The Moments She Never Noticed

Asukai

Two days into their stay at Kinga Farm, Asu was still thinking about Muruthi and his reaction to her question about her mother. The panic in Muruthi’s eyes filled her thoughts often. Shaking her head, Asu turned the page on the old diary she was reading and frowned when she found a drawing of a massive fig tree. The kind with roots that grew around them as large as a man. The spaces between them could hide a child. She had seen this tree in the middle of her grandmother’s farm.

Touching the drawing, she read the passage at the bottom of the page.

'...The patriarch of the farm does not allow outsiders to approach the old fig tree in the middle of the farm. Outsiders are anyone not associated with the main family. They call it taboo to harm the tree, to touch it, to break a branch, and only eat the fruit from this tree when it is truly ripe and falling off the branches...'

Come to think of it, Asu frowned. She had once tried to grab a fig from the lower branches of the old fig tree in the middle of her grandmother’s farm and earned a slap on her hand for her efforts.

What had her cousin Prisca said as she moved away from the branches?

“We don’t eat from that one unless it provides.”

Prisca then moved her to a younger fig tree closer to the river.

“Curious,” Asu murmured under her breath.

She traced the massive fig tree for another moment then looked up when she heard a laugh. Closing the book, she placed it in the basket she had brought with her to the orange grove and got up to join the three women trimming the oranges.

“Where can I help?” Asu asked, moving to pick a pair of sheers from the toolbox near Prisca.

“There’s no need,” Prisca was fast to say. She moved to close the toolbox and pointed to the branches on the ground. “If you want, you can pick up the small branches on the ground and place them in the wheelbarrow. Tommy will be by to drive the wheelbarrow to the firewood shed.”

“I can take it when it’s ready,” Asu said, already picking up the branches around the cleaned-out orange trees. She placed them in the wheelbarrow and glanced at Prisca and Sibila who only smiled at her.

“Leave it, Asu,” Sibila said. “You read your book. You can get us water from the house. Tommy won’t be happy if you take his job.”

Asu sighed and concentrated on dropping the dry branches on the ground into the wheelbarrow. Strange.

At home, Miria made her do all the housework. At her grandmother’s farm her cousins, Prisca and Sibila, made sure she did the least work. A feat to be praised especially on a farm that was filled with chores.

The most Asu ever did here was pick up sticks and place them in a wheelbarrow. She brought tea to the workers from the main house, but this was also rare. Prisca and Sibila preferred to feed everyone in one place. In the staff kitchen behind the main house.

Asu dropped the bundle of sticks she had picked up into the wheelbarrow and stared at Prisca and Sibila who were busy trimming the closest orange trees.

“Guys,” Asu said, hoping to test her theory. “Can you teach me how to trim the oranges?”

“Why?” Prisca asked. “We’re almost done with the work and you won’t be here long enough to help.”

Asu’s frown deepened.

“What do you mean? What if I decide to come back and live here?” Asu asked.

Sibila laughed and shook her head.

“What would you be doing here, city girl?”

“Sibila,” Prisca chastised.

“What?” Sibila grinned at Asu. “It’s either a city girl or girl-from-a-different-planet.”

Prisca threw a bunch of orange leaves at Sibila and turned to Asu.

“Don’t carry it,” Prisca said. “Asu, why don’t you go to the kitchen in the house and bring us cold water? I’m craving ice-cold water. Please.”

Asu smiled, taking in Sibila’s teasing expression, and nodded. Her experiment was proven right. Prisca was quite proactive in keeping her from doing anything serious. What a strange coincidence! Why had she never noticed it before?

“I’ll take back the basket,” Asu said, waving at her cousins. She went back to the basket where she had left her book and frowned. “I’ll bring back cold water.”

“No need to hurry,” Sibila called after her as she left.

Asu let out a soft sigh and climbed the steep path leading up from down the farm. She headed to the main house. As she climbed up the steps at the last part, she slowed down when she saw her grandmother and Hera working in the open workshop near the outside kitchen.

Grandmother Siti held a bunch of wool threads, and woven sisal strands. She spoke to Hera in a quiet voice, explaining how to weave a basket. Hera listened with rapt attention.

