“Where are you kids?” I asked myself as I tried to look for Takondwa and Shinah.

I thought that I no longer deserved to live. I felt like a dead man walking. I was powerless but I kept following those two kids.

Then, there was a harsh sound, a violent noise.

A big snake scared me.

A voice echoed back at me. The snake disappeared but the echo of my words raised the hair on my head. I had thought it was Takondwa, but the voice was just like my own…

“Takondwa,” I called. Then the voice echoed back at me again.

I was paralysed with fearful thoughts. Each time I spoke, I heard my own voice twice. I was not sure what to do.

Then, I saw a big rock, with a hole in the middle of it. From this I could hear the voices of the two kids, as well as the sound of an old man. I was terrified, as I didn’t know what was inside the rock. But because I felt an urge to save the kids, I pushed the fear aside.

I approached the rock. Inside it appeared as though there was a paradise continued within it. But there was no one there.

I thought I was daydreaming. I pinched myself to see if I would wake up from a dream.

“Who are you and what do you want here?” came a voice.

My God. Why didn’t you send your angels to take me, so that I wouldn’t lose my energy? You only love Alijah! Have you forgotten that I was also created by you?”

“Hey, don’t be stupid, young man! This is not heaven. Do you understand?”

“Yes, but where are you? I can’t even see you! Are you a spirit?”

“Questions can’t be answered by themselves.”

“I’m looking for the kids, have you seen them anywhere?”

“They are right behind you.”

And, then from behind me came the voice of Takondwa: “Do you want to kill us, like you did our parents?”

I felt so sorry. All my muscles went weak. After I heard Takondwa’s words, I lost the ability to speak, only tears were able to tell the story through my eyes.

“Don’t worry, young man, it was not your fault. Takondwa, forgive him. He did not do it on purpose. It was the evil spirit spread through our village that instigated the killing,” the old man said.

Both the children hugged me. I felt so relieved.

“Thank you, kids,” I said.

“Welcome,” they replied.

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