Chapter 2 Chapter 2

After a few days, Mr. Benson and his troop arrived at Africa. He knew what he was here for. He was not in the mood for sightseeing and tourism unlike some others. Hearing a lot about Kwararafa, he decided to look at the place before getting into business with the Bornu

clan.

Sakira sat on an old clay pot smiled happily as she continued to read the small English book. She had somehow heard that the white men would be visiting soon. She was always fascinated anytime she sees these white men come to their village. As she was told, the white men were believed to come from a very different place. It was a place where metals move, a place where tree barks are used to build homes. She wanted to see all those things; she wanted to understand what her people were ignorant about. Her parents did know that she was a different child right from when she was young. She was inquisitive and always wanting to know everything. They never stopped her. Encouraging her and believing in her was what they did and they guided her to learn everything she wanted to learn. Her father got her the small book when troop of white men visited their village a long time ago. It was thrown on the floor and her father ran over to pick it before it got useless. She was impressed and very thrilled when her father gave her the book. Ever since then she had been trying to read it and she was improving. She was a girl that would never stop until she is fulfilled.

Her mother came out from the hut and smiled at her. She always admired her daughter's intelligence.

"What you have read is enough"

Sakira looked up, realizing it was her mother, she smiled. She got up from the clay pot and returned the book inside. Assisting her sisters, they carried the baskets of fishes and hurried to the market to sell them. Talking and laughing on their way was what they mostly keep themselves busy with to make the day lively. Goloba tapped Sakira quickly and pointed up front.

"Look, those are the white men." She said

Sakira was surprised and happy to see them. Her sisters dropped the basket of fishes gently and ran to where the white men were. Sakira wasn't as quickly as her sisters. They had left her to bear the burdens of the fishes alone. So instead of approaching the white men, she viewed them from afar. She couldn't lift the entire baskets, so she dropped hers and waited for her sisters. The troop was getting closer to where she stood and her heartbeat became faster. She dragged the baskets away from the road to give the troop an easy pass way.

Suddenly the troop stopped a little distance away from Sakira and a young guy approached her with a big smile on his face. This was the closest she had ever been to any white person.

She admired his skin and wondered how they could look outstandingly unlike. His hair looked soft and very silky. She resisted the urge to touch it. He was auburn haired and he had a set of blue eyes. He was beautiful, tall and smart looking. He had on a floral grey shirt and a blue short with white shoes Sakira felt intimidated for some reasons as the guy got closer to her. He touched her hair and felt the texture.

"Wow, amazing." He smiled and sketched

Sakira just stood there not knowing what to do.

Her sisters smiled at her and were very joyful seeing their sister with one of them.

"Beautiful" he smiled and looked at her. "So natural, you're very beautiful if you must know that" he said not minding if she didn't understand.

"Thank you" she said.

He looked surprised and gave a big smile

"You understand that" he said and she nodded. "Amazing" he said.

Mr Benson walked to their midst and removed his grey hat. He looked at Sakira and studied her appearance. Her skin was ebony and well-polished. Her hair was pure black and packed up. The attire she wore totally different from what they had on. On her was a small sleeveless native top that exposed her belly button, and around her waist was a long natve wrapper. The attire was cream in colour and the texture of the cloth was very thick. On her legs were no shoes but beads of cowries around her ankles. She indeed was very beautiful.

"Perfect" Mr Benson gave a cold smile

Sakira was not comfortable anymore and decided to leave. She was tired of the stares and how every one of them had one or two things to say about her.

"Goloba, Ruqqa, let's leave."

The three of them, picking up their baskets, they left the midst of the white men. Dave could not stop looking at her as she left. He loved everything about Africa. It was his dream to bring development to a country in Africa and he found the country. He loved Kwararafa, the land, the soil, and most of all, the people and their freedom. They were very different from where he came from and how sophisticated they lived there. He did hope he would get to see the beautiful girl someday again.

A few of the white men returned to Bornu the same day since their major business is there and not in Kwararafa. They settled their camps and prepared all their materials. However, Mr. Benson was still on the lookout. He wanted the girl he had set his eyes on earlier. She had become the reason for his arrival.

