Maliha
Chapter 52: Nah Barros

A brother.

She had a brother.

Maliha’s world shookas Makaio’s words resonated within her being.

She couldn’t wrap her mind around it, but she could see from his features alone that it was true. His skin tone was a shade or so darker than hers, his face was slightly more angular and his lips wider and fuller. His nose was broader and only one of his eyes were the same unnerving green as hers but Maliha could see the resemblance. It was as if she were looking at the male version of herself.

“Maliha,” he whispered again, the roughened tips of his fingers gliding across her cheeks as he cupped her face affectionately.

“My sister.” There was a sob stuck in his throat as water lined his eyelids. His palm moved to the back of her neck and then she was moving, her head resting against his heart as she breathed in his scent. The scent of earth, trees and salt. It was the scent of a man, of her brother.

“You are home. Finally, home.”

Maliha’s eyes closed at the emotion surging through her body. Such belonging and love. It was a love she had never experienced before. This man did not know Maliha from anywhere but when he touched her, when he spoke to her, there was nothing but sorrow. Sorrow and unequivocal love. It was humbling.

“You don’t understand what your return means to us Maliha. We have prayed for years that you would replace us.”

He gripped her hand in a firm clasp and presented her to the masked people who stood by watching her anxiously.

“Come and meet your people, Maliha,” Makaio prompted. There was a moment of silence where the masked warriors did nothing but stare at Maliha and her them. Slowly there was shift amongst them, the movement so subtle it was like the trees in the breeze.

They crowded around her, bodies swaying as they touched her with gentle and welcoming touches. arms stretched forwards as hands pressed down on her head, shoulders, arms. their feet stomped in time to a tune they all knew, their voices screeching and hands clapping as they chanted in happiness. Their fearsome masks didn’t deduct from the display of affection they were showing her, in fact, the mask made their love even more profound. Such hardened warriors were showing her, someone they had never met, love

A small face appeared in the crowd before the small body was barelling into Maliha and Enzo’s arms were wrapping around her.

“Umahu,” Enzo’s pushing, and sharp cry drew the attention of Makaio. His jaws clenched tight as he looked from Enzo to Maliha

He snapped something at the celebrating warriors until their calls of joy were hushed to a sudden silence. One by one they made their way away from the forest, their eyes lingering as the tension between Maliha and her brother climbed.

“He called you mother, but he is at least five years and you are no more than nineteen years old,”

There was a question in his words. Typically, Maliha wouldn’t answer a question given to her in such an abrupt manner but horror lingering in his expressive orbs told Maliha all she needed to know.

“Enzo is the child of my heart, but not of my body.”

A sigh of relief escaped Makaio as he crouched down to Enzo’s level. Enzo refused to look at him, his face hurried in Maliha’s lap. It wasn’t until Makaio’s gentle fingers began stroking through Enzo’s unruly hair, that the boy hesitantly lifted his head away from his hiding place.

“Hello Enzo, I am Makaio, your mother’s older brother.”

“Does that mean we are family?” Enzo looked unconvinced by Makaio but Maliha’s brother was undeterred.

“Yes, we are, now do you want to see your mother’s birth tribe?”

Enzo slowly nodded his head but he did not stop clinging to Maliha.

Makaio led them through the forest and out the other side until they stopped at the edge of the water with the rest of the tribe who had accompanied Makaio.

The crowd parted to allow Makaio, Enzo and Maliha to come through the centre. The water rippled in thick waves away from the earth that stood raised in the centre of the vast body of the water. Water streamed down the floating island into the sea like a waterfall, the currents gushing and churning.

“How are we getting all the way up there?” Gasped Enzo, his eyes bulging wide as he pointed up at the almost levitating island.

Makaio chuckled beneath his breath, shaking his head at Enzo’s enthusiasm.

He Makaio bent down to the water. His fingers weaved through the cool liquid, ripples travelling out to the floating island. Makaio looked over his shoulder at Enzo, before closing his mesmerising eyes. A smile pulled across his lips as the water swirled around his fingers.

Maliha stared in awe as her brother easily manipulated the water around his hand, the water parted at his fingers command, to reveal large raised stepping stones.

“Wow,” gushed Enzo and Maliha had to agree. The effortless way in which Makaio manipulated the water and earth was awe-inspiring.

“Are you ready?” Questioned Makaio with his hand outstretched.

Maliha hesitated before clasping Makaio’s hand and stepping onto the first large stone. Maliha felt light as the Nah Barros tribe cheered her on as she made her way across the vast sea until she reached the bottom of the floating island. Makaio slid to a halt behind her, Enzo chuckling excitedly on his back.

“Well we are across the sea but how do we get up?”

“Don’t you know who we are Maliha?” teased one of the masked warriors.

“We are Nah Barros, master wielders of the earth and all that comes from it. Let me show you how much power resides within you sister.”

Gripping Maliha in one of his arms, Makaio outstretched his free hand. The earth groaned beneath them and then all of a sudden, the rock was shaking, disposing itself from the earth and then they were flying.

Maliha released an exhilarated scream as she shifted between clinging to Makaio and gripping Enzo tightly. The cool air glided through her hair as Makaio propelled them into the sky, travelling up and up the waterfall until Maliha was able to catch the first a glimpse of her ancestral home.

It was exquisite.

Maliha had no words to describe her ancestral home but exquisite. The floating island was an oasis of vibrant colours. At the centre of the island was a large tree surrounded by a small pool of water. The roots of the tree stretched into the water which then separated into tiny streams that rippled across the large tribal lands and flowed down the waterfall and into the sea. As the rock came to a hall at the edge of the island, Maliha sucked in the freshens of the Nah Barros land. The breeze carried the strong scent of salt and earth, the gritty earth that carried with it the sweet freshens that all life brought.

