but let out whispers from the mask that was place on his mouth.

“Easy big bro. Just relax” Bella said and placed a hand on his chest when he tried to sit, “The doctor said you are in a critical state and will need a surgery to remove the damage vessels in your brain, or you would have a permanent stroke for the rest of your life.”

“But I feel…fine,” Nadi paused.

He couldn’t feel his legs or hands. The only thing he could move was his eyes and head. The rest of his body part was just numb. It was as if everything in his body was his head.

“The doctor said you will be fine, Nadi” Bella chuckled and tried to hold the tears by wiping her eyes, but her effort was futile “He had injected you with some stuff he called anesthesia, said it would prevent you from causing more damage to the already damage tissues. The surgery would commence in a few minute, if father…if father signs” Bella looked away, unable to continue.

“If father signs the papers.” Nadi added, “But he has refused to sign them hasn’t he? He prefers I die instead.”

“No, father will not do such,” Bella defended

“I heard him say so.”

“He didn’t mean it, Nadi. Not literally.”

Nadi closed his eyes. He really wished he was dead. It would end his misery. That would end everyone’s misery.

“How did I get here, what about the Jangos?”

That must have been a good story, because a sudden glee aglitter in Bella’s eyes. She moved her chair closer and was nodding her head as she recited the incident.

“They are no more, Nadi. Everyone in the room was either injured or dead. But the leader…”

“Fred?”

“Yes, Fred. He is dead. Was burnt to ashes. The villagers couldn’t find any trace of his body. Just his shoes.”

There was silence for a while as Nadi tried to process everything. What had actually happened. He should be dead, worst, Bella should be dead as well, or in a critical state. But there was no trace of injury in her body. Not even the smell of smoke.

“I must say, that was a good and dangerous move, big brother. Pulling the detonator. You could have killed yourself.”

“No, Bel. If I had pushed those button, nobody in the room would have survived.”

The excitement in Bella’s face seemed to fade as the sadness resurfaced.

“What do you mean, Nadi?”

“I mean….” Nadi shook his head, trying to place two and two together. There was no way he could have survived the incident. It made no sense.

“Bel, I have seen these type of bomb before. I have seen it kill people from miles away. But I survived it. I really survived it.”

“It’s a miracle, Big brother. You are a miracle.”

“No, Bel.” Nadi tried to move, but the feeling of not moving anything but his head was just freaking him out at the moment.

“What do you mean, no.” Bella drew back, “are you not happy to be alive?”

“What I mean is,” Nadi breathed in, “I felt something. I felt something in my body, before darkness claimed my consciousness. There was something strange within my bones. It sounds stupid but that’s the truth. I swear it by my father’s grave.”

“Father is not death yet,” Bella said.

“Oh, anytime he dies then. But that’s the truth.”

There was silence in the room for a while but all of a sudden, Bella burst into hot laughter.

“You are not going to dive into that power stuff again are you?”

“Bel, I am serious. It’s the only explanation, think about it.”

Bella nodded, but remained quiet, probably letting his words to sink in. If she had believed anything he said, she didn’t show it.

“I am trying to believe you, Big bro.” Bella stood or so he thought, for she moved away from his field of view. “All those stuff you said about me having powers to heal, were you serious about it?”

“Every word, Bel. What are you up to?”

Bella did not respond. A long silence passed through them and even though Nadi could move his head from side to side, he couldn’t see the dark hair anywhere in the room.

“Bel” Nadi called but there was no replay.

“Bel? What are you up to, or have you left me like the others?”

“Left you?” Nadi heard Bella asked. Her face suddenly came into view as she looked down at him, “If you think I am going to leave your side, you have to pause and think again, because you are stuck with me.”

“Ahh,” Nadi chuckled, “I was afraid you’ve left.”

“No, I didn’t.” Bella smiled weakly, “Just that, I am trying to heal you, but nothing is working. It’s hard to believe what you are saying”

Nadi swallowed and tried to breathe in. Each moment was getting harder than the first.

“It will work. Try and focus.” Nadi said, but like before, Bella laughed. Much harder this time.

“Now you are freckling me out.”

“Am serious, Bel. Focus. Feel the power flow within you.”

The silence that envelop them this time was longer than the first, and when Nadi thought Bella would not speak again, he felt something.

It was chilled at first, like a liquid poured over his body. It started from his legs, to his hands and all over his face. he could feel his body again. He could feel every part of him.

“By the heaven,” Bella whispered and stepped backwards.

Nadi stood from the bed. He could feel a new strength all over his body. It was as if he was just being born. And his skin too. There was no burns or scars or anything that could have suggested he was involved in an accident.

“Bella,” Nadi pushed the tube away from his nose and mouth. “You did it Bel. You healed me.”