Chapter eighteen
1630 Words
Immediately, Ndeye and Moha stopped and everyone came into the living room, worried that something bad had happened to Fa'Bintou.
_ What's going on, my dear? Are you all right? asked her father.
_ Did you hurt yourself? Where? her mother asked.
_ Did someone come into the house? Mahmoud asked.
_ ... She just nodded her head
_ Who? Where is he? Her father immediately asked on guard.
Fa'Bintou finally reacted and asked them in exasperation:
_ Am I the only one here to see them?
_ Who? her mother asked.
_ Are you sure, dear, that it's not your mind playing tricks on you? asked her father.
Disappointed at being thought to be delirious, Fa'Bintou went without further ado to pull Ndeye, who was hiding behind Moha in front of them and brought her in front of them.
_ So, am I still crazy? Is my mind playing tricks on me? she asked.
_ Ah, so it was only Ndeye! We feared the worst with your scream, her father explained.
_ It wasn't just Ndeye, it was both of us, said Moha, who had taken advantage of the distraction created by Fa'Bintou to regain control and get dressed.
_ There! I understand! said their mother.
_ What did you understand? asked their father.
_ Our poor daughter was so surprised to see Moha and Ndeye together that she couldn't help but scream, explained their mother.
Everyone immediately went into a fit of laughter as Fa'Bintou looked on sulkily.
_ Are you sure this girl is my little sister? Are you sure she is not the result of an exchange? Moha asked after calming down.
_ As sure as your name is Mohamed Sow, replied Fa'Bintou.
_ Goddess! I pity your future husband.
_ It is rather Ndeye who is to be pitied! She has hardly let you near her when you are already dragging her around.
_ I didn't drag her anywhere. She came with me of her own free will.
_ Liar!
_ Crazy!
_ Macho!
.....
_ That's enough. Ndeye, Moha, go and freshen up. We'll soon be eating, said Bass (Moha's mother and Fa'Bintou).
_ Okay, they said before leaving.
As soon as she entered her room, Ndeye threw herself onto her bed, smiling but alienated from the feelings of satisfaction, happiness, and fulfillment.
Was this normal?
Was it right?
Did she have the right to feel this way?
She didn't know.
All that mattered, for now, was that she liked to feel these things and wouldn't deny herself. The rest is for later.
She lay on her back with her head in the clouds until her mind began to ramble with images of a future with Moha.
She and he were together in a place even more paradisiacal than the Rukarara, a warm place that exuded a gentle calm, an unparalleled peace, and above all an immeasurable charm. They were sitting, hand in hand, contemplating the magnificent picture that the place offered them when from afar, she saw two people coming towards them. Immediately, a smile of happiness and pride appeared on their faces...
_ Ndeye! Ndeye! Are you there? Moha's voice snapped her out of her reverie.
_ Ah... Yes, she replied.
_ What have you been doing all this time? Everyone is waiting for you to come to the table, said Moha.
_ What? Ndeye exclaimed in surprise.
_ What? Didn't you know that you've been locked up in this room for almost half an hour?
_ That long! I'll be right over, said Ndeye.
_ Don't force yourself to come if you don't feel well. I'll tell them and send you your dinner, said Moha.
_ This... This is not...
_ And I'm sorry if you're not feeling well because of the trip. I should have known you're still fragile so I could do things slowly, Moha apologized.
_ But no! I feel perfectly fine. I was just lost in thought. I'll be right there, said Ndeye.
_ All right, but hurry, because if you don't, this time I won't stop Aras from breaking down that door, Moha warned her before walking away.
Ndeye then hurriedly took a bath and changed her clothes before going to join the others with whom she had dinner in a friendly atmosphere that made her feel the warmth of a family for the first time in over ten years. It was then tiring but happy that she went to bed immediately afterward.
A few hours later, in the middle of the night...
After a long time of tossing and turning on his bed in the height of happiness for having been able to spend the day with Ndeye and Aras exulting in joy, Moha, who had finally been able to find sleep, was suddenly awakened by Ndeye's voice which resounded throughout his being.
