The Border

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. Subhanallahi, I muttered silently as I rushed to the well which was close to my tent. Worse, the drawer's rope had loosened and there was no way I could draw water from the deep well. Except, of course, if I could climb down the steep and slippery ridges that paved the corners of the well rings which, so deep, seemed like a dark abyss.

There had been scarcity of water in our locality. The water I had left was just a bowl which wouldn't extinguish the fire that had then started ravaging the jute leaves. The water leaves were already brown and papery. I put off my slippers and stepped into the well, careful not to slip on the algae that formed inside the well rings. There were around fifteen rings in the well, which I thought, then, wasn't much of an obstacle to save my vegetables. The space around me started getting darker as I got closer to the water. I glanced up seeing the pale blue sky and a hawk flying over my head. Resuming my journey into the well, I thought of what I was going to do if a snake should suddenly spring up from the water. 

I closed my eyes and stepped on the next ridge. The next thing I knew was my left thigh being yanked off and my attempt to scream was muffled by the banging of my head on the brick. 

I felt a slight warming in my forehead and a dull, faraway pain which seemed like echo of someone else's pain. I felt at peace as I slumbered into darkness. Finally, the pains are now behind, I thought. 

***

Beneath the well were seaweeds and several other plants which were novel to me. I pulled at my clothes and I felt it moved freely around me as I stood to stand. Surprised, I looked around me making sure I was in the water. Why aren't my clothes wet and tucked at my body? How could I be breathing underwater? And I fell into a well, not a sea, why am I under a seabed? The questions swirled around in my head for which I had no answer. 

Reeling in the sudden excitement of being in heaven, I screamed my friend's name, but I couldn't hear nor see anyone. 

I strolled around hoping to see anyone or anything that would help. Who would have thought heaven is as silent as this? Well, chatterboxes probably end in hell. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I missed a boy sitting on the biggest snail shell I'd ever seen. 

"Sis." The voice called out. His tiny voice was one I could place easily even if the whole world were chattering.

I turned to look at him and I could see the sadness in his eyes. He was wearing a sky blue gown and his feet were bare. I stood transfixed, watching him as he moved slowly towards me. 

He stood two feet away from me, and I could sense his wavering. 

I walked up to him and clasped my hand on his shoulder. "Bro, nice to see you," I said as I used my thumb to clear the tear that loomed in the corner of his left eye. "Who would have thought you'll be in heaven? Well, here I am too." 

"We're not in heaven. I'm not in heaven." He looked up for a moment and stared into my eyes. "I'd been sitting there for the past six months. I was waiting for you." 

"Waiting for me? Me? And if we aren't in heaven, where are we?" 

"This is The Border. It's what we can call the bridge between the world and the otherworld." He paused and stared at the mark on my face. "I'm so sorry. For everything." 

"Why, you did what you've always wanted to do. You showed me who you truly are. To think I believed you when you said you would protect me always. All those stupid talks of being my guardian angel. I was stupid. The greatest mistake I made in my life was believing you. Perhaps you have forgotten, but you killed my friend. You, a murderer." I clenched the hem of my top as my body shook with rage. "And why the hell or heaven am I even here? Where's the angel that will take me to hell?" 

"You're not dead. I told you I was waiting for you. I can't go over there without finishing my life assignment."

"Assignment? You know how ridiculous you sound right now?" 

'Yes please. I have to explain some things to you. Only then would you understand my deeds. He motioned me to the shell he had been sitting on. I watched as he subconsciously flicked his left hand in the water which in turn made swishes. What amazed me was the water being rippleless. 

I sat on the steep of the shell and we sat side by side. "You had better have a good explanation," I said looking far ahead at what seemed like an endless sea. 

"I never knew that everything was yours. I sometimes dreamt of two people, but the faces were unknown to me. You know, when you dream of people you've never known? Yes, I disregarded it all. And I grew up noticing the differences in the way my parents treated us. I always thought it was probably because you were a girl. That they were brazing you for marriage and all those upbringing stuffs. I used to snitch on you then too and I'm really sorry. I was young and stupid. By the time you were nine and I was thirteen, I started seeing the cold treatment in a different way. I talked to mama, I told her to stop treating you badly. She slapped me and told me I didn't know anything, that you were 'a bastard'. It was the day I knew we're not of the same parents."

