Sophia’s POV
I felt nervous sitting on the boat for the first time in my whole life. My palm was sweat on my lap, and a butterfly flew in my stomach, I closed my eyes and do a meditation I learn from my father. He taught me that I should direct my full attention to the feelings of fear anytime they came. I do that all the time and it works for me. But now, it seems it doesn’t work. I glanced around and study everyone’s face. Benjamin’s face paled, looking down, worrying, he has missed his Erica, and I know Erica has missed him too.
Bella wore a happy face beside Benjamin. I remembered she told me during a free hour in school that sailing was her hubby, and that the reason why she always travels to her granny’s house during holidays is that her granny’s a fisherman. Where all she does all days is to paddle, and paddle, and paddle.
Lucy was eating beside Bella, she was a foodie, I remembered back when she told me that she wants to be fat and that she would eat till she reaches there. But for two years to now, her body hasn’t changed a bit. She’s as slender as the mopping stick. Eating had become a habit, which she can’t dare to stop, or else, she would become thin, thinner than a broom.
I closed my eyes, thinking about Erica and Henry. I remembered that the day I want to surprise Henry with a kiss is the day police announced his departure into the river. I looked down at the waters and started asking myself. Does the police mean what they said? Does Henry jump into this large water? He once told me he was an expert swimmer, and that he can dare the Atlantic river. I prayed in my heart that God should save him and that Erica too should be well. I started feeling anxiety after opening my eyes to what if. What if we don’t see Henry in the Bowen village?
I glanced around and I saw Reuben, the old man, gazing at his sword, and sitting near the two messengers. I wondered how much blood the sword would have a drink. I read his face, and I concluded that he didn’t want to fight, but it doesn’t sound wise to disobey the command of a King.
Bella stood up near Benjamin and walked to me, and sit beside me, and says, “What are you thinking?”
“How do you know I’m thinking?”
“Your face looked dull,” she said, “what are you thinking?”
“Everything,” I said.
“Why?”
“I missed him a lot.”
“I thought you won’t love him again.”
“Me too,” I said, “but Yunno, Love doesn’t think that.”
“What if he is the one that shoots Erica?”
“Henry can’t kill a hen not to talk of shooting a human being. He is not the one.”
Something strange happened immediately, a bird flew here and drop on Reuben’s shoulder. Reuben picked his sword and shouted, “Enemies is near. Stand still.”
The two messengers brought out their shinning swords too, ready to attack anyone. And then five men jumped out of the water, attacking instantly. Reuben motioned the two messengers to stayed back, but one didn’t obey, he attacked the enemies, and they struck his chest with a sword, and then he fell dead. Blood gushed out. And Reuben attacked, he defends five swords at a time, and the second messenger throws an arrow at one of the enemies, and he yelled in pain and then fell into the water. Reuben jumped and cut one from the head to his toe, his body, splitting into two and drop inside water.
“Oh my God,” Lucy shouted.
“Stand still,” Reuben commanded us. And one enemy climbed the boat from the back and he raised his sword to strike me. I closed my eyes, giving up to die, and then three seconds passed, I wondered why he hasn’t struck me, I open my eyes, and saw that Rueben had already thrown a knife into his stomach, and then he fell into the water, helplessly.
“Stand still,” he cried out, he bent and cut the last enemy two legs. Blood cascade out and he cried out in pain and Reuben pushed him and throw his two legs into the water.
The second messenger knee and cried before his partner, who has bled to death. “Kite, don’t leave me like this please.”
“He is dead already. You should let his spirit rest,” Reuben said, walking towards us. He looked at me and says, “Hurt?”
“No,” I said, cleaning my tears. “Thank you for saving my life.” Lucy hugged me tightly, shedding tears too.
“I’m scared,” Lucy said, “really scared.”
He looked at the messenger. “Your partner won’t have died if he had obeyed my simple instructions.”
Benjamin stood still, gazing like a fool, shaking, and his trouser has been wet.
Reuben laughed as he saw Ben. “I urinate too when enemies attacked my granny.”
“Let’s go back to the forest,” Bella said.
“Please let’s go back,” Lucy begged Reuben.
“We’re already in the village,” he said, looking around. “Where’s Titanic?”
“It has flown away,” the messenger said.
“Who’s Titanic?” I asked.
“The bird that flew here before the enemies attacked,” he said.
“Is that your bird?” Lucy asked.
“Yes, it’s my bosom friend since my childhood.”
“Wow,” Bella said.
“Titanic would come to tell me whenever enemies are around,” he said, “You guys should sit down, everything is fine. Everything would be fine.”
“What do you mean by that?” Lucy asked
“By what?”
“Everything is fine, and everything would be fine.”
“That’s my granny favorite words,” he said, “I don’t understand too.”
I sat, scarring of everything, looking down at the water, looking up at the air, studying every bird that passed by, maybe the Titanic would come back again, to announce the next enemies. My heart starts to beat fast, and tears darted from my eyes as I thought, “Is this what Henry is suffering?”