_ Moha! Please .....! Help me! ........... Please! It's too painful!
Both he and Aras woke up immediately and ran to Ndeye's room without any hesitation to find her sweating, speaking a language unknown to them, and squirming in all directions. Worried but unsure whether he should try to calm her down through physical contact, Moha had to be shouted at by Aras to do so. Only he couldn't get close enough to her to do anything, an invisible barrier surrounding her and sending an electric shock every time he tried. He and Aras agreed to use their aura deployment to try and help her, with Ndeye in more pain than ever. One after another a whole range of auras were deployed just to help Ndeye, but to no avail, so Moha, drained of all his strength, gave up. He then sat down, helpless, out of ideas and strength, and most of all angry with himself for his inability to help Ndeye get better.
Aras for his part, who refused to give up, kept going round and round until the light came on in his mind.
_ Get up now, you coward! He yelled at Moha.
_ I don't allow you.....
_ Save your reproaches and expressions of anger for later. There are more urgent matters, Aras cut him off.
_ What do you want me to do? Moha asked.
_ Whatever Ndeye is suffering from, there is only one thing that can be more powerful and effective on her than our power, he said.
_ That doesn't answer my question, and I'm not in the business of solving riddles, Moha replied.
_ The power of the goddess, you little fool, said Aras at last.
_ That's right! The necklace! There's no time to lose! Moha exclaimed before running to get it.
And as Aras had thought, the necklace the Goddess had given to Moha contained so much power that when he returned to Ndeye's room, Moha was not stopped by an invisible barrier. He then put the necklace around Ndeye's neck, which made her calm down immediately. Relieved, he covered her properly before leaving, after having contemplated her for a long time. Except that he was stopped by Ndeye's hand on his.
_ Stay with me, she begged him.
Surprised, he made sure she was still asleep before sitting down on the bed with her head on his lap. He began to caress her until sleep began to take over and images of the only time he had been this close to her came to mind. He got up as gently as he could, giving her a grunt before reluctantly handing over control to Aras. The latter spent a sleepless night, abused for the rest of the night by Ndeye, who, in pain, had taken him in her sleep as a sufferer.
Morning...
Ndeye was still sleeping and found herself trapped in a nightmare.
She had found herself on the day of the attack by Moha and his men that had saved her. She had just regained consciousness after fainting from her jump from Khadim's office. However, contrary to her memories, there was no one in the courtyard. She was alone. But being immersed in one of the memories she most wanted to forget, because of the attempted r**e she had faced, she could not distinguish between reality and the dream. She immediately started to run in the hope of escaping when suddenly she heard Coumba's voice behind her.
_ Help me... Ndeye! Don't leave me.... here! Please....! ..... Ndeye!
She stopped instantly before turning around to see Coumba, badly injured, crawling to try to escape. Without hesitation, she went back to help her, but when she was only a few centimeters away, a wolf appeared, Khadim. He began to pull Coumba with his mouth and one of her feet in his mouth to take her away. Ndeye, who was frightened at the sight of her worst nightmare, stood still. When she regained her motor skills, Khadim was already far enough away with Coumba, who was suffering and calling for help as best she could with her voice
_ He..... Help...... Nd... Ndeye!
She immediately ran in the direction of the voice until she found them, Khadim was about to throw Coumba into a large fire where many humans were already.
_ Ha! Ha! Ha! If I cannot have you under my authority, you will not get away with it. I will never let you live in peace. Never! Said Khadim, who had regained his human form.
_ No! Don't hurt her! shouted Ndeye who was standing at a distance.
And who is going to stop me? You? asked Khadim.
_ .......
_ Watch your dearest friend burn in this fire that I have lit, concluded Khadim.
And he began to throw Coumba into the fire.
It was at this moment that Ndeye woke up with a cry:
_ Noooo! Coumba!
- Writer
