Beneath the ovenlike aura, the King of indigenous forest people sat under sizzling trees with Owen. They rest their back on the tree, staring at the prince’s burial ground, in total silence. And the memories of the prince agitated their minds.
Owen exhaled. “Haven’t believed he died yet.”
“My son is immortal,” the King said, “He lives on and here in my heart. I believe he is here and listening to us.”
“Can’t wait to slay the girl.”
“Arizona tells me about her yesterday night.”
“She is at where?”
“With Reuben.”
“Reuben?” Owen asked. “I don’t know him.”
“Malcolm’s son.”
“Malcolm has a child before he died?”
“Yes,” the king said, “He was Reuben.”
“The friend of Santiago?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know before.”
“Me too,” the King said, “But Arizona told me he escaped after Arizona attacked his father’s eyes.”
“So, the girl was with him now?”
“Yes,” the king said, “Arizona saw him with Malcolm’s bird.”
“Is Titanic alive?”
“Yeah,” the king said, “it lives with Reuben in the forest.”
“Am full of questions,” Owen said, “hope am not bothering you with questions?”
“That’s a question too.” The king laughed. “Just ask.”
“How could Titanic and Arizona understand human language.”
“Have waited for someone who would ask this question, for years,” the King said, “and am glad you did.” He exhaled. “There’s a story behind the two amazing birds. A long time ago, Malcolm was my best friend in martial school. A magician gave us two birds after we saved his daughter from being killed by indigenous people. Back then, I haven’t joined them. One bird was black and one was white. And Malcolm chooses the white bird and names it Titanic. And I named mine Arizona. Not long, I fell in love with the magician’s daughter but she fell in love with Malcolm and she showed it to him. One night, Arizona told me that Malcolm kissed the girl when playing piano-”
“Piano?” Owen cuts in.
“Yeah. She loves the piano so much that she won’t eat in the night until she played it to her satisfaction. So, back to the kiss night. I was so furious, so furious that I hurried to her father and told him that Malcolm was kissing his daughter-”
“He became furious too?” Owen cuts in once more.
“No,” the King said, “he dares to tell me that it doesn’t matter. I got back home, crazy, mad, and crying. So I fight Malcolm. I slapped his face but the girl confronted me and told me she didn’t love me. Do you see that? She dares to say that to my face to face. So, ” he keeps quiet for a while.
“So?” Owen asked. His face showed that he can’t wait to hear the rest.
“So, I betrayed them. And joined these indigenous forest people. You were a teen then.”
“Yeah. I remember when we make you our King after our previous king died.”
“The magician killed your King when we attacked him, Malcolm, and the girl. He performed so much magic to attacked us. But thanks to Arizona. The bird knows his secret, it attacked his eyes and the magicians lost their powers. Malcolm flees away with the girl, and the girl taught him how to perform some magic. That’s why, Arizona attacked his eyes too after several years, but we killed her with the help of Santiago. And Santiago helped us killed Reuben’s wife too when she was busy playing the piano.”
“She loves piano too?” Owen asked.
“Yes,” the King said, “she loves it more than her husband’s sword.”
“I under-” Owen cuts in.
“And,” the King cuts in. “And the secret was no one can kill my Arizona and Malcolm’s Titanic, or else they attacked their eyes, and get it out. I’m telling you this because I trusted you. And that, you should always guide Arizona’s eyes in the battlefield.”
“I understand everything now,” Owen said, “thanks, your highness.”
“You’re welcome,” the King said, “the girl that killed my son must be sent by Reuben. Maybe she used magic to win his heart, to killed him. And now, am feeling lonely without my child and Reuben is feeling lonely without his father and his wife. The girl must die and Reuben too.”
Owen frowned. He loves to hear anything about war. Anything about killing someone. And he says, “Your highness. We mustn’t wait for them, when should we attack them?”
“The moment Edwin arrived.”
“Must we wait for the son of Santiago?”
“Yes,” The king said, “he is as wise as his father. And he knew how to trade business of war.”
“Why can’t we called his father?” Owen asked
“Their king, the king of Bowen imprisoned him.”
Suddenly, the winds whirled. Dried leaves, falling like snow and Titanic flew through and dropped the dead of Arizona and one eye of the bird before them. And then write something down. “You that knows all the secret of immortality and the secret of eyes. You that kept the secret of death in your sword, but don’t know how to love.”
Titanic flew away as Owen is about to grab it.
The king was humiliated and knelt before dead Arizona. He picked up the one eye and checked the eye socket of Arizona. He exhaled as he found out that it was empty.
Empty of life.
Owen knelt beside him. “How does the bird killed it?”
The king mumbled, “It knows the secret.” His tears dropped and warmed his cheeks and his mouth. And he remembered how Arizona attacked, popping out the magician’s and Malcolm’s eyes. He carried Arizona to his chest. “I can’t accept this. Arizona. Please don’t die like my son. You know. I got no one again except you.”
“Titanic killed Arizona?” Own asked.
“Yes. And it dares to come here. It dares to drop its eye,” the King roared.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Henry’s POV
I felt uneasy seeing Sophia’s father, Erica, and Abigail and the polices here, with us. They tracked Erica’s camera here. And they told us that they would wait for Reuben after Lucy and Bella were busy narrating all that had happened to them outside.
And here, in the room, I sat beside Alice, staring at Erica as she talked to Benjamin.
“I missed you.”
“I missed you a lot,” Ben said, “Had suffered missing you.”
“I love you,” Erica said.
“Love you more.” He hugged her. “Thanks for coming back to life.”
“Do you know?” Erica said.
“What?”
“I came back from heaven because of you.”
“Really?”
She shakes her head and her black hair danced in the air as she smiled. “I missed Sophia and Henry too.”
My heart was shocked as she mentioned my name, not knowing that I was here with a fake identity. With fake Annabelle.
And I said, “did Henry shoot you?”
“No,” Erica said, “he can’t do that.”
“Then who?” Ben asked her.
“Edwin.”
“How did you know?” Ben asked once more.
“My mom remembered that she set a CCTV camera under the tree. So, she played the recorded video before us. Henry walked there after Edwin shoot me. And they saw themselves. And Edwin chased him and caught him and beat the hell of him. And he shoots him a sleepy pistol. And Edwin removed his mask as he dials the police’s number.”
Alice looked at my eyes as I wiped away tears. And I was glad that she knew that I don’t lie to her mother in the first place.
Erica continue, “Where is Henry?”
“We don’t know yet,” Benjamin said, “but Alice once told us that she saw him once.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Who is Alice?” Erica asked Ben and Ben pointed to Alice beside me. “Alice, please where did you see him?”
Alice looked at my eyes, and said, “since they already knew the truth. I don’t think you should hide anymore.”
I sighed and said, “I’m here.”
Ben was shocked. He looked at me. “Anabelle. Henry? Are you Henry?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Wow!” Henry shouted and the people outside rushed in.
“What happened?” Lucy and Bella chorused. And Erica’s father and police were waiting for the answer.
I stood up. Removed the fake breast. Dropped the foam. Removed the fake hair. “I’m Henry.”
“Oh my God,” Lucy said.
“I can’t believe my eyes,” Bella said.
Erica’s father hugged me and said, “On behalf of the police, am so sorry. We have put you into many problems. Please. We have hurts your parents too, especially your mom. I’m sorry, so sorry.”
“It’s fine,” I said.
“But you are a hero,” The first police said, “I can’t believe you can jump into that ocean until you do so. Anyways, we are sorry.”
They all hugged me and Lucy said, “he has already seen my pants. What the fuck.”
Bella placed her palms to her mouth and widened her face. “He saw mine too.”
I looked at them. “I don’t see it. But Lucy wore black pants while Bella wore orange pants.”
And they laughed except for Bella and Lucy who were beating me.
“Don’t kill him,” Erica said, “or else, Sophia will eat you guys when she arrived.”
And we laughed.
“This guy is perfect in acting like a girl,” Bella said, “this is so amazing.”
“He needs to act that perfect when I keep remembering that death is coming,” Alice said and we laughed.
I looked down at the floor and said, “Am not happy yet. Sophia isn’t here.”
“Remember that Reuben promised us that he would bring her soon,” Lucy said.
“And I believe Reuben won’t vow when he knows that he won’t do it. He would surely bring here,” Alice said.
“So, you don’t need to be sad anymore. You need to believe as we believe too,” Bella said.
“Okay,” I said, “I will try.”
“When would they be here?” Erica’s father asked.
“Anytime,” I said, looking at them, smiling. “Yeah. Anytime.”
Lucy said, “I have an idea.”
“What is that?” Bella asked.
And we all gazed at her as Lucy smiled and say, “Let’s pretend as if we hadn’t known that Anabelle is the real Henry. We should just let it surprised Sophia too.”
“I buy your idea,” Erica’s father said, “because Sophia loves surprising stuff.”
“So you guys mean I should put back my fake breasts?” I asked and they laughed.
“Yeah,” Lucy said, “wear that shit back.”
I picked the foam and put it back. And wear my fake hair back.
“Anabelle,” Alice said, “come and help me in the kitchen.”
“Oh no,” I said, smiling. “Go call Lucy or Bella. Am on my period.”
And we all laughed again.