The Dancing Bride And Her Spirit Warrior - Episode 51

 

Vuyanzi stretched her back muscles to get rid of the kinks and knots just in time for a large, old and dusty encyclopedia to be dropped in front of her with a loud bang. She nearly jumped out of her out of her chair.

She looked up to the bi-spected librarian who was glaring at her, ‘’Time is up young lady, just because you have been traipsing all over the country with the new reserve manager does not earn you an extra library time. Get out,’’

Vuyanzi has always known the librarian was an old bitter woman . Everybody in the collage knew that but this felt like a personal attack somehow, ‘’am sorry I didn’t realize the time,’’ Vuyanzi decided she would not respond harshly to the woman.

‘’Well now you know, get out,’’ the lady picked up her heavy book and moved on. Vuyanzi shook her head and collected her stationery while shaking her head. Today was proving to be a long day.

First her classmates couldn’t stop staring at her the moment she stepped out of the brand new vehicle Koni had purchased for her. Secondly, the obvious whispers around her back. The talk of how she seduced Koni with her dance and trapped him into marriage. The jealous talk of how she was able to snatch a rich handsome man who was able to provide so much bride price for her

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/the-dancing-bride-and-her-spirit-warrior

. The admiration on how lucky she was. All this came from the students, the lecturers and every person they passed through the school.

 It did not help with Jaffar tugging along wherever she went, no one dared to come close to her.

A group of girls had hijacked her in the bathroom and questioned her about Koni’ and his ‘brothers’ and if they were available. Caro had come to her rescue and stopped the girls from harassing her. They were demanding to be invited at the wedding and Koni’s contacts. One had even had the guts to snatch her phone and go through the phone book. Vuyanzi nearly knocked the girl down if it was not for the other girls holding her back. Caro had just entered in time to help Vuyanzi get her phone back before they were able to acquire Koni’s number. More so they would have never guessed how she saved Koni’s number. Not in their million years.

She had saved him as Lion Cutey. A stupid name but she loved it.

Vuyanzi had had enough and so she ran to the only place she could think of to have some sort of silence and peace. The library. The brooding librarian didn’t allow anyone near the room. One look from her sharp eyes was enough to send the girls scampering. Vuyanzi sighed a relief. She had attended her classes and slipped back into the library to study. There was a lot of things she had to go through. She had missed a lot of lessons and she had a lot to do to catch up.

She hadn’t realized the time until the heavy dusty encyclopedia dumped on her desk nearly took her head off.

With her back lying hanging from her shoulders she stepped out into the green lawns outside the library that the college tried so hard to maintain. The sun was just setting casting a wonderful yellow-orange glow on the library window panes. They reminded her of Koni’s eye color when his beast was at the surface. She giggled to herself and a few students still milling around looked at her questioningly. It was then she remembered she had not heard from Koni the whole day which was strange.

Searching for her phone inside the bag, she checked and found that she had several missed calls. From her grandmother, aunt Neza, Caro and Tabu but non from Koni. Strange. Koni always left her a sweet message or a phone call. She decided to call him but the call went straight to voice mail. Which was even stranger, Koni never switched his phone off. She left him a message asking him to call back.

It was a long day so she decided to go home. She looked around and couldn’t see Jaffar who was practically her shadow since she came back from Karura Forest. Jaffar never left her side, she found that Koni paid him handsomely for that. Now he was nowhere to be seen. For once Vuyanzi felt apprehension creeping down her neck. What if the amanani were back? She couldn’t help but wonder. She wanted to call Jaffar’s number and ask him to come and pick her up but stopped herself. Looking around she decided to let go of her fear and walk home. She couldn’t be walking around every day fearing for her life. She was a grown woman and she was not afraid of some vindictive creatures which were out for her blood. She would face them if need arouse but for now Vuyanzi was walking home.

With her head high, she walked towards the college gates, she was happy that it was evening and the darkness covered her from the judgmental looks of her colleagues.

