THE PROTECTED CRIMINALS

EPISODE 18

" He simply fainted," John remarked as he gathered my water pot and dipped it into the stream, then drew it out a few seconds later and spilled the contents on Joshua who was laying on the floor. Joshua sprung to his feet, staring at John with a terrified expression on his face, and almost instantly took to his heels. "Does he have a habit of bullying others?" "The fact that he is the village's finest wrestler gives him confidence and audacity," John said, peering at me. "I have never seen a slap pass someone out," I said, despite my fear of him. "How did you get him to pass out?" "Just a slap," he smiled when I questioned.

" Hey, don't be afraid of me," he continued, still smiling, as he took my water pot and dipped it into the stream, bringing it out after a few seconds and placing it on my head with a single hand. "Thanks, John," I gestured, "Go see Joshua no more," he said, laughing, as he turned left to his farm. "Funny John," I thought to myself, still shocked by the earlier incident. Richard has been out for more than a week, and there is no indication of his returning. Each day, I falsely think that Richard will burst into my compound, take me up on his powerful shoulders, and spin me around, but no. Like I had said, they were false hopes.

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RICHARD'S POV:

Despite the fact that I was still in pain from the shooting, I decided to go for a night ride with Daniela. As I rushed along the smooth road of Downhill, she sat behind me, hugging my waist. It was dark, but for some residents of Downhill, the day was only beginning, as music from clubs and joints filled the air. I finally parked the bike in the middle of nowhere, and Daniela and I sat on the pavement, staring up at the sky like lovers counting stars. "Are you truly in love with Hannah?" She inquired as I picked up a stone. "Of course, I adore Hannah," I said.

"Do you two have any kind of relationship?" She inquired once more, knowing how mischievous I could be. "No, we're not, we're just pals; why are you inquiring?" I asked. She simply replied, "Because Hannah isn't good for you." I questioned further, "How?" "I don't know, but I have a feeling she isn't good for you," she stated once more. "How about your fiancée?" I inquired of her, "My what?" she inquired, as I looked at her, perplexed. I answered, "Your fiancé." "He's good," she said, smiling, and "I want to see him someday," I added, smiling as well. "That day will never arrive," she said as I stood up and threw her a nice punch. I told her, "I think we should start going now."

"Are you afraid of the dark?" She inquired as she stood up and dusted her buttocks. "We never know what the night will bring," I said, taking her hand in mine and dragging her towards the bike. "And remember the old nurse said I still have to treat my hand," I added, as she nodded and climbed aboard the bike. "Are you ready for a difficult ride?" I asked. "Drive me away," she said as she swung her hands into the air. I got on my bike and drove back to the old abandoned nurse's house, where there was a small lantern in the general room but no one in sight. Daniela yelled, "Mom!" but received no response.

I took out my pistol and entered the room, pushing the door open to see an elderly woman sleeping calmly on the bed. "Shhh, she's asleep," I whispered as I tried to get Daniela out of the room. "You both stayed far too long." As she stood up from her bed, the woman said up. "You weren't asleep, Ma?" Daniela inquired, her face beaming. As she approached me and caressed my left arm, the old woman murmured, "The night is yet early to sleep." "You've over-stressed it," she remarked, starring at me. I gazed into her eyes and saw someone I recognized. "I'll have to clean you up," she remarked, motioning for me to remove my cloth.

She walked into a corner of the room with a calabash full of herbs. I sat on the bed while she took my hand in hers and wiped it clean with a leaf. She said after a time of cleaning, "You look like my son." " your son? "Where has he gone?" I inquired. "He is no longer alive," she said flatly. Daniela sat alongside me on the bed and whispered, "Ma, I never knew you had a son." "I had a son, he died a long time ago, when he was 12 years old, he died alongside his father," the elderly woman explained.

"How did he pass away?" "An accident, it happened some years ago, on the second week of December," I inquired, feeling sorry for the elderly lady. Of course, we were going shopping, and we were going shopping in my husband's car before we had an accident. I only awoke in the hospital after a month in a coma to learn that my son and husband had died in the accident and that they had died in the car fire. I was only lucky because the fire only burned a small part of me," she said, showing us her left hand, which had been caught in the fire.

"My husband and son were burned to death, and I never saw their bodies." I had to pay off all of my hospital expenses, and my husband's relatives didn't want anything to do with me, so they kicked me out of the house. I had nowhere to turn because both of my parents had died, I had no relatives, and the one I had never wanted anything to do with me, but I had no choice but to survive. "I built this modest cottage and have been making a living as a local nurse," she added, smiling, and I was surprised she was smiling. "I'm sorry ma," Daniela remarked, "but everything happens for a reason."

"Did you learn how to perform this act, I mean the herb?" She got in the way. "This was done by my father, and I learned it from him, and I supplemented it with my western education," she remarked, smiling. "Do you have any friends?" I inquired of her. "Yes, I just have one friend," she admitted. "Hmm, who is she?". I inquired, " Daniela is here, she is the only one that comes to see me," the elderly woman stated, smiling at Daniela. "Ma, you now have two friends, myself and Daniela," I added with a smile. "No, I just have one friend and a son, and you look a lot like my son," she smiled as I nodded in agreement.

"Do you think you'll be able to eat the food I've cooked for you and your partner?" "She doesn't know how hungry we are," I replied as she let go of my hand and walked off to a corner of the room where she cooks food. "She doesn't know how hungry we are," I said, and we all burst out laughing.