“Why did Aunty Tasokwa leave Kaulimi?”Ipyana asked as soon as I got into the pod.

How to answer this? I breathed in. “Tasokwa is really good with biotech. She got recruited for KUA within a year of arriving at Kaulimi.” I lifted the pod off the ground. “Working for KUA it twists you up and steals all that’s good in your soul. That’s why she left.”

“Oh.”

I could feel my chest getting heavier. I had promised myself once an opportunity had presented itself I would tell my daughters the truth about my past. This was an opportunity. I inhaled then exhaled. “Ipy. I worked for KUA too. Me and her we were recruited at the same time. Me as an analyst.”

“Oh.”

I was quiet for a minute letting her take it in. I scrutinised her expression trying to read her. I gave up and turned my gaze to the clouds above our pod.

“Ama, did you ever kill anyone?”

“No. But I helped those that did.” I breathed in. “At the time, we all thought that we were protecting Kaulimi from its enemies.”

Her eyes were glued to the sky outside. I could not read her.

“Why didn’t you leave with her when you found out that you were doing bad things?”

“I wanted to but you and your sisters liked it in Kaulimi so I stayed.”

“How come you never told me all these years?”

“I was ashamed.”

After Salifya, returned from Mzuzu that evening she asked to speak to Ipy alone.

I got up to leave the room.

“Whatever you want to say, you can say it in front of Ama.” Ipy retorted with a coldness so unlike her.

I hope these girls make peace one day. I sat down on the chair near my bed.

“Okay.” Sali breathed in. “I am sorry about abandoning you in Mzuzu. I was going through a lot. A few months ago, I found out my boss is a traitor. She was selling Kaulimi secrets to the outside. I confronted her.” Sali was still lying. I knew she would lie. She is a mzengeli they are trained to lie to their loved ones.

I was surprised when I found the arrest warrant with Sali’s name on it. That’s the day I found out she was a mzengeli. She had hidden it so well. I asked her to meet me at the house told her it was urgent.

“What is it Ama?” she asked, lowering herself into the grey couch I was seated on.

I lifted her sweater’s sleeve. Then poured castor oil on her three tattoos and rubbed it in. The tattoos of the circle smudged into blocks of ink.

“Mzengeli.” I said.

“How did you know?”

I put the castor oil on a table in front of us. “I was snooping around the KUA database when I found this.” I showed her an image of the warrant on my phone. Her eyes widened. She took the phone into her and starred at it.

“What did you do??” I asked. I wish I had known when they recruited her so I could pull her out of it before they sank their claws in.

“I needed to get out of Kaulimi fast.” Salifya said.

“That’s when you told me that work hard cleared up and you wanted to go look for our parents.” Ipyana muttered bitterly.

“Yes. When we got to Mzuzu. We got attacked by two different groups. The first were bounty hunters trying to fulfil the Kaulimi warrant. The other group were HM goons. I got scared. I was trying to keep a low profile and you were attracting attention to me. I know what I did was wrong. And I am sorry.”

“Okay.” Ipyana said.

“Forgive me. I have failed you as your sister. It is my fault you were kidnapped. I am sorry to you Ama. I should have taken better care of her. And I should have told you, as soon as I found she was taken.”

“What I don’t understand.” Ipyana voice was cracking. “Is how you could abandon me, when you knew that I was not safe? You are selfish creature.”

“That’s true.” Salifya winced. “I would like to fulfil my promise to you and find out where our parents are buried. If you let me.”

“I have to think about it.” Ipyana responded. Salifya walked out of the room slowly with her head hanging low.

“You are going with her aren’t you?” I said.

“Maybe. I don’t trust her. But, I need to know where my parents were buried. And right now she is my best option. I can protect myself.”

“You are asking me to leave you here where the wolves were about to eat you?”

“I will be careful.”

“Let me come with you.”

“No Ama, this is something I need to do without you.”

“I don’t know Ipy, I don’t know if I can….”

“I will text you everyday.”

“I don’t like this. But okay.”

I only agreed because I knew that if I did not let her do this now, I would lose her forever. I told myself Sali was truly contrite and she would do anything to redeem herself in her sister’s eyes.

“I’m putting a tracking device inside you. That way I will know where you are. When you return safely to Kaulimi you can have it removed.”

“Agreed.” She said with a small smile.

“What do your tattoos represent?” Ipyana asked when her Kuzgambula ritual was three months away.

I halted and pulled my sweater’s sleeve up. “The first circle is code. During the time that Anga’s father used to abuse me he kept me isolated and one of the things that kept me sane was snooping around online. The second circle is Hebrews 13v 5. Because more than hacking God helped me through it. The third circle” My finger tapped the circle with two babies inside it. “These are my two babies. My husband wanted a boy after we had Anga. I got pregnant twice after that and they were both girls. Once he found out, he aborted the baby without my knowledge. The second time I hid the scan because I did not want him to know it was a girl. Somehow he found out, that’s when he cut off my arms and stabbed me in my stomach. I miscarried.”

I looked down at her eyes, which were filled with horror and sadness. I turned around and continued trekking up Kaulimi Mountain.

“She will come with you.” I said. I sat down on the chair near Salifya’s bed. Salifya put her tablet beside her on the bed and faced me. “She doesn’t trust you but she will come with you.”

“I won’t abandon her again.” Salifya promised.

“Good. Because if you anything happens to her, I send your location to KUA.”

Her eyes widened with shock. I got up and left.

Author’s Note:

What do you think of Naloli/Ama?

Do you think she loves or loathes Salifya?

Do you think Salifya will abandon her sister again?

Where do you think they will find their parents?

Did you enjoy this chapter, please give me a star or shout out if you did.

And if you didn’t enjoy it, comment and let me know how I can improve it. Only constructive criticism is welcome.

Thanks for reading this far. Have a good week