Chapter 14: A tale

SKY's POV

"Sky" a voice called out from one corner of the repair shop. I lifted my head and it was Alexandra. The same grey-haired old lady who gave me my pretty Little fish, the hex of England.

'Alexandra?' I muttered to myself as my eyes scanned her from the top of her head to the sole of her feet. How could a person look completely different every time you meet her?

Alexandra wore a big green overall and held a mop in her hand. She pushed the mob to one corner of the building and removed her gloves.

Was she now a cleaner?

Limping on one foot, Alexandra sauntered in my direction and took her seat in the chair at the other end of my table.

Was she limping on her foot again, when she was completely okay the second time I saw her?

"Is your foot hurt again?" I asked with genuine concern.

"No. I'm just here on an undercover mission," she whispered smiling brightly.

"I'm so glad to see you, Sky. You know I like you very much. Not all young ladies are as kind and caring as you are," Alexandra continued.

"I'm glad to see you too, Alexandra. But I thought you lived in cape coast. What are you doing in Accra?".

"I have buildings everywhere," She said nonchalantly. "Did anything out of the ordinary happen recently?"

"Not really...," I said hesitantly and continued, "actually yes. About the fish... The ones you gave me, the hex of England, as soon as I exited the aquarium. Their eyes started changing colours. It was red one moment, green one moment and blue the next. They are just so amazing. I'm glad you gave them to me".

"What? Their eyes changed colours?" Alexandra asked with widening eyes and I replied with a nod.

"What? It's happening. Has anyone realised that their eyes changed colours apart from you?" Alexandra asked.

Now thinking back, I realized that I was the only one who realized that their eyes changed colours. If Michael had realised he would have freaked out.

"I don't think so. How come no one realized? Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Do you want to hear a tale? A tale which was passed down from my grandfather to me." she smiled widely as she waited for my reply.

"A tale about what?"

"The special tale about the hex of England," Alexandra smiled mischievously.

"Absolutely".

"Many believed the tale was untrue. Just one of the myths from the days gone but somehow it was passed down to me alongside the fishes, the hex of England" Alexander said and continued.

"My grandfather told me this a long time ago. He was a cynic but he still told me anyway. I miss my grandfather," Alexandra smiled sadly and continued. "He was such an amazing person even till the day he died. I still remember how we used to go fishing every weekend. We would always return with our baskets empty. Do you know why?" Alexandra asked staring into my face.

This was getting so annoying. Why was she asking me about her grandfather's basket? How did the tale of the hex of England end up here?

'No one cares about your grandfather's empty baskets.' I thought.

I just stared at her and nodded.

"I got carried away for a moment," Alexandra said and changed the topic as if she could read my mind.

"So let's start with the tale... A long time ago my grandfather told me a myth explaining how the fishes got the name the hex of England", Alexandra said and continued.

"A very long time ago, in the days of our ancestors, a young man from England stepped into our land. Unlike the natives, his hair was like gold set in the sun with the sun rays cast on the surface. His hair reached the sole of his feet and his eyes were blue like the ocean. Some said he was so tall he reached the clouds."

"So who was the man?" I asked waiting too impatiently for the answer.

"I'll get there soon," Alexandra said and continued. "The young man had nothing when he arrived, no name, no belonging but little glasses of water with three little fishes in each. After a while, the people gave him the name England. The people became more curious about his many fishes because of how he treated them. He never spoke about them. He fed the fishes every day with all the food he earned and survived on only a small portion of all he earned...."

"... One day a commoner girl passed by England's house. As she passed by, she peered at the fishes as she had always done and passed by. On the next day, she passed by again but this time she walked closer to one of the glasses containing three fishes and she stood by the glass even longer. This happened for days and she spent more and more time looking down into the same glass containing the fishes whenever she passed..."

"...England watched the commoner girl pass by every day and smiled in one corner of his house as he watched the girl come by every day. One day, he took out the glass the girl stared at and gifted it to the girl. A lot more people came by his house. Among them were slaves, aristocrats, commoners and even royalty. They spent time with the same glass containing the fishes and they came by regularly. England noticed and gave out more of the glasses every day".

"He only asked two questions before handing out the glass. What do you see and why do you stop by every day? If he was satisfied with the answer he gave out the glass. It turned out that all the people he handed out the glass containing water and the three little fishes gave him similar answers. And do you know what it was?" Alexandra paused looking into my face as if expecting an answer.

"No," I answered briskly. Alexandra stared into my face for a long time without saying a word. The suspense was killing.

"Is it a good idea to let you know?" Alexandra's face grew serious and with a questioning expression, she continued.

"Since it's already happening let's just spill it," Alexandra smiled. "The answers they gave were similar, some said their eyes sparkled like diamonds, some said their eyes were like fire and others said their eyes changed colours".

"After he handed out the fishes, strange things began to happen to those who possessed the fishes and a war of classes began..."

"People said England gave just three explanations to the happenings and disappeared after he handed out the last glass. He explained that every human being had more than one soul mate. And the fishes possessed magic to do just two things after they connected to the new owners. The fish drew their owner's soulmates close. But most importantly it drew the owner closer to the one. The perfect match."

What the hell did I get myself into?

"... The fishes never connected to me. Not even once did I see their eyes change. Their eyes changing means you're now connected. Your soulmates will start coming closer to you and you will start getting closer to them. It may feel like mere coincidences but they are not by coincidence... The war of classes began when royalties started to fall in love with slaves, commoners with aristocrats and many other unacceptable pairings that ruined stratification. It brought about chaos and disorder. And people regarded it as a curse. That is how it got its name the hex of England?"

"What?" I swallowed all my other comments. I wanted to curse out loud. Did she give me...? OMG. A curse. And she decided to tell me now?

"As I said, It is a myth. The probability of it being true is just about one per cent. Don't get so worked up young lady," Alexandra said glaring at her watch. "My shift is over Sky. I hope we meet again."

I just nodded as I sat there lost in my thoughts. The man in the black suit I met with Alexandra the other day picked her up and they drove off.

"We are done with your phone repair. This is the bill," the man said pulling me out of my trance.

I took my phone, settled my bills and left. When I turned on my phone, it flooded with notifications.

I read the messages as I strolled on the sidewalk. I entered a coffee shop and ordered coffee. I kept my eyes glued to my phone as I read the numerous messages.

Micheal sent me a message that my childhood crush, Martin moved back into the country and transferred to Deluxe University.

Okay. I knew that.

"Here is your coffee," a familiar voice said. I lifted my gaze and it was those hazel eyes again. Jamal. He walked away looking pissed.

That idiot.

I stepped out of my stupor when my phone vibrated with another message from Ryan. He finally texted me. I inhaled the sweet scent that emanated from the coffee as I prepared to drink it.

Jamal came back in no longer than a minute and snatched my untouched coffee, "Are you stalking me?" he asked agitated and walked away with my cup of coffee.

Did he just take away my coffee? I sat still dumbfounded. That son of a bitch. He actually thinks the world revolves around him. He thinks I love him and now he thinks I'm stalking him. Oh gosh...

Just then a man took the seat next to me. He was an older man.

"I felt drawn to this table because of your beauty," he said smiling seductively.

Wait a second. Did I bump into Jamal here? Martin was back. Ryan texted me?

I calmed myself down and I felt like my head was about to explode.

I gaped at the man and I internalised my thoughts. 'It's just a myth, Sky. They are not your soul mates. Stratification is long gone. And this man is just a coincidence.

****

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