"Welcome to the Bornu Empire" Giwa greeted Mr. Benson as he arrived with his horse.

"Yes. It is indeed a lovely place" Mr. Benson said coldly.

"Your visit to Bornu must have a reason" Giwa inquired as he got down from the horse

"And you're most certainly right" he grinned. "Well, since Bornu is a land of business, I have come here to make profitable business" he added.

"What do you want" Giwa asked

"I want to buy your people" He said callously Giwa scoffed at the white man.

"You want to buy my people" He repeated

Mr. Benson remained silent and refused to tear his gaze from the black man.

"And what exactly do you intend to give us if...I give you my people" he asked Mr. Benson grinned and tapped his fingers. Shortly his men arrived with a big chest and opened it.

"Rifles" he smirked

Giwa was very surprised and was pleased with what he was seeing.

"You will certainly get the people you want" he smiled.

Giwa had decided to sell the people of Kwararafa instead and by doing that, he sent a lot of warriors to attack this town.

***

Later that night, dozens of horsemen from Bornu arrived at Kwararafa and began to attack.

Entering homes, they beat the men and sons and lock up the mothers and daughters.

"Mother!! No!!" a girl screamed as she was pulled away from her family.

For those that struggled and were rebellious, they were killed. The King of Kwararafa was attacked and killed. Every hut in Kwararafa was undergoing anguish.

"We have to leave now" Zulu said.

His family looked at him with surprise

"They're attacking. They're taking everyone. They're separating families" he said as his voice showed a bit of fear Without hesitation, they began to pack the little they can.

"Come on, we don't have much time" he said.

A loud scaring knock was made on their door. They paused as fear rose in them.

"Khadija, it's me Musa" the voice said.

With a sigh of relief, Khadija went and opened the door. He was relieved to see his friend still in one piece.

"They took my sisters" he cried "I feel so bad not being able to have saved them" he cried

Zulu took his wife's hand to calm the fear he noticed.

"We have to leave now" he said.

Passing the back door, they all made their way out. And carefully they ran into the forests.

"STOP THERE!!" The voice shouted as he galloped on the horse

New fear rose in all of them and they ran faster. It was pitch black and Sakira could hardly notice anything. But all she knew was that she was on the right direction. The horses got closer and closer and with a hard knock on her head she fell to the floor and everything went black.

***

Pain throbbed in her head as she tried to gather her vision back. She noticed she was moving but on what? Where was her family? Where is she? And where was she going? She asked these entire questions but didn't seem to have an answer to any of it. She sat up and noticed other girls with her in the cage. She looked forward and was greeted by the back of a moving horse. She looked up to see its rider and could automatically tell who it was. They were distinctively different from them due to the tribal marks they had on their faces. The Bornu clans

"Where are we going?" she whispered to the person beside her

But the person seemed to spend more of her time crying. Sakira was afraid and had no idea of what she was going to face where they were going. She looked at her hands and noticed shackles on it. She tried to yank it off but it refused. Then she noticed the others had the same

thing on as well. Finally, they reached their destination and she noticed they were in the camp of the white men. What were they doing here? She asked herself. The horse came to rest and the rider got down from the horse. He unlocked the cage and dragged the girls out. Sakira

was afraid and was not ready to face whatsoever was out there. As the man tried to pull her out, she resisted. With full force, he pulled her out and she fell face flat to the ground.

"Hey easy there, these are women" one of the white men said

"These are no women. They are nothing but play tools" the rider said.

Sakira grunted as she managed to get on her knees. Rage filled her and she wanted to do nothing but to kill that rider but unfortunately, she couldn't. She still wondered where her family was and tried to search but it was useless. She was pulled up wickedly as she was made to walk with the others. She still didn't know what was going on but she knew for sure this was not a good thing that was happening. Then she was shocked when she saw someone.

It was the man she saw yesterday. How.... what was he doing here? They were made to line horizontally and shortly Mr. Benson walked slowly to them.

"Yes. They got me the perfect one" he smiled wickedly.

He lifted his hand and touched her chin but she yanked her face away from him.

"Hmm gutsy" he chuckled.

Then he turned to around and spoke to his men.

"Pack her up. She's coming with me" he said.