Asu stopped where she stood. It suddenly occurred to her that she had watched this same scene more than once. She never paused to think about why Grandmother Siti showed Hera how to weave baskets, make porridge, and all other little crafts Siti never pushed on Asu.

Asu watched the two for more than five minutes. They did not notice her, too caught up in their activity. Shifting her hold on the basket, Asu continued into the main house and returned the basket with an empty water bottle and the used cups her cousins had used earlier.

She rinsed the cups in the quiet farmhouse kitchen and leaned on the counter. She had no idea why she was overthinking everything. Maybe she was finally losing her mind over Miria’s cold nature.

Her gaze lingered on the sink counter, and the sunlight rays dancing over the tiled surface. There were drops of water on the counter from her encounter with the cups. As though the water sensed her mood, the drops lifted in the air in a splendid show of glitter, letting the sunlight flash through them, making the droplets sparkle.

Asu smiled at the little show, then the droplets splashed on the counter when a knock came on the kitchen door.

“Asu?” Grandmother Siti’s voice filled the kitchen and she turned to see her grandmother enter the house. “When did you get back from the oranges?”

“Just now,” Asu said, pointing to the basket. “Prisca and Sibila wanted cold water from the fridge. I was rinsing the cups.”

“You could have left them for later,” Grandmother Siti said, reaching into her pocket to pull out a thousand-shilling note. “I want to send you to the shop. The oven’s not working and we need to feed the workers in the morning. I need you to get bread for breakfast.”

“Sure, I’ll go to Shiro’s shop,” Asu said, taking the money from her grandmother.

“And, Asu,” Grandmother Siti said, studying her as she reached for a bag they used to go to the shop. It was hung by the aprons near the window.

“Yes, Grandma?”

“Stop worrying so much,” Grandmother Siti said with a small smile. “Enjoy your holiday. Read a book. You know, relax.”

Asu stared at her grandmother, then smiled with a small laugh.

“Okay,” Asu said. “I’ll go to Shiro’s shop now.”

“Okay, hurry back,” Siti said, watching her leave the kitchen.

****

Asu bought the next morning’s bread from Shiro’s shop. The walk to the shop was only ten minutes, not too far from the farm, but not too close either.

Breakfast was a large affair at Grandma Siti’s house, with workers coming in for tea before work started, and bread was an essential part of the meal. Siti usually baked it, but if the oven was out, then she needed to buy the bread in the evening.

Asu took her change from the Shiro the shopkeeper and headed back to the farm. Her pace was neither fast nor slow. She was in no particular hurry to get back. Her cousins were busy in the orange grove, and her grandmother was occupied with Hera. She liked reading the diary from Professor Hardy, but it was strange to finish her homework just as her holiday started.

Nevertheless, the stories in the diary lingered.

She was now sure the diary spoke about Kinga Farm. The orange groves, the old fig tree in the middle of the farm, her grandmother’s ornery nature. The woman rarely allowed strangers through the gates.

Plus, her cousins had a strange fixation with the fig tree.

Her phone buzzed and she reached for it to find Professor Hardy calling.

“Asu, I received your notes in my email,” Professor Hardy said. He did not comment on how eager she seemed to complete the task he had given her. “Thank you for sending me the first set of your thoughts so early. So, do you think the stories on the farm are authentic?”

“They feel authentic enough,” Asu said. “I might not have any evidence to share with you now, but I can work on collecting it. My family’s family home is in the region.”

“That would be great if you could get evidence to collaborate on the stories in the notebook,” Professor Hardy said. “What do you need? I can send a package to you—”

“I think the book will do for now. I only need time, which I have, to walk around and my phone to take photos. If I get good ones I’ll share them with you.”

“That’s perfect,” Professor Hardy said. “You will be helping so much, Asu. I’m grateful and I’m sure our benefactor will be excited to receive anything you can provide. I’ll forward you a small advance in the next few minutes. To help you move around easier.”

“Thank you, Professor, that helps,” Asu said with a small happy laugh.

They talked about the diary for a moment, then she ended the call. She slid her phone into her pocket and that’s when she noticed that someone was following her.

