chapter one(continuation)

‘Sammy.’ Jamie said as he went towards Sammy who was bending. ‘what is going on?’ Sammy stood still panting. ‘We have to go before the rains’ he said. Everybody was surprised. They turned to look at each other with awe. Sammy was their youngest brother. They all looked at him with surprise because he was the most fragile of all. He was afraid of virtually everything. ‘I don’t understand Sammy go where?’ cloud asked. ‘Down the mountain when we get there I’ll tell you all, let’s hurry before the rains’ Sammy said. ‘wo,wo,wo, you’ll tell us when we get there? In the rains? Do you even know what you are talking about?’ Jamie said looking at Sammy closely. ‘Ya I know where we are. On the mountain, in the end of the town’s map. So?’ Sammy replied still holding the hoe closely. ‘What do you mean by so? Don’t you know what they say about these mountains?’ Jamie asked Sammy who looked determined. ‘No’ Sammy replied. ‘no?’ Jamie was shocked his little brother didn’t know about the tales of the mountain they frequent . ‘ somebody tell this wacko about this mountain, especially the down part , especially when it rains’. Jamie said as he went back to the stone he was sitting on before Sammy came into the cave. He sat down as he tried to remove meat from his teeth. Cloud and Japheth were still looking at Sammy waiting for an explanation. ‘Cloud what is he talking about?’ Sammy asked cloud. ‘ well, it’s a myth and nobody knows if its true but it is said that the founders of this kingdom were brothers who had supernatural powers and since they were never loved by the people of the town they came from so they ran away to the mountain, this mountain to be precise and lived here until they met a spirit who was so good to them and she told them how powerful they would all be if they stacked their power and gave it to one person who would be king and to be fair, she cast a spell that every 100 years, the power was passed to one of the brother’s children or grandchildren until it went round then the circle continues. ’ cloud narrated. ‘So is that why only the king has powers in the whole kingdom?’ Sammy asked again. ‘Yes but cloud did not tell you the scary part’ Jamie intruded. ‘Jamie, please’ Japheth said trying to shush Jamie who was eager to scare their little brother. ‘What? I was only trying to tell him the real part.’ Jamie replied. ‘Look Sammy it’s only a story and nobody knows if it’s true or not. So tell us what is going on’ Japheth said holding Sammy’s hand. ‘I promise I’ll tell you guys when we get there’ Sammy was still resilient. Japheth turned and looked at Cloud who was quiet. ‘What do you think?’ cloud asked Japheth. ‘Sammy hope you know how dangerous it will be if the sun sets and we are not back to the town’ Jamie said to Sammy who was beginning to get upset because his brothers didn’t believe him. ‘Then let’s go and I hope you know what will happen to you if all of these is a joke’ cloud said. But Jamie seemed not to be interested he sat down on the stone he had been sitting down on all this while trying to pick out meat from his teeth. ‘Are you not coming?’ Sammy asked as Jamie pretended not to have heard Sammy talk to him. ‘He asked you a question, Jamie ’ cloud said with an authoritative voice. ‘nope, am not interested in whatever it is he wants to show off, as it is I have enough problems with my master and I wouldn’t want to get into more trouble’ Jamie said as he got up and dusted his trouser. ‘hmmm’ cloud sighed. ‘Suit yourself since you seem to know it all’. Cloud knew his younger brother. He was his devil, although a twin to Japheth whom on the contrary is calm and gentle, Jamie was arrogant and careless. He always wanted to be heard and refused to accept cloud as the father figure of the family this was because Jamie blamed cloud for their separation and the life they were forced to live as slaves. Cloud remembered that snowy morning when his three brothers were dragged out of the place they called home to be slaves. A payment for the debt their late father owed, their father had died a month earlier and their mother a year before, cloud was the only comfort the three boys had as he immediately assumed the duties of parenthood despite the fact he was only twelve. “Do something” Jamie screamed as he was dragged away. He cried out so loud while his elder brother stood there not doing anything. Cloud stood motionless trying to control his tears, he turned to their drunk uncle who stood with a carefree stare and he knelt “ I will do anything, just don’t let them do this ” “ ge’ off me , you le’le brat” Mr. Poe yelled hitting him with his old rugged boot. “ I told ya lousy fa’da not to leave you fools behind for me to care for. And were yall tink am gon get dat money to pay for da debt he owed?” he asked. And since then Japheth placed the blame on cloud for letting them being sold off. The last meeting they held, they almost had a fight and since then cloud knew he had to do everything possible to earn the respect of his remaining younger brothers and if losing the respect of only one will be the cost so be it. ‘Jamie please’ Japheth pleaded with his twin. ‘let’s just go and see what it is and by the way it is not yet late am sure before sunset we will be back’ Japheth added. ‘Jamie, please’ Sammy pleaded with him too. He reluctantly followed them as they walked down the hill quietly. Sammy took a different turn from the main road on the mountain into a small forest. The brothers looked at each other curiously as they followed their little brother who was only seven. ‘Sammy this is almost a different road from the mountain’ Jamie complained. ‘Sammy are you sure this is the right way to whatever it is you want to show us?’ Japheth asked as they hurriedly followed Sammy. ‘We are almost there’ Sammy said as he increased his pace. The rocky road began to feel sloppy as they tried to watch their steps. Cloud was quiet as he began to reduce the pace of his steps. He began to notice something strange about his brother. Sammy was different. He held Japheth’s hands and pulled him back. ‘What is it?’ Japheth was curious. ‘’ that’s not Sammy at least not our Sammy’ cloud said as they followed him gently. Japheth was confused as he tried to see what cloud was trying to say. Sammy walked so fast then turned and noticed they were not close to him. ‘Come on guys lets hurry before it gets dark’ he said smiling and continued to lead the way. ‘Jamie, don’t you see anything strange about Sammy?’ Cloud whispered. ‘Ok now you are trying to creep me out, what do you mean there is something strange about Sammy?’ jamie who was beginning to have goose pimples asked. Cloud was quiet then stopped walking he turned to Jamie then whispered to him gently “what do you mean I should fall and pretend I fell down?” Jamie who was already scared said reacting to what cloud had whispered to him. Cloud pushed him without replying to what he said. “wha, what was that fo..” Jamie who was getting upset said as he tried to get up to his feet but cloud horridly knelt down before him and took his feet and began to massage it “what are yo.” “shii, just pretend you are hurt” cloud quickly shushed Jamie up and when Jamie realized what cloud was trying to do he began to cooperate. “ouch, ouch it hurts ” Jamie began to scream. However all this while Sammy and Japheth were at some distance from where the incident occurred “Sammy, Jamie is hurt we have to treat the leg so it doesn’t get worse later on.” Cloud said as he pretended to get some stick so as to make a rope to tie the foot. Jamie laid on the ground groaning and pretending to be in pain. However Japheth who had no idea about what was going on leaned on a tree close to Sammy who was so nervous. “so Sammy do you remember those stories dad used to tell us about the woods and how if you are alone in the woods, crows could come from nowhere and devour you?” cloud asked as he pretended to be making rope out of the skin of the sticks he had gotten from around them. “ya ” Sammy answered him still not understanding why cloud was asking such a question at such a time. “ ya, I remember it too, all those stories about witches that could cast a spell on you and you would become their slaves forever” Jamie who was so interested in the tales said forgetting he was acting injured. “and how you would scream and run into father’s blanket crying and afraid the witch could come and get you” Jamie added trying to scare Sammy but Sammy did not wink. He didn’t seem scared not a bit and all three boys became scared all of a sudden.