'This is getting long, cut to the chase please. The part where you killed my friend."

"Oh, um, it was a mistake. He was also my friend, heck, my best friend. I knew he really liked you, but you only saw him as a friend and brother. And when I walked in on him trying to force you to have sex with him, I was furious. You were thirteen for goodness sake. He knew better, I warned him not to touch you. So, when I picked up that shovel lying on the floor, I was just going to bash him on the back. I was furious, I didn't realize that he was trying to sit up. That you'd already pushed him away. And when the blade hit his neck. Ha, I was … I was, god!"

"You were looking at him Ahmed. I was screaming at you, telling you to help me. Even after I tied clothes around his neck, what did you do? You fled the house. You fucking fled. Fuck you." I scoffed. I didn't know if I was crying, for I was underwater. I was grateful though, that I could sob freely without him knowing. 

" I was in shock. I was paralysed. And I didn't expect everything to turn out that way. I was scared, I was sleeping around for a week. I pickpocketed to sustain myself. I made up my mind, I was going to return and face whatever judgement coming my way. When I came back and realized that they've accused you of the murder I did. I was somehow glad even though it was wrong. I didn't try to prove them wrong. I knew my parents would rather give you up. I didn't say anything. They knew I did it. Everyone in our household knew I did it. It was until I heard that you would be hanged in three days that everything finally dawned on me. I couldn't sleep that night. I was thinking of what to do. I thought of how you were going to escape. I started searching the house. I didn't know what I was looking for, but there had to be an answer. I went to the attic, I shouldn't be there. Father warned us never to go there, but I went in there for the first time. There were many books there. I was going through them. I saw a diary that turned out to be written by your father. I was eager to know your father, so I took it to my room. The following day, I read the book. I won't tell you much, you'll have to read it yourself. The most important thing there is, my parents and yours were best of friends. Your parents owned the house, they took my parents in when they were facing financial difficulties. Your father was well off. At a point, he started having mistrust of my parents. He then kept most of his valuable belongings somewhere. There's a map in the book," He paused, looking at me. 

I was confused then. I didn't know how to process the information and confessions. I'd been sleeping in a tent since the past six months. I sat in the corner of the street every night begging for alms. 

"When I realized that my father killed his own best friend after he discovered that he was hiding things from him, I knew I was doomed. I also killed my own best friend. See? It was becoming a curse of the family. I made up my mind. I was going to save you and let you live the life and happiness my parents deprived you off. Also, I wanted to end this curse. I didn't want to procreate murderers too. That was why I came to where you were confined the morning you were supposed to die. I lied to the guard that I wanted to have a talk with you. After all, I was the son of a nobleman. He allowed me. There was no time to explain everything. I just wanted to make sure your escape was successful. I knew I was a monster. I stayed in the cell till when you were to be beheaded. The guard was surprised when he found me. Long story short, I was beheaded. That was the end of me. I'm so sorry."

I moved closer to him and hugged him."Why didn't you tell me? You should have told me. I've spent all those years hating you. I'm sorry. Forgive me please." I patted him on the back, I noticed my hand gliding freely on his cloth. "And you're not a monster. You only wanted to protect me." My body started contorting, I felt my eyes rolling in the socket. Scared, I screamed: "What's happening to me!?" 

"You're being resuscitated in real-life. You will vanish now. You have to go back home. I kept the diary in our hiding place. Make sure you're not caught." He held on to me making sure I didn't fall off. 

I was scared, here is the man who sacrificed everything for me. I was going to leave him again. Feeling my body reeling in unconsciousness, I hugged him with the little energy left in me. "You know, God is merciful. If anyone should be in heaven, it's you. You've paid your price for the murder. I can't wait to see you again," I said as I closed my eyes, but not without seeing the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips.