Continue
Reading…
CHAPTER TWELVE
A GIRL FROM EHOMBA MOUNTAIN WHO WANTS TO ACHIEVE SOMETHING
From the Mountain to the City Lights
As we sat
there, planning something that could either save us or destroy us, I suddenly
remembered something.
A show.
A show that
Ndjona-Top and I used to watch on her laptop while my aunt was in Brazil.
Pretty Little Liars.
At that time,
it was just a story.
Drama.
Entertainment.
Girls hiding
secrets.
Girls running
from danger.
But now…
This was not a
show.
This was real
life.
We also had an
“Aju.”
The difference
was…
There were no
cameras.
No scripts.
No second
chances.
While we were
still thinking, Tjipaa walked into the room.
She looked at
us carefully.
“What is going
on?” she asked.
She noticed our
faces.
Tight.
Serious.
Afraid.
Then she saw
Kenaa crying.
“Kenaa, what is
wrong?” she asked.
Kenaa had
already made her decision.
She was going
to Aju’s house.
Alone.
At first, we
did not want to tell Tjipaa.
But we had no
choice.
When she heard
the plan…
She was
shocked.
“This is
crazy!” she said.
“This is the
craziest thing I have ever heard.”
Tjipaa was
always the calm one.
The one who
thought before acting.
So when she
spoke…
We listened.
“These men are
dangerous,” she said.
“I never
understood why you got involved with them.”
“Ouzeu weṋu,
mwa itavera ovandu ovanaumba.”
(This is your
problem, you accepted dangerous people.)
She was looking
at Ndjona-Top and Kenaa.
Then she turned
to Kenaa.
“You know what
Aju did to you,” she said.
“You cannot
forget that.”
Her voice
became stronger.
“You are
putting your life in danger.”
“Guys… only the
truth will set us free.”
“We don’t have
to do this.”
For a moment…
I agreed with
her.
Deep inside, I
felt it.
We could tell
the truth.
We could go to
the police.
We could
explain everything.
But then
another thought came.
What if they
did not believe us?
We knew the
truth.
But could we
prove it?
In law, it is
not what you know.
It is what you
can prove.
And we had
destroyed all the evidence.
Fear returned.
Stronger than
before.
Kenaa wiped her
tears.
She had made
her decision.
“Tjipaa
ngeroo…” she said softly.
(Ngeroo – the
last born, the youngest.)
“Please support
us.”
“We are all in
this together.”
She looked at
all of us.
“Once
Nguaendomuua gets Mr. Officer to get a warrant…”
“I will go to
Aju’s house.”
“I will make
sure the drugs are there.”
Tjipaa shook
her head.
“What if there
are no drugs?” she asked.
“What if you go
there and find nothing?”
“You will be in
his hands again.”
“Hapo ngandu
rune tji mokarere ouzeu wa Aju?”
(Until when
will you suffer because of Aju?)
Tears ran down
her face.
She was afraid.
For Kenaa.
For all of us.
But Kenaa stood
firm.
“I need you to
support me,” she said.
“This is for
all of us.”
“I am the only
one who can do this.”
Tjipaa hugged
her tightly.
Like a sister.
Then Ndjona-Top
came to me.
She held me
close.
“I am not happy
that you are doing this,” she said.
“If it was me,
I would deal with Mbaa…”
“But he does
not trust me.”
“There is
history between us.”
We all hugged
each other.
A silent
agreement.
A dangerous
one.
We were
stepping into fire.
Barefoot.
Hoping not to
burn.
Before I left,
Ndjona-Top gave me advice.
“Wear something
short,” she said.
“Men do not
think properly when they are tempted.”
“Control his
mind… before he controls you.”
I nodded.
Even though I
felt uncomfortable.
Even though I
was afraid.
I left the
flat.
And went to
meet Mr. Officer.
It was a guest
house in Windhoek West.
I booked a
room.
I had to make
everything look real.
Convincing.
When he
arrived…
He could not
believe his eyes.
I was lying on
the bed.
Wearing a short
dress.
Trying to be
someone I was not.
He smiled.
Walked closer.
Sat next to me.
I told him
softly,
“I wanted to
thank you.”
“For helping me
the other day.”
Then I did
something I never thought I would do.
I played along.
I made him
believe.
I leaned
closer.
Touched him
gently.
Controlled the
moment.
But my mind was
not there.
My heart was
not there.
I was fighting
for my life.
“My friend
knows about drugs,” I said.
“She is in
danger.”
“This man will
hurt her.”
“You must act
quickly.”
“It is a matter
of life and death.”
He listened
carefully.
Nodding his
head.
He believed me.
“I will help,”
he said.
That was all I
needed.
Before anything
else could happen…
I left.
Quickly.
I went back to
the girls.
“It worked,” I
said.
We waited.
One hour.
Two hours.
Then my phone
rang.
“He got the
warrant,” I said softly.
“They are going
to raid the house.”
But then fear
came back.
What if there
were no drugs?
What if we were
wrong?
Everything
depended on Kenaa.
She was the one
walking into danger.
We tried to
stop her.
We begged her.
But she
refused.
“We cannot live
like this,” she said.
“We cannot keep
hiding.”
“We must face
this.”
She called Aju.
Asked to see
him.
He agreed.
Quickly.
Happily.
Tjipaa and
Ndjona-Top dropped her near his house.
Then they
waited.
Far away.
Minutes felt
like hours.
Then…
A message.
“The drugs are
here.”
“In the
basement.”
“In flour
bags.”
I forwarded the
message.
To Mr. Officer.
Everything was
in motion.
I went home.
Waiting.
Praying.
Hoping.
Time passed.
No message.
No call.
I tried to call
them.
Nothing.
Their phones
were off.
Fear filled me.
Did the plan
fail?
Was Kenaa safe?
I could not
breathe.
Then I turned
on the TV.
NBC News.
And there it
was.
“Police have
raided a house in Olympia…”
“100 kilograms
of cocaine found…”
“Worth over
N$100 million…”
My heart
lifted.
“Aju Tjamu
arrested…”
It worked.
We were safe.
Or so I
thought.
Then the
reporter continued.
“A young woman
was found dead…”
“A gunshot
wound to the chest…”
My heart broke.
“Police suspect
a crime of passion…”
I could not
move.
I could not
breathe.
I knew.
Tears ran down
my face.
From my eyes.
From my heart.
I knew…
The End of Chapter Twelve
Wait for Part
Thirteen as A GIRL FROM EHOMBA MOUNTAIN WHO WANTS TO ACHIEVE SOMETHING
continues…
