Final Episode
It was Tukur that saw him first. And his heart leapt. He wasn’t mistaken, this was Hazim! The man he had betrayed with Idris, many years back.
“Hazim!” Tukur called.
At once, Hazim’s eyes rested on the captive. A frown ate into his face as he realized it as Tukur, the man that had betrayed him and Abdul.
“I thought an innocent man was locked in here. I must ride back to Kanem Dazau before nightfall.” Hazim spun on his heel and made towards the entrance. Anger coursed through him, as he remembered how Tukur had killed some of their men. He had betrayed Abdul!
Tears trickled down Tukur’s face. He wasn’t desperate to be released. It seemed he was fated to die. But maybe Allah had brought Hazim to him, so he could amend his ways and die peacefully.
“I betrayed you and Abdul! I was eager to have a ranch of my own. I was jealous. I am guilty of sin. You may not release me from this bondage, but I do not beg of it. I only want your forgiveness and if Abdul is here, I’d like his forgiveness as well.”
Hazim froze where he stood. Was Tukur apologizing for his wicked deeds?
“And your daughter? You had wanted to sell her off like property, to the same man who betrayed you?” Hazim scoffed.
Tukur was surprised to hear about his daughter, “you know Amina? I only wanted her to be happy, but I regret my actions now. I pushed my child away.”
Hazim scoffed, “you never cared about her happiness. All you wanted was a ranch. All you have ever wanted is control and power. You deserve everything Idris is doing to you.”
Tukur swallowed, “please, forgive me. Captivity has a way of making one sober and reflective. I have been a fool all these years. I regret what I did to you and Abdul. I want to make amends.”
Hazim closed his eyes and thought of what to do. If Amina found out that he abandoned her father to die, she would never forgive him. Mohammed had just saved his life, maybe it was for this purpose. Maybe he was meant to rescue another person.
“How do I trust you? You keep betraying all those around you.”
Tukur had no word in his defense, “I am at your mercy Hazim. Do with me what you want.”
Hazim pitied the old man. He had aged badly, and he looked stricken with hunger.
“Just so you know and prepare yourself, Amina is married to Abdul. Do you still want to come with me?”
Tukur couldn’t describe the emotions that ran through him at that moment. He was ashamed. He was regretful. He was happy.
“Yes, please. I will be indebted to you all my life.”
Hazim nodded and moved to unchain the man. The minute Tukur’s bonds were broken, he fainted and fell upon Hazim. For he had been tortured day and night; by hunger, strife and remorse and his strength had failed him.
“Allah help me,” Hazim sighed.
Soon, he was outside the ranch with Tukur’s limp body.
Mohammed sighed, “we have to steal a horse from somewhere.”
“Where?” Hazim laughed. Idris had taken all of his horses.
“I saw a little farm by the hill.” Mohammed winked.
Hazim understood they had to steal an extra horse for this journey. The men burst out with laughter.
They would travel back to Kanem Dazau peacefully. They would tell the Prince everything they had learned. Idris would be defeated. And there will be a reunion of love and forgiveness as Tukur would meet with his daughter, and his enemy, Abdul.
He would abandon Dafa, and live in Kanem Dazau, for the rest of his life.
“Nabila? Nabila?” Keerna rushed to her friend’s side.
“I wanted to kill the mistress! I hated her so much for taking my man. Please tell her to forgive me. Tell everyone to forgive me!”
Keerna cried uncontrollably and shook her friend, but the invisible serpent, Ukshal, had struck her. The price was paid in full, and glory returned to Ukdran, the goddess of serpents.
“Nabila!”
Keerna found it difficult to understand the words her friend had spoken, but the entrance of the healer confirmed it.
Amina, Abdul and the healer had traced the loud scream from Nabila’s room. The healer hadn’t wasted time in telling the master and the mistress the truth. The price for Abdul’s healing, was Nabila’s death. She had been the one to plot against the innocent at first.
