Chapter 3: ...black mamba
Nairobi, Kenya. Present day.
Hashiki bounced happily to her room to start packing for the journey ahead. Five days left to get her stuff together. This was it. She briefly remembered the send off party that was organized for her at her work place.
Her boss was the nicest man she had ever met, and working with him had been a dream, but she had fulfilled her mission there and it was time to move forward.
"Will you be coming back?" her brother's still voice startled her. She turned around to see him looking a tad bit sad.
"Of course I will mamba, come here," she spread out her hands inviting him for hug.
Her brothers dark skin earned him the nickname, black mamba. "I'll miss you each and every day," she said rocking them both from side to side. He was only twelve but he was almost same height as her and she knew he would grow to be as tall as their father.
"What about me?" her younger sister, Durah, asked walking inside her room with a sad look on her face.
"You too, come here," without breaking the hug she wrapped two of them in her hands and squeezed causing them to laugh. She loved them to death. They had darker skin compared to hers that she always envied.
Her father always told her that the beauty of their family was in the difference of their look when she was always singled out for looking different from them all.
"You complete us, Hashiki," he would always encourage her.
"You two don't do that, don't be sad. I'm only leaving for a while. I'd be back before you know it." she assured them as she freed them from her grip.
"Can I take your room while you are away? Her sister asked, jumping on her bed.
"Sure why not," she replied.
"Will you bring us gifts on your way back?" her brother asked.
"Yes, Geteye, I surely will," she clasped her hand in front of him to startle him.
"Now, how about a run, whoever reaches the tree and gets back on the porch first wins," she asked to change the topic and the gloomy mood that was slowly settling in.
"Wins what?" her sister asked as the three of them ran downstairs to the back of the house fighting to be ahead.
"Whatever you want," Hashiki yelled as a wild wind blew across the open field. There was a huge tree that stood tall and proud right in the middle of the field. They were told to never go beyond the tree and they in turn never felt the need to question why because they had so much space to run already. Slowing down to be behind on purpose, she laughed watching her sibling fight to beat each other to the first position.
Lost in thought, she ended up losing the race like she planned to. What twenty-four-year-old doesn't give a fair chance to a twelve and ten-year-old child.
.
.
Her nerves almost became the end of her two days later when she felt overwhelmed by her plans. Her father had given her the only information he had of her mother which was the last address they had both lived at, her family name and business name.
It wasn't much but she knew she would make the best out of it.
Rain came down gently like showers from above, she loved the smell of water on grass after any downpour. She was going to miss this, a lot.
They lived a few meters away from the wildlife reserve , her step mother Xolani was a top zoologist which earned them the right to stay so close. She loved the open fields, the fresh air, cool winds and clear skies on days when it didn't rain.
On some days, she could see zebras all the way from her room window, dotting the field, and sometimes elephants. The day she sighted a giraffe was the best day of her life.
Each animal was a beauty that she could never compare to another. She had a good life here, but there was a whole other world out there, a world that she was also a part of. She couldn't just let it go.
Her mind wandered to the friends she had. There was Zalika, her oldest and best friend in the world. The both of them couldn't be more different in the things they loved but they worked so well and have been since they were kids.
There was Njeri, she was the life of any party but beneath it all was an intelligent and resilient woman. Chege was the first boy her father ever let her have as a friend and her first crush, she had been twelve and he was fourteen. But Chege had eyes only for Zarifa, the last of her friend group. Zarifa was a peaceful soul and the calmest of all four of them. People came and left, but these four were forever her constant.
Hashiki prayed for the blessings of her grandmother, Waruhui. She was a strong traditionalist, some even labeled her a witch for they believed in the stories she told filled with mysterious acts. To Hashiki, she was just her loving grandmother. She would miss her so much. There was so much she was leaving behind, she thought. Was it even worth it?
"So much on your mind?" her step mother's voice cut through the cold and quiet night.
"No and yes."
"Well, you have two more days before you get to truly decide if this is what you want,"
"I already made up my mind, I just feel a little scared."
"Everything that scared me always ended up being great. Or you could be getting chased by an angry zebra."
Hashiki laughed in reply.
"Do you have any expectations?"
"None, I have chosen to have none. I just want answers, and I will get them," Hashiki replied sternly.
"I have no doubt in my mind," Xolani nodded.
"I am sorry, if all this seems insensitive to you. It's jus... I really want..." Words failed her so she took a moment be silent. "You will always be my mama," she turned towards the woman who had taken care of her for the last twelve years.
"Don't talk like that, I count myself lucky every day for the life I have now, and you are a big part of it," she replied honestly.
"Thank you for saying that." Hashiki said feeling relieved.
"Now time for dinner!" she pulled her step daughter out of the cold night for some warmth, laughter and food.
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