Page 30 of Whisperers

Doe eyes imploring.

  "Why don't you ask it?"

  I was curious too.

  Umf.

  Utopia was full of surprises.

  Uhm.

  "Hello," Nia whispers softly.

  "My Fair Lady," it now sits on its behind. The corn-roll rolls into a turban around its head. It looked up slowly. Its eyes much smaller. But as it observes Nia's approving show of her beautiful, white teeth, the eyes open large again.

  It draws Nia in.

  You could see she was fighting to hold back the tears.

  A few times she breathed deeply.

  Then asks.

  "What are you?" Nia gushed the you.

  The critter smiles broadly, then stood up.

  Nia sat back a bit.

  Not that she was startled.

  Almost like she was giving the critter some space.

  It bowed.

  Then undid its turban and the corn-roll.

  The purple strands started forming a triangle shape that started to glow.

  I light purple.

  Then it started to pulse.

  Nia gasped and put her hand to her mouth.

  The critter's body was now translucent.

  You could only see its outline that had a purple glow too.

  Then the pink ♥

  It was the most curious thing.

  The ♥ was located in its tiny belly.

  Nia looked at it closer.

  Those doe eyes.

  Wide open.

  Dumb-struck by what she was seeing.

  The critter then said.

  "God speed, Fair Lady. I remain your willing slave." It bows. It was clearly visible to us, but you could see right through it to the river's edge.

  The triangle now glowed yellow, till it was a bright white.

  Nia shaded her eyes.

  But not much.

  She seemed as if she didn't want to miss a second of what was happening.

  Those doe eyes.

  Never blinking.

  The ♥ then disappears and the pink starts filling the translucent body.

  When the pink reached the bright white light.

  An explosion.

  Nia gasped in wonder.

  Hundreds of butterflies started flying from her hand.

  Nia stood up and started dancing among them as they circled her for a while then starts flying towards the castle.

  A small pea-cock kind flutters slowly towards Nia.

  It stared her in the face with its small face.

  The eyes on its wings also seemed to be able to see.

  It then burps and a bubble pops in Nia's face.

  It was a pink jelly tot.

  Her favourite.

  The butterfly then flutters slowly towards the castle too.

  Nia stares at it as it disappears in The Bright.

  Her doe eyes seemed to be filled with joyous joy.

  She then falls down onto the grass and starts laughing hysterically.

  I wondered what was so funny.

  I started laughing too.

  Soon we were rolling through the grass all the way to the river edge.

  Nia stopped laughing and smilingly put her feet in the water.

  Immediately a sense of calm seems to come over her.

  She kicked her feet wildly.

  Water splattering all over the place.

  She then seemed to relax and just drift off into her own little fantasy world.

  It was the effect of the water.

  I guessed.

  Nia then turns and looks at me.

  "Do you remember the Halloween party we had in the tiny cabin?"

  Nia looked hopingly.

  Immediately.

  I nodded.

  Yes.

  "You were dressed like a mermaid." I smiled as I remembered those sea-shells just barely covering Nia's big bosom.

  I smiled.

  Then laughed.

  She always imagined she was Ariel.

  Ha-ha-ha.

  Then she looked at me and said.

  "It feels like I am able to slip into the water.

  I can't explain it.

  But whenever I put my feet in the water.

  It's like my essence or something seems to slip... into... the water.

  I just saw a fish sort of give me a wink.

  I wanted to catch it, but it swam away.

  I could see the bubbles as it sped away."

  Nia looked at me strangely.

  She squinched her eyes.

  "Sher, you sure are bright."

  She opens her eyes more.

  Doe eyes exploring.

  My face.

  My eyes.

  She sort of gasp-ed.

  Then looked away.

  "You sure I can't stay here?"

  Those doe eyes focus on me.

  "We, I mean."

  That's the last I remembered as I drew closer to Daisy Valley's edge.

  I could hear the screams through the doof-doof pounding in my head.

  I hoped Nia was wearing her earmuffs.

  I could see the roach hovering next to her.

  Jagged edged jelly tin.

  I hate him.

   

  ii

   

  2013

  I was busy in the backyard.

  Just finished cutting the grass.

  I enjoyed fooling around with the weed-eater.

  Umf.

  Uhm.

  I started planting some herbs and plants in the backyard.

  That was back in 2009.

  It helped to stay busy.

  Mostly mint.

  The rest was.

  Yes.

  Bugleweed and vygies.

  I planted them to remind me of Nia.

  No matter how much I tried, I could never hate her.

  I only wanted good things for her.

  I hoped that she would be filled with life, just as these plants.

  I wanted to plant some vegetables in the corner.

  That's where Anubis used to bury his bones.

  He would always dig them up and have a munch on them, then bury them again.

  As I shoved the shovel, hard into the soil.

  I hit something.

  Couldn't be a rock.

  It was sort of soft.

  It seemed to curve around the shovel's blade.

