CUSP

We have been quiet for the past twenty minutes, I am seated as far as possible from O’Brien because truth be told with what Naomi has told me I am scared.

He tries to move close and I move further away from him.

‘Babe this is me.’

I shake my head vigorously before hot tears start to fall, this is the first time I am crying since I came here.

‘Babe listen to me.’

‘O’Brien stop, please stop.’ I beg

‘Just let me talk.’

I shake my head.

‘Is O’Brien even your name? Is there anything about you that is even real?’

‘Don’t do this to yourself?’

‘Do what? You knew from the word go that I was just a pawn and you have been using me since.’ I say tears falling rapidly

‘O’Brien how old am I? I have a whole future ahead of me, I have school, I have a family. And now I am gone and they should be sick out of their wits wondering where I am.’

‘Everything will be fine, I will be able to explain everything to you and you won’t be able to worry about a thing. ‘

‘Things will never be fine.’ I say wiping my tears with the back of my hand

He moves close to where I am and holds me in his arms.

‘How old are you?’

‘What?’

‘Really O’Brien, how old are you?’

‘Fifty two on earth and three hundred and eighty here.’

I move away just so I can look at his face.

‘This is me Wane, this is still me.’

‘So what is this genius plan? When this Yakari child is born what is supposed to happen?’

‘We will talk about that later, for now there is a pressing issue at hand and mother thought I should be the one to handle it.’

‘What could be worse than knowing that I have been having sex with a man hundreds of years old.’ I say rolling my eyes

‘It must be nice sleeping with a god right?’

‘Boy please.’ I say before chuckling

‘I missed this side of you.’ He says kissing my forehead

I smile at him

‘We are at war and that is more reason I chose to go and live amongst the humans.’

‘At war, with the dark world? As your siblings called it?’

‘Yes.’

‘And do you know the people that you are fighting?’

‘To start with, Besa.’

‘What? Besa your child?’

‘Yes Besa my child.’

‘That’s insane, you are a god and if from the word goal you knew that your son was from the dark world why didn’t you stop him and change his ways?’

‘That’s not how it works.’

‘So what, you are just going to wipe him from the face of the earth?’

Silence

‘O’Brien.’

Silence again

‘Oh my word.’ I say holding my mouth

‘It has to be done somehow babe, this is the life I chose.’

‘Are you even hearing yourself? What happens to Claudia? She is your child for crying out loud and with losing her brother do you know what that is going to do to her? And I know this you honestly think I will keep it from her?’

‘There is more.’

‘What is that?’

‘Caleb.’

I shake my head and get on my feet

‘Babe listen.’

‘No, you are lying. Not Caleb, not my brother.’ I say still shaking my head

‘I wish it could be different, I wish that is not how things were but that is the truth. Caleb was a part of the dark world and he gave it up but then he made some sacrifices which will haunt him for the rest of his life and sadly you being pregnant is something that is making him insane.’

‘Why?’

‘Because he thinks this is Besa’s child and that is why he tried to kill the baby.’

‘Leave me alone.’

‘What?’

‘Leave me alone O’Brien, leave me alone and never come back!’ I say roaring

‘Babe come down!’

‘Leave me!’ I say and the more I roll the more my hair grows and turns into a shining gold

Astridah, Naomi and Curtis come running into the room.

‘Calm down Wane, calm down.’ Astridah says begging me

‘Look at me.’ She pleads

..

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Winnie

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