STRANGE INCIDENCES
“Oh, Gia! I am freaking out. I don't trust those men.” Grace remarks as we start our way off the beach.
Once again, I am leaving my favorite spot so frustrated, and this time, my heart is broken too. Just like the last time Deep and I visited this place, these fools blasted us, interrupting us and annoying the hell out of me. Today is no exception. It is worse, even. How can media personalities bang on me like that, huh? What is more baffling, without any identification documents? And of all the things they could ask about, Ejay? Seriously? That is so insensitive of them. And confusing. All their actions ring with utter dubiousness to me. They were so strange.
“Let’s just get out of here, Grace. I also don’t like them.” I say. I honestly don’t like them or these feelings. I am getting. I wouldn’t want to entertain such feelings, but they are so dominant and unnerving.
“Gia! Miss Gia? Can I take a selfie with you, please? You are my idol.”
“Just one selfie, idol!”
“Just one, music queen!”
“Can you sign my autograph, please?"
And the life of a celebrity stinks sometimes. I am in a hurry to leave this place, but people are obscuring my way with millions of demands. These sweet and warm gestures never annoy me, by the way. If the situations were different, I would pause for their selfie wishes and sign each one automatically. As much as there might be. But for some reason, I feel the urge to leave this place growing stronger with each passing second. Today, they will have to forgive me. I can do this some other time. “Next time, guys, please. Kindly excuse me.” I say, covering my face with my hand as I try to make my way out of the big crowd.
However, the next thing I know, a confused man slams on me. “Ouch!” I scream as I almost collapse to the white sand, but the same man catches me before I fall. Forget saying thank you; who wears black in the whole of Mombasa City, and worst of all, a complete black sweat suit with a floral trench court? Forget the cap that is covering his upper face, and also forget the double dark shades. Let’s talk about the black mask that covers everything from his chin to his nose. In short, all his facial features are secured. No detail of his face can be seen. This is… I jerk myself away from him. “Be careful. Miss!”
That deep voice!
I can’t breathe as I try to think about it. But do I have time? No, because he is walking away and I cannot do a thing. I am actually almost freezing on my spot, and somehow, like that time before, I don’t feel even a little tinge of thanking the man for saving me from falling down. I hate this feeling. I detest these sentiments. I loath…
“Gia!”
“Grace?” I whimper,
I spin around with lightning speed, fear creeping into me. Grace!
She was fucking right here with me. “Grace?” I scream her name, heading in the direction that her voice came from. The crowd started breaking away after sensing the danger, while I ran like a mad woman through them, shouting my sister’s name. The crowd was damn big. I am still lost in it, despite how fast I am running. “Grace!” I cry again.
“Gia! Ouch!” We both slam to the white sand at the shores of the lake as Grace is thrown to me from somewhere in the crowd.
What the heck!
The crowd screams as they run off, some even falling into the water as they try to escape. This picture of people running for their dear lives resembles a baffling picture that I try as much as possible not to remember. The events of that day, the screams of people as they ran for their safety, the blood of those who were gunned down, the earsplitting sounds of the guns—they are all raw and tormenting memories. “Grace? Are you okay? Are you alright?” I ask as I wipe her face with my hands as I try to shake those incidents from my head. She is not physically hurt as far as I can see, but tears are rolling down her cheeks, perhaps from that scare.
What even was that?
“I am okay. You?” She asks, scanning my face as we pull ourselves up from the floor. We are the only ones left in the area. Everyone else has left for their own safety, except for some black car that is parked way too close to the shore. A black van. Black van that doubles my paralyzing nerve-wracking chills. I hate this color, and no one can blame me for being paranoid after what has just happened. So keep my eyes fixed on the car; it seems like it is glaring right at me.
I thought there was no one inside the car until the car’s tinted windows rolled down. On the front side, I see two people with their faces covered, like the man who got hold of me a while ago. Or maybe he is one of the two. There is no way to tell at all since their outfits are matching. They are looking at us like people who are trying to convey a message that only they and the devil can understand. Who are these people?
My eyes lazily dart on the back side, and here is where all the mystery lies. There is definitely a man seated there, but his face and upper body are all hidden. The only things I can make out of his blood are his red suit, which is bleeding pure danger, and the shiny Hurricane Freedom edition walking stake. Both hands are resting on the cane with the fingers in motion, moving up and down like a devil putting a plan in motion. Both hands have red gloves.
In my confused state, some crazy thought spanked my mind, whispering for me to get a sneak peek from a shorter distance because these people look like danger itself. They are weird. Who the fuck are these people, and what kind of games are they playing with us? “No, Gia! Don’t!” Grace calls as I take my first step, but she eventually has no option but to follow me because her pleas fell on my deaf ears.
I keep walking and walking, my eyes on the man hiding in the back seat. The more I keep going, the more the movements of my fingers keep increasing, and I keep going, driven by a very strong urge, until I find myself running. I have not blinked for that long moment. I have been running toward this damn freaking car because I don’t want to peel my eyes and find my targets gone from my sight.
But unfortunately for me, just some fucking five steps away from knowing who the devils in this car are and what they damn want, the engine starts, and the devil at the back has the balls to wave at me as they beastly speed off. I stop, panting for breath, and I curse them. A million times! What kind of game was that? Who would play this kind of game, huh? Maybe some lunatics!
Just then, the dam police officers come running. These fools always come late. The only commendable thing about them today is that that damn vehicle is still in view but speeding off so fast. “Miss Gia! We received a call from someone that you and you"
“Follow that black car, officer!” I cut the officer off. “The black one," I say, pointing in the direction of the van.
“Men, move! Get that car!” The officer orders.
“Yes, sir!” The officers say this as they run to their cars, and soon enough, they pull off after those weird men.
“What is happening, Gia? Why all these strange things today?” Grace asks, shaking beside me.
What can I tell her? Even I am confused. I am so confused to the point that I am shaking and my heart is beating with a rhythm that I don’t like.
“Miss Gia, my apologies, but you have to explain what just happened at the station. Don’t worry. We will just take your statement, and then we will drive you to where you are staying.” The officer explains, and I think that is a good thing because I need to cool off my head on the way before I put my mind together to make a meaningful statement. All the same, what in God’s name is happening? What is the name of what just happened?
