Twenty Years Later

Asukai

“Asu Kinga.”

Twenty-year-old Asu glanced up from labeling tools collected from a dig in the northwest of Kenya. She smiled at her professor when she saw him standing by the door to the collection room.

“How is it going?” Professor Hardy asked, folding his arms against his neat checkered shirt.

“I’ve completed most of the samples you handed me yesterday,” Asu said, checking her worksheets. “I’ve labeled and noted every piece as you asked. I’ll place them into storage containers before I leave today.”

“Good work,” Professor Hardy praised, dropping his arms to his side, he entered the collection room. He walked to the large desk at the corner of the room as Asu concentrated on labeling the last three tools. She made the necessary notes on the worksheet and returned them to the clipboard for the next team.

She was busy arranging the pieces in sealable storage containers when Professor Hardy placed a book on the large worktable.

“What is this?” Asu asked, her interest peaked when she noted the book looked old. It was covered with old leather, and tied around with a leather cord. A massive fig tree with gnarled roots was embedded on the surface of the cover of the book.

“It looks old,” Asu said, wanting to touch it but holding herself back. She clasped her hands behind her back and glanced up at Professor Hardy. “Is this a new project?”

“Yes,” Professor Hardy said. “The book belongs to a private collection. It came to me via a private collector. She is researching old farms in the Mount Kenya region. She wants to document important sites in the area, sites known by the locals, and would be considered hidden gems.”

“For what purpose?” Asu asked.

“Scholarly,” Professor Hardy said with a small grin. “Of course, there is the aim to turn it into a lucrative educational tour, but that discussion is for another day. For now, we are simply collecting information.”

“And this diary will have information on an old hidden gem,” Asu said, her tone skeptical.

“We suspect so,” Professor Hardy said. “I need you to write thorough notes on what you find. This will go toward your course credits. We will also add your name to the research paper for merit.”

Asu nodded and unclasped her hands from behind her back. She reached for the old book and as her fingers closed over the cool leather, she froze as a shiver raced down her back. It was an involuntary shiver. She frowned as she looked up at the still fans mounted on the ceiling. It was a sunny day outside, but it was not overly hot, and the temperatures were quite comfortable. Why would she feel cold?

“Are you okay?” Professor Hardy asked when she hesitated to pick up the diary.

Her phone alarm buzzed and she glanced at the gadget sitting next to a sealed plastic container.

“Excuse me,” Asu said, as she reached over to turn off the alarm.

“It must be time to end your session,” Professor Hardy said, stepping away from her workstation. “I’ll let you pack up. Lock the cupboards when you have put everything away.”

“What about this old book?” Asu asked as she glanced at the leather book.

“Take it home with you. You have a month-long vacation. Take the time to read it between resting. I’d appreciate occasional notes dropped into my email,” Professor Hardy said. “Bring it back when you resume class next month.”

Asu grinned, happy to still have work to do at the Horace Hardy Institute. The little projects she did for Professor Hardy paid her enough to keep her pocket money fund going. It was not easy being a college student in Nairobi.

Her father was generous enough to pay for her education, but her mother was strict with her daily expenses. She often needed to supplement her funds to purchase private toiletries and her school project supplies. The extra credit for her coursework was the topping on the cake.

Asu worked fast, putting away the research items from the dig in northwest Kenya. When she locked them away, she returned to the worktable where the old book still waited.

Asu looked up to find Professor Hardy had stepped out. She reached for the book again and gritted her teeth as a shiver rushed down her spine. It made the hairs on her arms stand up straight, and her hair felt itchy. Frowning, Asu started to untie the book but a second alarm on her phone stopped her. She glanced at the time and let out a soft sigh.

It was a Friday, the last day of her semester this year. She was going back home in the afternoon.

Tomorrow, she would be heading to her grandmother’s for her month-long vacation. The routine was like clockwork. It had repeated itself since she was old enough to be in school.

Ignoring the strange shivers, Asu placed the book in her book bag and prepared to leave for the day. She carried her book bag out of the collection room and found Professor Hardy in his main office.

“See you, Professor,” Asu said, waving at him from the door.

“Mm,” Professor Hardy said, as he studied something on his laptop. “Have a good holiday, Asu. Don’t forget to send me notes.”

“I won’t forget,” Asu promised.

“Good,” Professor Hardy said and waved her off.

Asu bit back a smile at the professor’s dismissive tone and headed out of the archeology department. She had carried everything she needed from her dorm room, so she headed out of the university without delay.

****

Professor Hardy stood at the windows in his office watching Asu Kinga walk toward the gates. The girl was twenty this year. She was pretty for her age, but what he admired most was her intellect.

“Did you give her the book?”

Professor Hardy dragged his gaze away from Asu to the woman who came to stand next to him.

“Yes, I did,” Professor Hardy said. “I don’t understand why you would give such a valuable object to a child.”

“She’s no ordinary child,” the woman said with a grin. “She’s the key to a secret I’ve hoped to uncover for decades. I can’t wait until she falls into the quest too.”

“What secret could be found in the depths of a rural area?” Professor Hardy asked, shaking his head at the obsession the woman next to him carried. “Farms are farms. You see one, you’ve seen them all.”

“That’s what you know,” the woman said. “There is what I know and I will wait for the moment to discover a remarkable treasure.”

“Be careful what you wish for,” Professor Hardy said as he watched Asu step out of the college. Maybe some things are not meant to be messed with.”

“We’ll see what happens.”

***

Prologue (vi) | Table of Contents | Chapter Two