Jabbar stood motionless, his gaze fixed on his son as he raced out of the village. He then turned and began his trek home, leaving behind the chief, Raji, and the Imamu, who had remained quietly behind the chief throughout the conversation. The Imamu whispered something into the chief's ear and then departed.
Raji looked to his father and voiced the question that had been weighing on his mind since his father's announcement. "Why must we wait until dawn?" he asked directly. "Why can't we set off earlier? Amari can gather the people in the town and lead them here by mid-day."
The chief surveyed the scene before him, observing his people in a frenzied state as they rushed to prepare. He then turned back to his son, "Even if we escaped right now, we wouldn't be able to get far if Mbaya returned to the town tonight. We have to be sure he went after the Foutes."
Raji's expression turned to one of frustration, "But that will give us less time to reach Kumate before he comes after us," he argued.
His father remained stoic, his gaze returning to the tribe's preparations for the journey. "Is there anything else you want to ask?" he said to his son.
Raji contemplated for a moment, his eyes scanning in the direction of his uncle's home, before turning back to his father, "I thought Uncle Jabbar would decide to stay," he said, his voice filled with uncertainty.
His father looked at him for a moment, then headed inside the house. Raji followed him in.
Once inside, his father turned to him and said, “Jabbar has long given up on revenge. He couldn't beat Mbaya when he was at his peak, and there's no way he can do it now. But that's not why he was against our departure.”
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Raji's face showed surprise. “He was against it?”
“Your uncle believes we will only be throwing away our lives,” the chief told his son.
“Then why...”
“The Imamu brings word from the gods,” his father said slowly. “They can guide us to a place far from here, a place further than Kumate, and we won't have to spend days traveling to get there.”
Raji's expression shifted to one of disbelief and anger. "And you believed him?! Word from the gods?! The same gods that have been silent this whole time while we've been treated like cattle?! For years...”
“Lower your tone, boy!” his father reprimanded. It wasn't that he didn't care or that he was heartless, but that there was one thing that was always in the back of his mind: “Never question the gods,” something his dad used to say to him. “We don't know why the gods left or why they're only back now. What matters is that they ARE back.”
Raji's voice choked up. Tears started stream down his cheeks, head downcast. "For years...”
“It's okay,” his father said, placing both hands on his son's shoulders to calm him. “It's okay.” After waiting for his son to calm down, he continued. “Go pack your things and get some rest. It will be a long journey.”
Raji nodded. He turned, wiping the tears from his eyes, and walked towards a room in the back. He stopped just in front of the animal skin hanging in the doorway as a curtain. “Does that mean we aren't going to Kumate?” he asked his father with his back to him.
“Yes,” his father replied.
“You told the people that's where we'll be going.”
“I'll inform them of our destination tomorrow, as soon as I know where we're going myself,” his father replied truthfully.
Raji said nothing more. He retreated to his room to begin packing. He didn't have much to bring with him - just a few fur robes and leathers. He quickly gathered these items and stuffed them into a large leather bag, making sure to secure the edges tightly. He also retrieved his iron spear and shield from the wall and placed them by his mat. Once he had double-checked that he hadn't forgotten anything, he lay down on his mat to try and get some rest, but his mind was filled with confusion and doubt, He couldn't shake off the feeling of betrayal, feeling that they were going to a place they knew nothing about.
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