  I dug it out.

  I saw a string hang from a lump of soil.

  I shook it off.

  And by goodness.

  Darn that Anubis.

  One hell of a dog.

  He took it.

  Uhm.

  Umf.

  Ha-ha-ha.

  It was the leather pouch.

  All these years.

  Right in our backyard.

  However did Anubis manage to get it?

  I started undoing the string and struggled to get the second one out.

  The pouch was worn and had shrunk a bit.

  But it remained in one piece.

  Finally I got the smaller pouch out.

  I was excited.

  Now probably more than back then.

  Then I was naive and stupid.

  Curious.

  Young.

  All normal.

  Now that I knew all the harm it caused.

  All the hurt.

  Especially the hurt it caused her.

  I wanted to know why.

  What was in it?

  What made them do what they did?

  I rushed into the kitchen to get a knife.

  Just as I was about to start cutting the string.

  I stopped.

  Why was I doing this.

  Whatever is in here is of no good.

  It only caused suffering.

  I must get rid of it.

  That would be the best.

  Or better yet.

  I should return it to its rightful owner.

  Yes.

  Uhm.

  Scarfa
ce.

  Uhm.

  Sherwynne, I love you.

  Sherwynne, I do.

  iii

  2010

  I took off my shirt.

  The sweat was pouring down my face.

  Like a running hot tap.

  All the way down my chest and back.

  I didn't bother to wipe it from my face.

  I was glad that I was wearing short pants.

  I dropped the parcel I got ready for Nia.

  The shirt too.

  Nia and the roach had reached the top of the hill and were about to start descending towards the edge.

  Were they really that unaware of what was happening around them.

  That oblivious to the incessant screams and the scorching heat.

  I didn't envy the roach.

  That tin must be getting excruciatingly hot.

  Umf.

  Serves him good.

  Nia was tippy-toeing.

  I could see her clearly.

  But if she was tippy-toeing, that means she must be okay.

  Can it be.

  Are they really not aware of this at all.

  Perhaps the roach was not cooking after-all.

  But how.

  The flames were everywhere you looked.

  Daisy Valley was no more.

  One would never say that daises grew here at all.

  All you heard were the screams.

  Terrifying.

  Saddening.

  Heartbreak (ache) -ing.

  I preferred the doof-doof to that awful sound.

  But the doof-doof had a more physical effect.

  It pounded hard.

  Right behind my eye.

  Almost.

  Yes.

  Like something was chipping away at part of my brain.

  I was now almost permanently seeing double.

  I would have to move quicker.

  Blind I'll be useless.

  Passed out.

  Nia would die for sure.

  Lord, please protect her.

  I started running faster as Nia and the roach disappeared behind the hill.

  That led to the edge.

  Nia's peak.

  It was a very high peak.

  The river flowed that way.

  The waterfall led to part of Lake Tranquillity.

  But the river was dry.

  There has been no water behind the hill for a while now.

  Since.

  Yes.

  I ran faster.

  The burning in my chest was now focused in one spot.

  Right at the centre.

  It was like it was being attracted towards the fire.

  I stood at the top of the hill.

  Shuddered in horror.

  The flames sometimes came all the way to the edge.

  Not often.

  But you could see that it did.

  The heat was hard to miss as it just went from the edge up into the sky.

  As hard as I tried, I was pulled ever closer to the fire.

  Like a pin that's in the vicinity of a big magnet.

  I had no control.

  I wonder how Nia and the roach could stand to walk in this heat.

  The entire river bed was baked dry clay.

  Like a clay pot.

  Not like the usual dry river beds that cracked and crumbled under your feet after the Summer rains.

  Barefoot, one would most certainly never make it.

  How was it that Nia couldn't feel the heat?

  She was just wearing her unmatched socks.

  My skin was sun-burnt.

  Tender.

  I could see the fire ravaging up the hill now.

  The fire was approaching from all sides.

  Even from the sky.

  It was consuming Utopia whole.

  Like it wanted to destroy it completely.

  I understood.

  This cannot be.

  Remain.

  I was now only feet away from them.

  When almost against them.

  The magnetic force, pulling the fire in my heart towards the edge, stopped.

  Nia was staring into the abyss of fire.

  I shuddered as I saw it too.

  The huge Lake of Fire.

  How could they just stand there and endure the heat.

  What was going on?

  Only the roach noticed me.

  He turned around.

  And.

  How.

  This can't be possible.

  It was like looking into a mirror.

  He.

  The roach.

  Rat.

  He looked exactly like me.

  It was me.

  He smiled.

  Satisfied.

  Then he grinned and sort of snarled.

  He hit Nia hard against the back.

  She slipped off the edge.

  iv

   

  He disappeared right in front of my eyes.

  I leaped forward.

  I almost went over the edge as well.

  I grabbed Nia by her right leg.

  She screamed out in pain.

  I was not sure whether it was due to the heat.

