Oaths - Season 1 - Episode 29

Episode 6 years ago

Oaths - Season 1 - Episode 29

30 minutes.

• • •

30 minutes of driving, yet, Boma hadnʼt told
me where we were going to. It was getting
late already and the atmosphere had turned
dark. I kept demanding persistently about
our destination and whereabout, but it all fell
on deaf ears. He ignored me all through!


Eventually, he stopped the vehicle and turned
off the engine. I looked around and noticed
we were in the middle of a vast, narrow road.


The next thing I knew, he stepped out of the
car and turned over to open the door for me.
“Thank you,” I said as I stepped out too,
surprised at his gesture.


“Follow me!” he simply said as he held onto
my hand and led me across the narrow path.
We went into a bush filled with thick, tall
trees like a forest as he led me along. I felt
my heart beat pounding really fast in my
chest in fear of danger. We continued
walking a bit more with Bomaʼs hand still
clasped in mine until we arrived at a blank
point where the trail stopped, and there was
a small stream which la!d ahead.
“Isnʼt it beautiful?” he asked, more to himself
than to me as he fixed his gaze ahead of the
stream in adoration.


I could hear the chirping of insects, the loud
noisy croaking of frogs, the sweet melody of
the chirping crickets, and I could feel the
breeze from the serene wind that rattled and
blew against the rusty bushes. I admired the
way fire-flies flew beautifully around, giving a
twinkling shade of light in the void darkness.
Most beautifully, I adored the sight of the
moonʼs reflection upon the surface of the
stream water. It looked heavenly.
“I donʼt know what to say,” I responded,
charmed by the beauty of what I had just
seen.


“You donʼt have to say anything; just feel it!”
he answered, still fixing his gaze ahead of
the stream.


I moved closer to him and entwined our
fingers, resting my head on his shoulder.
“Where is this place?”
“This is where I come to when I need some
alone time; when I need some time alone,”
he responded calmly, almost in a whisper.
“I come here to think and clear my head,” he
added, tightening his grip on our hands.
“How did you discover it?” I asked, looking
up to him. He looked back at me too with a
slight smile and pointed to a log of wood
behind us. He motioned towards it and asked
me to sit, which I did; and then he sat beside
me.


“You remember those three days you got
missing? I almost ran mad,” he explained, “I
would always drink myself to stupor after I
dialled your number and it wasn’t reachable.
I could drink up to five or six bottles and still
feel the pain inside. I realized that drinking
wasn’t helping matters, so I stopped. But I
still took one or two bottles though!” he
laughed, and continued, “So on the third day
you were missing, I got drunk while driving
and I had to stop the car by the roadside to
ease myself when I walked into this place. I
liked what I saw and something in me
compelled me to sit here and pray. I
remember praying in tears for God to return
you back to me, and mysteriously, just like a
miracle, you were the first person to call me
first thing the following day to come and pick
you at that hospital. It looked like a dream!
Since then, I developed a special bond for
this place,” he concluded, smiling at me.
“You mean you cried for me? Liar!” I laughed,
trying to tease him.
“Iʼm serious, I actually cried! I had big bulgey
eyes like Tolotolo!” He said jokingly, making
us burst into laughter together.
Thereafter, there was a short silence between
us. He remained mute and I stayed silent as
well. I leaned my head to rest on his
shoulder as we fiddled gently with our
entwined hands.


“I am sorry for walking out on you earlier
today,” he spoke up, breaking the silence.
“I have my reasons…” he added.
I looked up to him in confusion, obviously
puzzled by his statement.

“What reasons?”

“Fifi, you and I know how hard it has been on
you lately. It hasnʼt been easy and I know it,
I know what youʼve passed through. Do you
expect me to make advances at you in this
condition? I didnʼt see any need to rush. I
wanted you to heal first and then any other
thing could come later,” he explained.
“Is that why you don’t sleep with me on the
bed?”


“Fifi, you know I am a man, I needed to take
caution. I didn’t want to go against my
policy. Iʼm truly sorry,” he pleaded genuinely.
“Itʼs okay, I understand.” I assured him.
At that, he leaned closer and took me by
surprise by pecking my cheek. I chuckled and
elbowed him gently by the arm as we both
laughed.


Again, an awkward silence fell upon us,
cascading through the air.
“I don’t want to lose you, Fifi.” Boma
suddenly said, breaking the silence again.
“I don’t want to lose you either!” I chipped
in.


“What if you do?”
I glared up at him the moment he uttered
that statement.

“Don’t say that!” I rebuked him. “What is the
meaning of that?!”
“It’s the simple truth,” he simply said, “With
all that is going on now, anybody can die at
any time. I am not excluded, neither are you.
Itʼs better we face it once and for all than
fear it,” he concluded.
“Boma stop saying this!” I reprimanded him.
“Just stop!”

“Iʼm thinking of something, but Iʼm not sure
if youʼll agree to it.” He said.
“What is it? Tell me!” I urged him on. He
heaved a deep sigh and glanced down at me
as we stared eyeball to eyeball.
“I want us to take an oath.”
“An oath?!” I repeated, plainly shocked. He
nodded.


“But why? What for?”
“I want to be assured that I would always
have you by my side, that I would never lose
you!” he said, sounding genuinely serious.
I stared at his face as he stared back too,
waiting for my answer. I didn’t have to think
about it. I had lost too much already. I lost
contact with my family, I lost my friend, I got
rusticated from school… I wasn’t ready to
lose him too!

“Letʼs do it!” I agreed.


He bulged his eyes in shock, like he didn’t
actually believe me.


“Are you sure about this, Fifi?”
“Boma, letʼs take the oath!” I persisted.
At that, he took out the key holder from his
pocket and faced it to a sharp edge.
“Fifi, are you sure about this?” He asked me
once more. I nodded with certainty.
Then, he took my hand and placed it on his
own, stretching out my thumb. He then slit it
open with the sharp edge of the key holder
as blood gushed out of it. He slitted his
thumb also and blood trickled out slowly.
“You would repeat what I say with your own
name after I am done,” he instructed. I
nodded.


“I, Boma Martins, take an oath with you
today Fifi Whoanana; that our body and soul
shall be bonded together both in heaven and
on earth, in the physical and in spirit, till
death do us part!”


He stretched my hand towards his mouth
and licked off the blood on my thumb, then
nodded to me to proceed.


“I, Fifi Whoanana, take an oath with you
today Boma Martins; that our body and soul
shall be bonded together both in heaven and
on earth, in the physical and in spirit, till
death do us part!”


I stretched his hand towards my mouth and
licked off the blood on his thumb as he had
done.


“So shall it be!” he concluded and drew me
closer as we kissed, right there under that
tree.