Outside the school gates her apprehension grew again. Nyati College was built at the edge of the reserve. Between the gate and the town was a huge expansion of trees, thickets and brush to cross. The trees reminded her of her short captivity at Karura forest with Kweyu the madman and Kaunda the rogue warrior. She swallowed her fear and started walking, by now it was only her on the wide road. Everyone else opted for boda boda (motor bike) riders but not her. Something inside her pushed for rebelliousness. She was not going to cower before the amanani. Not ever.

She had walked almost midway when she felt a presence behind her, somewhere in the bushes, Vuyanzi my bride, Koni’s voice whispered in the cool evening air.

Vuyanzi turned around to see Koni standing behind her, his eyes burning brightly like the setting sun. He had transformed into the half man half beast that he was. Standing very tall and huge. She could see a tail too. His canines were dropped and he was snarling at her. His dreadlocks all over his head. His chest was naked and he had jeans on but they were frayed at the ankles, his legs bare.

‘’Koni,’’ she grasped and wondered at the intent in his eyes when he looked at her. He had completely blocked his thoughts from reaching her and she wondered why.

‘’Vuyanzi, you are a very stubborn girl,’’ he snarled at her and Vuyanzi wondered what is wrong with him, she took a step back.

‘’are you okay?’’ Vuyanzi wondered what was wrong with him, was he sick or was he infected by a cat disease that made him rabid?

‘’You deliberately disobeyed me,’’ he took a step when she took a step back again, matching her pace. Suddenly he was behind her and sniffing her neck, Vuyanzi’s apprehension fled and replaced by excitement that was always came with the presence of Koni. She craned her neck when his clawed finger traced a line on her neck.

‘’You are a bad girl,’’ he continued his other hand encircling her waist and pulling her back to his front, roughly and Vuyanzi enjoyed his possessive touch. Her bag was discarded on the dusty road and Vuyanzi faintly registered they were in the middle of the road and someone might come and find them. How would she explain this? She giggled giddily she didn’t care as long as she was in Koni’s arms.

In the next second she was picked up bridal style and Koni dashed into the bushes with her. Vuyanzi held on tight on his neck as she went for the ride of her life. The trees passed blurry in her vision, Koni was that first and he didn’t even twitch a muscle. His breath remained constant, he didn’t heave with her weight. In a matter of minutes, they were deep inside the forest, Vuyanzi could see other creatures in the background, some buffaloes, a monkey, cheetahs and various birds. It all seemed surreal.

And then they stopped outside a clearing, a very large clearing. Vuyanzi looked around to see the banquet fit for a king spread on a maasai shuka with a few colorful throw pillows lying around. Koni gently placed her down on the spread and Vuyanzi covered her mouth with her hands awed at the display.

‘’Koni this is beautiful,’’ Vuyanzi marveled at the display of lamp lights strategically placed all around the spread shedding light at everything.

‘’You like it?’’ Koni asked and turned Vuyanzi towards him, kissing her hands. He had turned back into a man, he was still tall but not like before. Vuyanzi nodded her head giving him an impromptu hug with tears shining in her eyes.

‘’I thought you would like it, I prepared everything myself,’’ he squeezed her tight and nuzzled her neck.

‘’Are you sure you did this all by yourself? The food, the arrangement?’’ Vuyanzi teased,

‘’I…um… ordered somebody to do it,’’ he fumbled

‘’Of course you did. It’s the thought that counts isn’t it?’’

‘’Yes,’’ he pulled her down and she sat between his legs, he leaned back on the pillows and she leaned back towards him, drawing in his strength and warmth. It seemed like ages ago when she was with him and she decided to soak up this moment with him.

Koni somehow managed to pour some chilled fizzling wine into long stemmed glasses. Vuyanzi had never had wine in her life before. At first it was bitter but not like some of the potions her grandmother kept forcing down her throat when she was young. This was bitter sweet. It was bitter but the sweetness in it was overwhelming. After the first few snips, she got used to the taste. All this time Koni laughed at her, encouraged her to try it and even offered her something else if she was uncomfortable with it. Vuyanzi huffed and gulped the whole glass down.