Keerna wiped her face and rushed out of the room. She had to tell everyone about her friend. How could Nabila just perish like that? How could God be so merciless in striking her friend dead?
She slowed in her steps, when she neared Abdul’s room and heard his voice. He was risen! The master was awake! She would have been very excited about his healing, but the death of her friend cast a dark veil over her. It was the veil of sorrow.
As Keerna leaned closer to the door, she heard the healer’s prophecy about Nabila.
“Your maidservant has always been evil. She is a child of Ukdran, but the darker side in her is greater. She has always been in love with the master, but he never shared in her desire…”
The old woman paused and pointed at Amina, “Your entrance to the ranch, brought so much hatred and jealousy. Nabila intended for the serpent to strike you. But your husband stepped in and saved your life.”
Amina found this hard to believe. Though she had sensed Nabila’s discomfort around her, she couldn’t believe the girl would try to kill her.
“I never loved her. I have only loved two women in my entire life; Fatima and Amina,” Abdul mumbled softly. He was still weak and dizzy, but there was life in him.
Tears strolled down Amina’s face, “I cannot think of one evil thing I did to Nabila…”
Just then, Keerna stepped in and fell on her knees. She couldn’t believe her ears. The healer just confirmed her late friend’s strange behaviors.
“The woman is right, Nabila has always been in love with the master. I never knew she would go to such extent to win him over. You must forgive her now, for her serpent has struck her dead.”
Amina and Abdul glared at Keerna’s swollen eyes; she had been crying.
Amina’s heart softened when she saw Keerna. She couldn’t blame Nabila for loving a man like Abdul. She felt lucky and blessed.
“We have to forgive her…”Amina whispered, but Abdul didn’t share in her plans.
“No. Nabila is an ingrate. What if she had killed you? I shall not forgive anyone that intends to take you away from me.”
The healer rose to her feet and was led out of the room by her young assistant.
“Your forgiveness does not matter now. The price has been paid. Her soul roams in the great black desert of evil souls.”
Once the room was cleared, Abdul pulled Amina into his arms.
“Stop crying my darling, I am back.”
“I thought I had lost you forever.” Amina bit her lip, desperate to fight the tears that blurred her vision.
“No, you didn’t lose me. We are meant to be. We are destined for each other.”
When he said this, she licked her lips and straightened on the bed.
“The healer spoke a prophecy. We will be happy for many years. We will have children and we will grow old…” her voice croaked, and more tears splashed on her cheeks.
Abdul didn’t like the look on her face; he sensed a deep sorrow.
“What is it?”
“One of our children would be eaten by a wolf,” Amina said.
Silence hung grimly in the atmosphere as they both looked into each other’s eyes.
“Why don’t we live in the moment? Why don’t we bask under the beauty of the sun and moon? Why don’t we love and forget what destiny holds?
If God wills it, we cannot stop him. We can only pray for fortitude to move forward and love and live…”
He had not finished his statement, when a fiery passion overcame him. He would kiss her this minute. He would make arduous love to her.
“I want you…” he pulled her gently towards him. She did not resist.
Abdul covered her lips quickly and slipped a tongue into her mouth. His hands roamed her slender body and found her soft breasts. He was about touching her more when a knock sounded on the door.
It was Keerna, and she had seen her lover returning with a stranger on a horse.
“Hazim is back!” She screamed excitedly. Though Nabila was gone, Hazim would be around. She was tired of hiding what she felt. She would tell him of her love.
“Hazim can wait!” Abdul laughed and pulled his wife closer.
Amina blushed and smiled shyly.
“Make love to me…”she begged.
And her husband dropped a sweet kiss on her forehead, “Of course I will my love.”
Slowly, they began to dance to the ancient drums of lovemaking. Heaving, sighing, moaning; love was birthed at the time. Love would reign. Forgiveness would come. Father and daughter would reconcile. Old enemies would become friends. Idris would be conquered in the end.
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