Chapter 89 Eight Crucifixes

1547words2026-01-19 06:57

The sun burns down on them when Boeta stops and looks back at the black girl. She looks weak and he wonders whether she can go much further. It was a tiring day. It is a wonder they have reached this place. The pool he has experienced as a placid pool of water, today was a dangerous, churning stream. He worried that they wouldn't be able to cross the pool alive. They had no choice for they were entrapped by a large group of maniacs who followed them. They had simply no choice as to jump into the water and helplessly deliver themselves to the raging stream.

He was surprised that such a young, black girl could swim so well and was delighted when they could, with the help of entangled branches, pull themselves from the stream. They then walked all along the stream deeper into the gorges with difficulty. Sometimes they had to follow narrow banks higher up. They advanced at a snail's pace because the wide, raging stream left little space and seemed to wait for them to lose their balance and tumble down into the water and drown.

Eventually, they managed to advance to this tributary of the gorges where the stream flowed shallower and they could more easily climb over the rocks. They were on the lookout for a high enough crevice in the rock face where they could with safety sleep overnight.

The sun is now scorching from above and the girl is clearly becoming weaker and weaker and she is walking very slowly.

Boeta waits for her while she sluggishly walks up to him. They have talked very little so far and he feels it is now the time. He takes her by the shoulder and looks into her eyes.

"My name is Boeta. What is your name?"

With tired eyes, she looks at him and tries to pronounce his name: "Boeta ... Boeta?"

"Yes, that's good enough, Boeta, what is your name?"

"Koko."

"Koko, you look extremely feeble. We must soon find a resting place because I don't think you can make it any further before you become unconscious."

She nods meekly.

"Come, get on my back. I shall carry you further while I hold your legs. Grab me by the shoulders, okay?"

She climbs on his back and they proceed. "Help me look out for a place high enough where we can spend the night."

Boeta has carried her for quite a while when she suddenly speaks from behind his back: "There, Boeta, there. Look ..."

He looks to where her hand directs and see a darkish cove up against the rock face with a narrow bank they can follow to its entrance. It looks promising and he slowly but surely climbs up along the bank with her on his back and reaches the cave with enough space and with some roof over their heads. He puts her down.

She seems very weak as if she just wants to sleep but she gestures that he must come nearer to her. She wants to whisper something in his ear.

He puts his ear close to her mouth and very softly with an effort she speaks: "Boeta, I am very ill. You must leave me here and go away."

Boeta frowns. "No, why must I leave you here? Are you mad? I'm going to help you. I am going to get branches and going to sharpen sticks and go and hunt for us. Then I am going to make a fire. I know how to kindle a fire with sticks. I shall look for sharp splints of stones or break it myself to get sharp points and hunt and roast our meat. I will nurse you to health, Koko. It was only a terrible day and you are dead-beat, that's all."

She shakes her head from side to side. "No, Boeta, I know why those people are so lunatic. Each one that has been bitten becomes sick. That auntie bit me in the bushes and I am going to become ill. You must go now before I fall sick and become a monster. My sister fled with me yesterday, Boeta. We were together on our way to gather herbs for my mother. She was the herbalist of our community and when we returned my mother attacked us and scratched my sister and bit her just as I was attacked and bitten by your mother. I helped my sister to run away and we fled and hid under a bush while the community searched for us. They were all crazy."

She takes a deep breath before she continues.

"It became dark and we fell asleep and when I awoke I exited our shelter and looked around. No one was in the vicinity. When I returned to my sister, I saw she became one of them. She had been infected by the bite of my mother. Just as I now, she became sleepy and slept a while and when she awoke, she had changed into a mad monster. So, go now Boeta, before I attack you and make you sick. Please, Boeta, go now!"

Tears are running freely while she looks at him begging. "Boeta, save yourself! Leave me here. Go! Come tomorrow and if I have changed into a monster, kill me because you won't be safe here with me."

Boeta frowns. "It was my mother who bit you. I can't just leave you here, my girl."

"Go now before it is too late! I am going to make you sick. Boeta, go now!"

"Okay, I am going to leave you for the night but shall come and see how you are tomorrow. I shall get something for us to eat. I shall not give up on you, Koko. Don't worry. I shall come tomorrow and bring something to eat."

"Kill me if I have changed into a monster. Promise me, Boeta."

He smiles and nods. "See you later, Koko. Go to sleep now, my girl."

He waits until her eyes close.

~*~*~

Hannes is now very interested: "My goodness, Boeta, did she survive the plague? What happened?"

"With sadness in my heart, I left her there and found a shelter for the night. Early the next morning I went to her. I expected to find a monster but she had only some flu and she was weak. By the look of it, she was by all her senses. She warned me to stay away from her. She was afraid that she, in one way or another, could infect me without a bite. I promised her to go and hunt for food for us for that evening."

Kadin is curious: "How did you manage that, Boeta?"

"Yes, I had seen hyraxes against the cliffs and that evening we had roasted meat."

"Every day I brought her something to eat. Some days even without eating myself. I rather gave it to her because she needed it more than me. One day, about seven days later, when I reached the cave, she was gone. Worried, I went to search for her and found her on her way back from where she had gone to search for herbs. She was much better and didn't care when I was near her. We then started to live together and did things together and so became inseparable."

Donovan asks: "And she never infected you?"

"No, when I became sick with a cold or upturned stomach, she doctored me quickly to health with her herbs. I am sure she has a natural immunity against the sickness, people! This is why you, Donovan, and you two, Kadin and Billy, were sent here. I believe our group here was chosen to get her to those scientists who must develop the antidote for the sickness with her DNA."

Donovan nods his head in confirmation. "I agree, Boeta. It is incredible and can't be circumstantial! That your mother had to attack her and bit her before your eyes so that you should feel guilty and save her. That the mercenaries had to sleep over in the woods so that we found them. That the helicopter had to be shot down so that we had to flee into these gorges. That I at the right moment had to see you at the pool and found you in this cave. That Kadin and Billy had to catch the last cab and joined us here to make us aware of the precious DNA that Koko carries in her. She must be one in a million! Now we know that we must get her alive to the right people. It is just astonishing and I agree with you."

He takes out his fighting knife. "Pass me the right dry pieces of wood out of that heap. I am going to carve eight crucifixes that we will be carrying with strings around our necks. The crosses symbolize our life's mission to get Koko to the right people who will develop an antidote to save the world from the plague. We must keep it a secret amongst us. Do you all agree?"

One by one they nod their heads in earnest to carry the crucifixes as a symbol of their life's mission which they have just made their own.