“Welcome home little sister and Enzo,” Grinned Makaio as he helped them to the ground.

As they stepped onto the tall blade of grass, Maliha began to notice the weird structures that resembled dwellings. They were made out of vines and other plants but were crafted in circular homes with one large opening to enter and another smaller one at the top. The homes reminded her of a bird’s nest with the way each vine and plant were interwoven to make a solid structure.

The neat rows of homes marked the route in which they would take to the centre of the tribes’ land and with each step they made more and more people made their presence known. Chores were dropped, gardens were left untended to as their whispers of curiosity followed Maliha, Enzo and Makaio to the larger homes that were constructed close to the inner pool.

“This is our family home, I’m sure you have many questions, but I think it’s best if we wait for our father to return?”

“Father?”

“Yes, Maliha” he smiled.

“And our mother?”

Makaio grimaced slightly before answering solemnly. “Our mother Ioana is with the ancestors now, but you can still talk to her when you visit the Ishanu. I know I do.”

Maliha felt the sting of losing her mother. The death struck her hard. “Thank you Makaio,” she croaked, “You are right, I have a lot of questions. How long will your father be gone?”

“He’s our father, and he should be returning within the next day or so. There is much to say but I can imagine that you are tired and hungry. Come let’s go inside.”

At the mention of food and rest, Enzo released Maliha’s side and followed after Filsan, paying no attention to the inquisitive gazes of the curious people.

“Makaio,” Maliha called, halting him in his retreat. “How do you know my name?”

“How could I ever forget my little sister’s name? I held you when you were a baby, kissed your chubby cheeks and inhaled your sweet scent. I loved you Maliha and just because you were lost to us, it didn’t mean I could ever forget you.”

“How did I become lost?”

Makaio’s gaze shuttered, his eyes darkening as he placed his mask back on. “In time, our father will tell all. Now come, I want to introduce you to someone special.”

An older woman with thick black hair and bronze skin came charging out of the home.

“Mak,” she scalded wrapping him in her arms. “Take this mask off so I can see your handsome face. Why is Kaori not with you? ” She rumbled, her hands rubbing at his gritty cheeks.

“Enough, Filsan,” he gritted dislodging his neck from the females embrace. It was then that she noticed both Maliha and Enzo watching them awkwardly.

“This is-“

“Maliha?” the woman gasped. “Yes, I see it. Oh my,” Filsan muttered, teary-eyed. “It’s been so long but yes I see it. Come here child, come and hug your aunty.”

Maliha hesitantly moved forward, pulling Enzo along with her as she stepped into the woman’s embrace. One of Filsan’s arms wrapped around Maliha as the other patted Enzo’s head in greeting.

“You are so beautiful and grown but your cheeks. You used to have such chubby cheeks and now you are all skin and bones,” Filsan grumbled, pinching Maliha’s cheeks. “Well we shall fix that won’t we, come inside and let me feed you. Yes, you need food and a good wash. Come,” she urged excitedly but she had yet to release Maliha or Enzo. “I don’t know what took you so long to get here. It has almost been two months,” Filsan groused, heading inside the long cylinder home.

“Wait,” Maliha’s steps halted. “What do you mean I took nearly two months to get here?”

Filsan’s eyes narrowed as she waved off Maliha’s question but Maliha was persistent. “How would you know when we first started our journey?”

“Because that stupid boy came here huffing and puffing with red-rimmed eyes. I haven’t seen a man so big, cry in such a long time. It was very therapeutic to watch, especially when I heard what he said to my Maliha.”

“Wait, wait,” Maliha huffed, her mind racing as Filsan’s words sunk in. “Are you saying Ujarak came here?”

“Am I?” The woman questioned, her thick eyebrow-raising as she passed through the doorway, taking Enzo inside with her

Makaio bumped Maliha’s shoulder lightly, as he took her hand and lead her inside the home but Maliha couldn’t respond to her brother’s gesture because Ujarak had come here. He had come to his enemies in search of her.

--------

When Maliha woke the next morning, it was to the sound of sorrowful crying and hushed whispers. Taking a glance down at Enzo who was still sleeping, she climbed out of the bed and headed down the corridor, following the light that shoe through the hole in the roof.

Her steps grew slower and lighter, the closer she came to the main seating area. A man smothered in dirt and grime sat crumpled on the floor, his face buried in his hands as Filsan ran her fingers along his back. Their words were hushed, but Maliha had no need to hear what they were saying. She knew who this man was, and she knew why he cried.

Stepping into the room, she made her way over to Filsan and the man she knew was her father. Maliha’s hands twitched as she ached to touch him, to soothe his pain but she had some pain of her own. Makaio and Filsan had eluded to her being missed, that they had wanted her, but Maliha had to hear the truth from this man, from her father. He was her only living parent and she needed him to explain why she had been raised by the Melikit and not by the Nah Barros.

“Kaori?” Maliha whispered.

Hs head snapped up, dark eyes rimmed red and glimmering with tears as he stumbled to his feet.

“Maliha,” he sobbed, his tears gushing down his face as he charged to her and pulled her into his arms. “My daughter, oh my daughter.” His chant repeated on and on, his words shifting from the common tongue to an older and softer dialect she did not understand.

Kaori clasped Maliha in his hold for what felt like hours until his sobs eventually subsided but even then, his words resounded in her brain.

Ringing on and on as the sounds of her father’s cries debunked all of her fears and self-doubt.

Maliha had no idea how she had become lost to them, but one thing remained clear; they Nah Barros and her parents had always loved and wanted her. Maliha had been loved by them as a baby and if her family’s reactions were anything to go by, the years had not lessened that love.

No, her father’s cries were an indication that their love for her had remained strong.