Webnovel

Chapter 1: Prologue.

The famous wren did not chirp that morning and she knew why.

She stared at her lifelong ever present and definately the most important person in her life sleeping peacefully on the large mahogany bed she had been confined in for almost a year now,her shallow yet somehow strangled snores filled the silent room.

She looked peaceful which was quite the opposite of the pain she was in .She stared at her wrinkled face ,the dry parched lips which she wished water or oil would fix but it was all in vain,all her skin was that way and it was worsening daily. A lone tear formed its way to her eyes.She had tried every medicine ever discovered, took her to the best doctors and tried every traditional medicine she knew but it just didn't work out. Her health kept on deteriorating.

"You have to let me go Acacia, it's time",the somehow strangled voice of her grandmother startled her,she had not spoken for along long time.More tears filled her eyes.

"I don't know Mamii,I don't know",she sobbed as she held her grandmother's trembling hands.

But she knew,she had seen it. She had dreamt about it and she knew it was today.

"It's almost time,please do it for me,please,I'm in pain " Her grandmother said and Acacia began to sob loudly ,she knew she had to let go of her yet it seemed very difficult, she couldn't imagine life without her grandmother. She was her lifeline and her saving grace,she had raised her from the time she was born,took her under her wings when her mother died giving birth to her,instead of being put to lie on her mothers chest,her grandmother had held her on her fragile hands and they had connected immediately.

She had raised her and taught her everything she needed to know about the world,and when she was old enough to understand things,her grandmother told her of her gift and guided it on how to use it.

"You were uniquely created my child",her grandmother had told her one evening when they were cooking in the kitchen . "God gave you a very important gift. Your hands are blessed".

Apart from her grandmother, the kitchen was the second heaven for her ,A heaven created by her grandmother who was now telling her she had to leave never to return.

"Please",her grandmother whispered again,her breathe was now laboured and Acacia could feel the way she was trying to hold herself from writhing or screaming in pain. It was indeed time,she had to.

"I'm sorry Mamii,I set you free,may you find peace ",her hands moved to her grandma's heart,her hearbeat was beating very fast ,she placed both her hands and her grandmother placed her hands on top of hers. They stayed like that for minutes until her grandmother let out a deep breath,her face morphed into a soft peaceful smile as her bright eyes shone,she was finally in peace.

"I will always watch over and guide you Kacy love, go and concur the world, you know what we talked about". She nodded and fought back tears ,she didn't want her grandmother to start feeling pain again. Her grandmother lifted Acacia's hands to her lips and offered a soft kiss ,she shed tears of joy and they fell on her hands.

"May your hands be blessed ,may every meal you touch with your hands never be forgotten by any mouth which would be lucky to taste it,I give you my blessings ",more tears fell on her hands . This time Acacia didn't hold back,she sobbed loudly and hugged her grandmother close . They stayed like that for eternity with no words uttered between them. It really was time.

"All that is mine is yours,my gifts I pass to you",Her grandmother suddenly said and mist filled the room,their joined hands formed farmiliar bubbles . Acacia almost withdrew her hands in panick but it was tightly joined with her grandmother's.

"How,how,you cannot,....you,you know it will be too much,they,they will kill me".

"I will watch over you,I will guide you ." She replied . "Do it for me,their is one task yet to be done,you will understand when it is time".

She nodded ,for her grandmother, she could do anything. They shook their hands twice and the bubbles dissapeared. They stayed silent for awhile again. It was really happening.

"Goodbye my Love".

"Goodbye MamiiLove".

Acacia watched as her grandmother took her last breathe ,with a last smile on her face directed at her ,she waved then closed her eyes. She stopped breathing and her body became lifeless. Acacia didn't stand up,she didn't cry,she didn't even move,one would have thought she wasn't alive but her eyes showed life,they were brightly burning,if she was a dragon,her eyes could have spewed fire.

Even when the owls hooted and sounds of children crying at night filled the air,she didn't move. She stayed like that ,holding unto the lifeless hands of her grandmother, mourning in her own way,until the break of dawn,when the early birds chorused breaking the night spell .

"Watch over me Mamii,I need you". Her voice breaked and she heard a beautiful voice of a bird singing in the distant,as if reassuring her it would be okay,she stood up and moved to the front door. It was time but it was never going to be okay.

....

A pained wail filled the Island breaking the silence of the morning,men and women rose lazily from their sleep,frowning at whoever disturbed their sleep, however when they heard the sound more clearly they rose quickly, it could be anyone, even from their own home.

People moved from their homes knowing what that meant, from all corners ,people streamed out walking towards the direction of the sound and when they noticed where it led to,everyone abandoned whatever they were doing and rushed to the home in the middle of the Island,a heavy heart and pained expressions on their faces.

Acacia watched as people streamed into their compound after she had alerted them of her grandma's death,it was the most painful decision she ever had to make, her Mamii was loved with the people from the Island ,she was their leader and she couldn't deny people the right to mourn her and bid her goodbye. It was really was happening, people hugged her ,consoling her,some looked at her with pity but her eyes had turned black,lifeless. She felt nothing,the words people told her didn't reach her because she wasn't listening,her soul had gone with her grandmother, she just stood there ,lifeless but breathing.

Days passed quickly and burial arrangements were made. Acacia had stayed besides her grandmother all the time and had left all the preparations for other people,she knew Mamii would have scolded her for being idle but she couldn't help it. The day was finally here and Acacia felt like needles were crafted on her skin,with each step and every word uttered by the Priest,she felt absolute pain and tears endlessly streamed on her face.

"From dust you came,and there you shall return".

Her eyes darkened as more tears streamed down her face ,people held her in support and she was thankful for it because her knees couldn't hold her anymore.

She watched as her grandmother's casket was lowered to the ground and she fought the urge of jumping inside the cemetery to be buried with her. The people holding her gripped their hands tightly on her as if sensing her thoughts.

The pain was unbearable, alone,she was all alone,no parents ,no siblings ,no one,she waved at her Mamii, at her lifeline,at her love,she said goodbye to her joy ,to her emotions and she felt nothing inside, Just emptiness and pain.

Her tears blinded her steps as she walked back to the house that she almost missed the white envelope on the door. She picked it,ripped it open and with tears still on her eyes read the letter.

"We are coming for you and everything that you own".

She didn't look around,she always knew they would come,she had known that immediately her grandmother became sick that she would never be safe. What made her afraid was the last sentence.

'We know your little secret Acacia. Ask your parents how we know.'

Her parents were dead,weren't they? Especially her mother who died giving birth to her. But what about her father?

She was very afraid because it was only the little detail her grandmother forgot or rather didn't tell her.