They didn't stay all night. they left when they thought it was time to leave, and though a part of me wanted to ask Alessandro to stay back, I didn't make such a demand because I didn't think I should be the one to approach him.
I made it to my room and changed over into a thicker cloth that would keep me from the cold of the night, the cold of the breeze that came from the sea far and wide, then, like a thief, I sneaked out of my room, and joined the party outside.
"Hello," It was the lady who called herself a witch, "I knew you would come out because Fela's sound can make you go gaga."
I laughed and closed in on her so she could see my face and hear me clearly while I spoke. I was a little taller than she was, and her curves decreased much of her height.
"Why do you have your eyes on me, witch?" I asked with due respect.
"Like I said the other time, even the devil wants his way to the big wigs of the city, and you can do that for me." She replied. "The moment I heard you were coming, I was gladdened, because I know you have so much connection."
I scoffed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Do you have any idea who you are talking to?" I asked, "I am a Christian, I don't believe and promote voodoo."
That was enough response to her demand. I freed her shoulder from my hand and walked past her. She was utterly disappointed, but I could have helped her if she wanted something different.
She turned to me, her face hard with rage and disappointment. I have no fear for that, I've met and dealt with bad guys with faces three times worse than her face.
"I just want a better life," her face broke into a weak smile, she must have realized that no one on earth could scare me with a hard face. "I hate the life I live in this remote village."
That was touching, seriously touching, and by the way, I saw her earlier at the brothel. Maybe she was tired of her life of sucking dicks for meager among like the manager said earlier.
"You want me to connect you to the wrong persons so you would do your voodoo and…"
"It's not voodoo," she snapped off my words, "It's witchcraft, the sort my father did for the French when they lived and ruled this village."
I felt the urge to laugh. The witchcraft went down from her father to her, now, she wants to take it to the highest level, a witch that can read minds.
"Like I said, I could have helped if there were other better things at your table, lady." I turned away from her. The space for dancing was becoming a little busy.
"Okay, good night." she walked away.
I did the sign of the cross. It's rare to see a witch who admits she is a witch. That's a craft the rest of them would swear to hide till they give up the ghost.
They were done with Fela's music, it was now our kind of music, the ones currently trending in the crooks and crannies of Abidjan which is by far the largest city in our country.
***
First knock, second, third, and words followed.
"Wake up miss Kouassi, everyone is preparing to leave for our destination for today's outreach." The voice of a lady announced from outside.
I yawned and stretched my arms, then, I rolled out of bed like I did back at home, but I ended up on the floor because the bed was very much smaller than the one in my room at home.
"Oh, god." I rose from the floor and strutted into the bathroom without dropping a fair response to whoever it was that was standing by the door outside.
"Miss Kouassi, are you okay." The voice came faint in the bathroom where I was washing sleep off my face. "Miss Kouassi, at least, you can say something."
"I'm okay!" I hollered from the bathroom so she could hear me.
"Okay, don't waste time." Said the lady. "And good morning."
"Good morning, too," I whispered back.
A couple of things lay in my schedule for the morning, one, the morning started with me washing my face, and two, I drank as much as two cups of water and edged to the toilet, and three, I took my bath, dried my skin and dressed up for the day's bidding.
"I was wondering if you were okay." The manager was standing a few meters away from my doorpost, like a terrified fellow who might have heard or seen something weird.
"I am and will always be okay." I slipped on my sunglasses. I wore sunglasses for fashion. The sun in my country did not hurt the eyes or the skin. "Let's go already, or have you changed your mind?"
He scoffed. "I heard you fought with the witch."
That was a hushed whisper, but a bad one that was done with more fear than should be, just for a woman who claimed she was a witch.
"I didn't fight with her; I declined her plea for something," I replied.
He looked around. "No one says no to that lady, she is a big witch she can do a lot of things including mind reading." He said with some care for his life, but I sensed he was merely hear to play tricks which the lady might have pleaded with him to play.
"Let me say sorry, dear, I guess I'm too old to be fooled like a kid," I replied. "Maybe the two of you should look for a better game to play.