‘’There it’s done,’’ she placed the glass down and wiped her hand with the back of her hand. She belched.

‘’Am not sure if that was a good idea,’’ Koni gazed at her with mouth wide open, ‘’ wine is meant to be enjoyed slowly and guzzled like water Vuyanzi,’’ his voice was amused.

‘’I am sorry if I am not as cultured as you want me to be Koni. I have never had wine in my life,’’ Vuyanzi released another burp, this time she covered her mouth. She sat up and moved some distance from him, minding the display of foods on the palates in front of her. Suddenly she was not as hungry as she thought she was.

‘’I didn’t say anything like that Vuyanzi,’’ Koni sat up straight too and looked at her intently as if trying to figure out why her mood was changing.

‘’You don’t have to Koni, I know it am not cultured. I was raised on a small town in poverty. We didn’t sleep hungry but didn’t have much luxuries either. I didn’t study in a private school nor any of those fancy colleges you have attended. I have never been outside the country or learn any foreign languages. I didn’t have much in life Koni. So forgive me if I don’t know how to drink wine,’’ she finished her mouth diarrhea. Vuyanzi wondered if it was the wine that was making her talk like that. And why was her face warm? She fanned her face with her hand and avoided Koni’s piercing gaze.

Why would she go ahead and reveal all of her insecurities before him? Why would she ruin a good mood with her blubbering mouth? Vuyanzi cursed the wine. It was the course of everything. She shouldn’t have drank it. That was the consequence of forcing herself in a class she didn’t belong to.

‘’You have a grandmother who would move heaven and earth to protect you. An uncle who showered you with love. Vuyanzi you have so much than you will ever know. My mother died when I was young and my father cast me away. I was raised with house helps then sent to the training camp for young warriors. Until recently my father hardly talked in my presence after the death of my mother. I learnt earlier on to survive on a big house on my own. It’s true I was sent to fancy schools and colleges and I have travelled the world but I did know love and family like you do. I would exchange everything I have for a fraction of the warmth exuded by your family,’’ Koni turned Vuyanzi to face him and held on tight when she tried to move away. He needed her to understand what he was saying.

Vuyanzi had never known if she hadn’t survived without her grandmother and uncle by her side. They meant the world to her. She felt sorry for Koni for missing out on parental love and moral support.

‘’I know we are brought in polar opposite worlds but Vuyanzi we belong together. You have to understand that,’’ he implored her but Vuyanzi shook her head.

‘’What if the attraction you feel for me is superficial and only because of the pull of the bond between your spirit warrior and my dancing bride?’’ since she had started expressing her insecurities she might as well say everything, Vuyanzi decided, ‘’I mean would you have spared a glance at me if not for this attraction?’’ Vuyanzi pointed between them.

Koni grabbed her wrist and placed it on his chest, underneath the warm hard flesh was a fast pounding heart at the same time his emotions evaded her head, his hurt at her words and doubt at him, his anger and his love and passion, ‘’does this feel superficial Vuyanzi?’’ his voice was hostile and Vuyanzi felt sad for making him angry.

‘’Does it feel superficial when I kiss you?’’ he whispered in a husky voice as he leaned towards her and Vuyanzi couldn’t help but lean into him, her breath labored, ‘’did it feel superficial after everything we shared inside the caves?’’ by now his tone had dropped into a complete whisper and Vuyanzi could feel the betrayal in his voice, instead of kissing her as she yearned, he pulled himself away a dejected look on his face.

‘’I am sorry Koni.’’ That was all Vuyanzi could say.

‘’I brought you here for our first official date Vuyanzi, let’s forget about everything and focus on now. We are just a man and woman on our first like every normal couple,’’

But we are not just any normal couple, Vuyanzi thought.

‘’I know,’’ Koni replied and Vuyanzi was surprised that she had spoken aloud, ‘’Okay how about you ask me anything that you want, so that we can clear the air, hmm?’’ Koni suggested.

