UNSPOKEN

  Sambi watched her sister lying quietly in their bed, eyes peacefully closed and lips too dry making her last will to survive come crashing down her wall's. She felt helpless and defeated but then life has it's fair number of twists. Only, she felt fate was being too harsh on her. She left the hut and fought her way through the villager's crowded by their door to view her twin sisters body and headed to what had used to be their favorite spot. She arrived at the bank's of the river climbed to their rock and to her little comforting relief, their fox joined her a few minutes later. They had found the little brown fox injured by the river unable to move and taken it in. Their mom had insisted they find some place to keep it and she had talked to her grandfather. They had fed the fox from his place, treating its leg until it had recovered. Afterwards they had released the fox by the same spot two month's later but it had remained royal, a best friend who checked on them there everyday. Now her twin sister had succumbed to a dangerous virus that was shaking the globe and she needed a friend to talk to, a friend who could just listen and she knew the friend was the four legged fox that was eyeing her in pity, probably wondering why she had come alone today. A shortly forgotten memory surfaced from where she had buried it. The memory of a letter, a letter unlike any other, quietly, she whispered the details to her fur friend,

" Today, she stare's into the abyss

Reminiscing on all those childhood dreams,

Remembering the ambitious writing's

Writing's on the wall's

Writing's that dirtied her finger's of charcoal dust

Writing on goal's not war's

Goal's she would have achieved in twenties

A scribbled will on soul's

Soul's she would transform in her teen's.

Right, she cares about those dimmed ray's

But they forgot to tell before twenties,

she would be just staring at dusk in a mask,

Blindly they fought to yell,

She would be Elon Musk.

A girl has endured, so tough a growth,

She stares at the star's sinking in darkness.

She's scared, the moon is just like her,

The glow, some light and mostly alone,

A dream, subsiding ambition, non appreciated grace."

At the memory, Sambi added a few line's off her head, lines she wished she had added in her sister's but now couldn't, a will of reply to what her twin had scribbled before she passed away and the only thing she had inherited, in tears she replied,

"Dear self, I know you aren't okay

This letter was meant to bring closure,

I remember you tore off pages,Off

Unanswered scribbles you composed, 

Scribbled for age's to God so hither,

Sad all you cling to is the breaking rage.

Dear self,

You could be broken

I know you are hurting

But for each day there's light

Always, always remember

You are not alone

A twin and a fox will listen

A twin and a fox will love you"

The nauseating memory brought stinging childhood memories to her. Memories of how she had tugged along her grandfather to harvest honey only to return with swollen eyes from stings but rewarded by the purest and sweetest of the combs thereafter. Memories of how she had taken advantage of her sisters phobia chasing her around with millipedes giggling almost out of breath. Memories of how happy she had been dancing in the rain, splashing water and mad at her twin. the innocent look they had given their mother as she scolded them rubbing their shoulder's as if the fire she had made them sit by could not keep them warm, the disapproval from her all time favorite human, her grandfather as he made them drink bitter herbs to treat their soar throat's and running noses afterwards. How they never regretted any of that nor felt sorry for themselves. How she had wished it could always rain and they could be in it not bothered.

As she sat there, she thought the wish wasn't as golden like her childhood had lied. They had been in the rain, not dancing, free to do as they wished, but couldn't as she took her sister to the dispensary that fateful evening. They had stepped into an opening from the forest and right in front of them was a roaring all seasonal river going on its usual business, bringing a hurdle to their journey. The intense rain had turned the river's water dark brown and carried with it huge twig's and branches. She had been taught most survival antics by her grandfather but swimming was not one of them. Her sister knew how to swim, thanks to the numerous time's she had accompanied her mother to the village river to fetch water while Sambi was with her grandfather, but even a fish skilled human swimmer couldn't survive the roaring wave's of the water in front of them and her health was failing.

She sat beside her crying twin, who leaned into her. Held her closer whispering everything was going to be okay, but even she heard the doubt in her voice. She looked up into the sky and for the first time genuinely hoped her grandpa was here with them. He had seemed to have a solution, no, he had a solution to any problem and she had always worshipped him like a god. His death had been sudden after a tragic fall from the hill's, hitting his fragile head on a rock. Some people had mocked them saying a man his age shouldn't have been there in the first place, which was true but grandpa was a free spirit who couldn't be tamed, then they laughed off claiming he deserved it. She couldn't eat or talk to anyone for three day's, crying helplessly and unbelieving her "immortal" grandfather, as she had thought of him, wouldn't be there anymore. Her mother and twin tried be strong and dived out of their moaning , slowly coaxing her back to the world, but thing's couldn't be the same without grandpa..

Sambi was brought back to reality by a huge crashing sound. The ground shook as instinct made her press her twin closer, tighter and almost too hard to her body for protection and fear too. The thundering sound slowly died with a rumble as huge,wet winds blew their way. She slowly released her sister from the grip and stood up. Sandi watched her eye's popping out in a combination of fear and surprise as her twin started heading towards the direction of the roar. She signalled her to sit still and promised to be back after checking if they were safe. She wanted and even tried to nod in disagreement but she knew Sambi was stubborn and couldn't listen to her whatsoever, when she decided something, nothing could change her. 

"Sandii, Sandiiii, Sandiiii", Sandi stood up abruptly her heart throbbing furiously in her chest, she hadn't heard her sister cry in such a high pitched shriek. She headed where she had seen her sister disappear to a few minute's ago. She cursed, prayed, hoped the worst hadn't happened as her memory of the kind of danger's likely to be around flashed through. A cold chill ran through her spine as she thought of a hungry tiger having her sister for dinner, but then for the first time in her life she would overcome her millipede fears and fight for her twin. As she pushed and emerged where her sister should be, she stood quite, eye's huge almost popping out of their socket's and her mouth open unable to utter a sound. A huge tree had fallen across the river and provided a natural bridge and they had made it across.

This was Sambi last happy memory with her twin who had passed away shortly after. She spread the fur in a caressing movement over her now remaining best friend. A fox who was quiet and letting her enjoy the pleasure of his fur. She thought he understood her, at least she hoped he did. And he would be her remaining memory of her sister, she would continue telling him secrets like they had done together. Part of her sister lived in him, this she knew .

©Mr Write_ke

Godwin Kirimi