I gazed at Kambili, her hands were trembling on the steering. Her eyes were wet.
She stared forward at the car screen as she was driving, still caught in a momentary mixture of shock and fright.
Suddenly, the engine of the car clatters for a brief moment, before fading to a light clicking sound.
"oh shit!" Kambili exclaimed, and stopped the car immediately.
She stepped out from the car, bent on her knees to check where the noise was coming from.
"the gas is dripping from the undercarriage, coalescing with the puddles already forming. " she said in American English.
"thank God we are close to the house."
I fixed my eyes on The side mirror, and my heart trembled as crowds of staggering people were seen from behind us.
"chineke!" I exclaimed in Igbo."
"what?"
"see mad people behind you. Did they break out from the asylum? "
Kambili turned her back slowly. Their groans and snarling became so near.
The only thing our minds was focused on was running. running as far as we can.
"come out Nne! come out let's run!" she screamed.
I forcefully pushed the car door and ran out.
Kambili ran after me.
***
We could view the house from where we stood, breathing in and out frequently.
"those things are coming out here. it's no more safe for us here." Kambili said, breathlessly.
"what do we do?"
"let's go pack a few things to California. Smith lives there."
" Who is Smith?"
"Kelechi's father."
"oh. you two are still together?"
"Yvonne, are you asking me that right now?" she asked in amazement.
She held my hands and dragged me to run faster.
***
As we got to the house, Kambili switched off all the lights.
she uses the torchlight in her phone to view her wardrobe. picking dresses, into a smaller bag.
"you should pack too."
"are we leaving tonight. Is it safe?"
"staying here isn't safe either." she said, breathing in and out, cold smoke running out from her mouth and nostrils.
I lowered myself on the floor.
"nne, what of Kelechi?"
" she is dead to me! those things have eaten her up. she is now one of them!" she said firmly, tears running out from her eyes.
"tufiakwa, she is alive."
Kambili's face became stiffened. She picked a winter jacket and a light blanket from her box and threw it at me.
"wear that, it's going to be really cold out there."
I held them in my hands, staring at them like they were strange to me.
She stepped out and walked back immediately with two tea cups of hot coffee in a tray. I reached for a cup and stared at the black and watery colour of the tea.
I poured all of it down my throat in one gulp.
"you drink like uncle Lucas. village people." Kambili said, giggling.
"he used to drink palm wine that way, just like you drained down your coffee."
She said, sipping her tea slowly.
"how can you say that I act like a man who used to molest me when I was young?" I said angrily.
"I only said you drink like him. does it mean you do everything like him?" she said, giving a sneering smile.
I threw my shoes at her snappily.
"bia, do you know that I am your senior. if you did that in the village now, I would have gathered the umuna on your head." she said shrilly.
A loud knock on the Door suddenly left us frightened. Kambili offed her phone torchlight and ran to where I was seated.
"it might be Kelechi." she whispered to my ears, I felt her heart beating like a drum.
Source..VickyBon
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