And Vuyanzi did. Koni was twenty-seven years old and he loved drawing though he was very poor at it. He had two hearts like all spirit warriors and his heart beats were twice as first as the normal humans. He didn’t have siblings but he had distant cousins in Botswana. His immediate family was Chief Dakarai Jasiri, his father. His mother’s family alienated him after the death of his mother, blaming Chief Dakarai for negligence. He hadn’t seen his maternal family for years. He had been bullied for his small scrawny body until he was twelve years when he sprouted and gained height and weight. Then the bullying stopped. Koni refused to talk about his days when he was training to be warrior and Vuyanzi saw a dark cloud passing is eyes. He had made friends with Manute, Dembe, Dume and Sudi at the camp and they had been matched into an age group by the elders forging a bond between them.

All this made Vuyanzi see Koni in a different light, he was just like everyone else. His favorite food was raw meat (buffaloes and antelopes) and he hated vegetables. He didn’t have a favorite color, they all looked the same to him though he hated bright, screaming colors. He liked wide spaces that was the reason his bedrooms were wide and spacious. Fun fact about him, his dreadlocks sprouted one day on his head and no matter how much he cut his hair, the strands knotted themselves into dreads so he gave up a long time ago to try and straighten the hair and left it go wild. His father insisted it was the course of the Jasiris’ to have dreadlocked hairs. All his ancestors had it.

He admitted not knowing much about dancing brides and he had skipped some classes during his training. He had come to believe it when he couldn’t control his shifting from human to beast at his own will at Nyati reserve when they had first met, he had to take some distance away from her for some time to control his need to mark her. That is why he took time to launch the animal reserve. Vuyanzi appreciated his concern for her. He seemed to always put her first in all situations.

Somehow Koni had managed to coax her to lie down on the wide spread shuka and he was lying beside her, leaning on his arm and playing with her fingers, sending shocking waves throughout her body. The sun had completely set and the nocturnal animals were out. Vuyanzi could hear in the distance the sounds of hyenas laughing and she remembered her encounter with them but instead of feeling afraid, she felt safe in the cocoon of Koni beside her. The sky was lit by millions of small stars sprayed all over the sky like sand on the beach.

She raised one of her hands and wished she could touch them but Koni inter-locked their fingers together. Vuyanzi marveled how well they fit together. Her small hand on his large warm hand. He had small scars that told a story. His hand practically swallowed her and Vuyanzi loved the sense of security it brought her.

‘’Vuyanzi,’’ Koni stated drawing her attention from the stars and their interlocked hands and placed a shining ring on one of her fingers. A slim shining ring.

Read " Jabali's Redemption " by the same author ( Razia Iminza )

. It completely fit her like a glove and Vuyanzi gasped at its beauty.

She quickly sat up, ‘’Koni,’’ she couldn’t talk past the lump that had formed on her throat. She looked at the ring and Koni’s sincere eyes, nobody had ever given her such an expensive thing.

‘’Vuyanzi, I know we come from different backgrounds but I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want you to be the mother of my children and my partner till the end of our old age,’’ by the time he finished Vuyanzi was a mess. Tears were running down her eyes and she was sure some snout had escaped her nose.

Nodding her head she threw her arms around his neck, ‘’Yes Koni I will marry you,’’ she cried and hugged him tighter. Koni hugged her tighter.

‘’I was worried you wouldn’t like it or it wouldn’t fit you. I had it custom made in Botswana just for you. I wanted to give you something special and I thought of diamonds. You are the shining diamond in my life Vuyanzi. Don’t you ever forget that,’’

‘’I love you Koni,’’ Vuyanzi looked at the ring as it shimmered in the low lights of the lamps lite all around them.

‘’Then the tension between us is over right?’’ Koni wiped the tears from her eyes.

‘’I am sorry for destroying the mood earlier,’’ Vuyanzi suddenly felt embarrassed for her words. She should learn to keep her big mouth shut.

‘’Never keep things to yourself, always tell me whatever you feel, hmm,’’

‘’Okay.’’ Vuyanzi promised to be more open.

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So two combined chapters for you guys. Enjoy it. 

By the way do you guys like traditional weddings? i love them.

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Much love.