The road to the farm had no other gates, it was a stretch of forest that led to the blue gate with the white bougainvillea growing on it.

Asu fought the urge to break into a run. After all, it could be a worker heading to the farm to talk to Grandmother Siti. They got many of those folks hoping for decent work. She took in a deep breath and let it out with a soft sigh.

With minimal finesse, she looked back and bit her bottom lip when she caught a full glimpse of the tall man with skin the color of onyx stone walking right behind her. She looked forward and increased her pace, fighting panic.

The tall man closed the distance between them and started walking next to her, matching her hurried pace.

Asu frowned as she gripped the bag full of fresh bread from the shop. She stole a glance at the man again and noted that he looked too well-dressed to be a hooligan out to rob her groceries or her grandmother’s change.

When he noticed her glance, he nodded his head in her direction and she scowled.

Asu walked faster, hoping to escape him. He followed, keeping pace. She worried he was up to no good, so she stopped and started to scream.

He held up his hands in surrender and took a step back.

“Don’t be scared. I’m only here to tell you that the clans await your return. Only you can heal the rift and restore balance. Find the world beyond the Fig soon, Princess Asukai.”

Asu stared at the strange man for a full minute, then decided she was the crazy one for entertaining him. How many handsome gentlemen kidnapped girls on deserted streets? Plenty, that’s what!

Asu broke into a fast run. She ran home like the devil was on her heels. She did not stop until she entered her grandmother’s gate. When she reached, bursting into the front yard while panting, it was to find her grandmother sitting outside on the lawn chairs with Hera.

Siti and Hera were drinking tea. They both looked at her when she came to a panicked stop.

“Asu?” Hera stood and rushed to her side.

Asu dropped her bag of bread on the grass and bent over to catch her breath. She breathed in and out trying to ease the ache in her chest from all the running. When she could finally speak, Hera reached her and picked up the bag with the bread.

“What’s going on?”

“S-some w-weird guy on the road,” Asu said, pointing in the direction of the gate. “He was speaking nonsense. I don’t know, called me Princess Asu-something. I swear to God. He looked perfectly normal, but I swear he’s crazy.”

“Asu?” Siti moved closer, placing a gentle hand on her back. “What did you say he called you?”

“Princess Asu-something. I didn’t catch the last part. He said more, but I didn’t bother to listen. He was following me and it made me nervous.”

“Try to remember,” Siti said, her tone hard to ignore.

Asu straightened up and met her grandmother’s gaze. The frown on Siti’s forehead made her pause.

“Grandma Siti,” Asu started, but when her grandmother’s frown morphed into a frustrated expression, she sighed and did her best to recall what the weird stranger had said to her.

“He said, the clans await your return. Um…only you can heal the rift and restore balance. Find the world beyond the Fig soon, Princess Asu,” Asu said. “I did not catch the last part of the name. I don’t think he was saying my name, but something longer.”

Siti’s frown deepened, which looked quite scary on her face, a frown added to her wrinkles. Asu wondered if the sky was falling soon.

“Grandma?” Hera asked, touching Siti’s left arm. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing,” Siti said, taking Hera’s hand, her lips curving into a smile that did not quite reach her eyes. “Your sister is right. He’s a crazy man. Don’t think about it.”

Asu frowned this time because it looked as though Siti was taking the stranger’s words seriously. Even as she tried to ease Hera’s mind.

Once again, Professor Hardy’s diary filled Asu’s thoughts. The story was about a farm with a long history of thriving prosperity. The author of the diary wondered how the farm stayed prosperous. Why did the farm continue to thrive from generation to generation without any signs of the ravages of time and economy?

Asu studied Siti’s reaction until her grandmother noticed her gaze.

“Asu, forget the mumblings of a stranger. Let’s go inside. You must be shaken,” Siti said. “Running off was the right thing to do. You’ve grown up. I’m glad I don’t have to remind you to stay away from strangers,” Siti said and motioned them to head back to the house. “Let’s get dinner ready, your cousins will be hungry when they get back.”

*****

Chapter Six | Table of Contents | Chapter Eight