  Or if it was due to her weakened left calf.

  She knocked her head hard against the side of the peak.

  I slipped closer to the edge.

  But I managed to get a grip and held on tighter to Nia.

  She was still conscious.

  "I won't let go, Nia!"

  I screamed.

  It was worthless.

  The heat carried the sound away into the air.

  I could smell my hair scorching.

  My skin sort of like it was turning hard and dry.

  The pounding in my head didn't help much.

  Nor did the inferno that seemed to want to merge with the flames in the lake.

  Nia tried to lift herself up.

  She was good at doing stuff like that.

  Hanging from tree branches and pulling herself up.

  She managed to twist her body.

  She was now scratching her way along the peak.

  How she managed to twist her back like that amazed me.

  I focused quick.

  I would have to let go of her leg and grab her hand.

  It was the only way.

  If I let go of the edge with my other hand.

  We would both be swallowed by the fire.

  I screamed the plan of action to Nia.

  Hoping that she would hear and do as I asked.

  My grip was starting to loosen.

  We didn't have much time.

  I could feel the unsteady, shaky feeling start to begin again.

  I would pass out soon.

  Lord, please help her.

  I cannot.

  Only you can.

  Amen.

  I let go and Nia sort of scratched up the wall harder.

  She managed to kick against the side and reached hard with her right hand.

  I gripped it.

  She pulled me half over the edge.

  Then she started pulling herself up.

  I slipped over more.

  She was now able to almost grab the edge.

  She pulled herself up hard.

  Managed to secure her grip.

  Last I saw of Nia was as her pretty head disappeared over the edge as she pulled herself onto the edge.

  My grip on the side came loose.

  I slipped.

  Just as I passed out.

  The red hot flames were the last thing I saw.

  Oh, Lord.

  Please forgive me.

   

  v

   

  "Please.

  Tell me.

  What is your name?"

  The boy looked to be around my age.

  He was dressed all in white.

  I saw him dive into the fire just as Nia disappeared onto the edge.

  I was surrounded by t
he flames.

  The fire in my heart and the fire of the lake were now one.

  My hair was completely gone.

  I felt the fire eat my skin.

  A ferocious hunger.

  It just wanted to consume.

  A hunger that could never be stilled.

  A dry thirst that could never be quenched.

  Just as my skin seemed to be burned off completely.

  I saw it regrow.

  It then burned again.

  The bite was sharp.

  The chew merciless.

  I could see the flames come at my eyes.

  The flames went down my throat like hot water.

  I screamed.

  But it was like nothing came from my breath.

  I could feel the fire secure me in place.

  Here there was absolutely no hope.

  I deserved it.

  I did.

  I loved her more than Him.

  Uhm.

  Therefore I deserved to be punished.

  I gave it to her.

  And that was wrong.

  None above Him.

  That is His most absolute law.

  I broke it.

  Even after He granted us all this.

  All the things in the heavens and earth praise His name.

  Even in dreams.

  He allowed them to praise her in Utopia.

  But that was wrecked when I forgot to give it to Him.

  Uhm.

  Lord, have mercy on me.

  I felt the surreal calm as the boy grabbed my hand.

  A sense of calm and peace came over me.

  He smiled broadly at the sight of me.

  Like he knew me.

  Well.

  Very well.

  I felt suddenly safe as he pulled me closer to him and started pulling me up.

  Up out of the fire.

  I couldn't feel any pain.

  Nor could I feel the heat.

  The pounding in my head subsided.

  The fire in my chest was dead.

  I only felt peace.

  As he pulled me onto the edge.

  I looked in his direction.

  He kept smiling.

  His face happy.

  I felt happy too.

  The tears started flowing freely from my eyes.

  It was him.

  Something about him stirred my heart.

  The tears were coming from there.

  Like a peaceful spring just started gushing forth water in the middle of a hot desert.

  Calm.

  Peaceful.

  Surreal.

  "What is your name?"

  I asked.

  "Please tell me your name."

  I almost begged.

  "Please.

  I must know your name."

  The boy just smiled.

  Like he was speaking to my being.

  I can't explain it.

  But I understood.

  Without any doubt.

  This boy.

  He was my best friend.

  My greatest friend.

  The only friend.

  It was God.

   

  “Allah is the Comforter (doer or giver of Walayah) of those who are dynamically faithful (receivers and responders of walayah - believers); He extracts them from all manner of darkness into light….” (2:257)

  vi

  2013

  I walked to the train station relaxed.

  For the first time since I returned to Cape Town, I was at ease.

  Umf.

  You forget.

  *Whispers*

  You better go.

  I took a train to Woodstock.

  Got hesitantly off.

  The platform was nearly empty.

  I looked around.

  Then marched on.

  The streets were busy as usual.

  Taxi forcing a bus to overtake.

  Nearly hits an elderly woman that seemed oblivious to it all.

  "Just a rand, please uncle."

  The boy looks barely in his teens.