I made it in time to Khaleeya’s before the rain began to pour down. One of the things that solidified the bond between khaleeya and I was that we were both from the same town, Tamala. We resonated on many levels, shared similar interests and even experiences. However, she was bolder and more intentional about life than I was.
We had agreed on visiting the Tamala this vacation. I had not been there for a very long time ever since I was a kid. The memories I had of Tamala was that of my mother and I visiting her parents during the holidays. Thinking back now, it felt like a very long time.
I would whine about how long the trip was and my mother would always say; “hush...my child. Do not tire quickly. You know, we come to this world in pairs. Your second is lurking around, waiting and watching out for you. Once you get sucked up in that hole, they'd come and take over your life”. She'd widen her eyes, raise her hands and curve her fingers like claws in a futile attempt to scare me.
Then she'd wrap her hands around me and say; “ it's only going to be a little longer. Once we are at Tamala, you can play all you want but never around the cave. It's got big and little monsters in it.” she'd tease me further. The thought of her made me smile. I always felt like I had the whole world around her. She was my world. My home!
Until she became a different person after our last trip to Tamala. It was quite odd like I never knew who my mother was. She became the opposite of everything she ever stood for and our relationship had been rocky since then.
Growing up, I believed what my mother told me about all humans existing in pairs. I would joke about it with khaleeya and say, “perhaps my pair has taken all the wits and grace and has left me as a mere shadow of my being, then we'd both laugh it off.
I wasn't quite the brightest . I always felt like I was failing in everything I touched. It was like I was a mere accomplice to this world while I watched others succeed.
“You must stop thinking lowly of yourself. There is so much more to you that you can achieve. You need to face your fears and believe in your abilities. Only you can help your situation.” I had stopped listening to khaleeya as I watched the rain drop effortlessly from the grey sky. There was something about the rain that made me feel even worse about myself.
“Let's do it! We must take that trip to Tamala and visit the caves. You can start letting go from there you know. You don't really believe the crap about the monsters and all do you?” Her almond eyes popped up with enthusiasm. Unlike Khaleeya who was beautiful, daring, smart, and adventurous, I was almost invisible.
I finally took the trip with her. We got to Tamala very late at night. It was the longest trip I had taken in a very long time. We rested in my grandmother's old house and set out for the caves the next day.
It was a very long walk from the main town to the hills where the caves were. There were abundant trees and grasses and very little human presence. I could only hear the birds and rodents now. The mixture of my sweat and cologne wasn't appealing to my nostrils. I was starting to regret tagging along with khaleeya the formidable. She seemed undaunted.
Two hours later, we were beside the caves on top of the hill. The air was stiff and the silence was deafening. There was a tall unkempt man standing at the entrance. He was barely clothed and so thin you could see the shape of his rib bones. He appeared not to be bothered by the flies hovering around his face. ‘Watchman perhaps’ I imagined.
I was almost sure by this time that I had made the wrong decision coming down here. Khaleeya wasn't in the least way uncomfortable and that irritated me.
“The caves of Tamala. The home of rebirth. Go in and come back a new soul.” the unkempt man started to speak without blinking an eye.
“Okay girl. Ready or not! I'm going in” khaleeya was very excited and oozing with so much energy. She had noticed my reservations and didn't want to listen to me anymore.
“Wait Kay. Don't you think we are making a mistake?” Kay had gone in before I could even finish speaking. I watched her footprints as she vanished into the darkness of the cave.
I looked at the watchman then back at the darkness inside. I needed to decide right there whether to go in or go back. I wasn't going to leave my friend alone. I swallowed hard and walked in with my heart in my hands. I was very nervous. The cave was the last place my mother visited before she turned into a stranger.
“Your are going to need a flashlight for this”. Khaleeyah’s voice echoed from a distance. I turned on the flashlight feature on my phone and continued walking.
Meenah! Meenah” I heard whispers
“Stop trying to freak me out khay”. I swallowed hard again.
“Meenah Meenah” the whispers continued. Then I felt a hand tap my shoulder from behind. I turned and flashed my light. For a wild second I thought I was in front of this invisible mirror because right before me was my exact self holding a flashlight and looking just as frightened as I felt.
She then paused, looked at me in the eyes, and laughed hysterically. The echoes of her laughter engulfed the cave and sent chills down my spine. “Yes. That's the exact image you sell to the world. Scared and weak. Oh! You thought you were going to find some monster other than yourself? You are the demon. So it is time to face me. Yourself. I am you aren't I ?” she sounded so demeaning I felt small.
“Remember; we come to this world in pairs. Your second is lurking around, waiting and watching out for you. Once you get sucked up in that hole, they'd come and take over your life”. She said my mother's exact words to me.
Like a movie scene, she dragged me down a very deep hole that muffled my screams and smiled. “It is time for the world to meet a better version of us don't you think? And oh, happy reunion”. She said with another sinister smile. I turned to find my mother's weak and helpless replica beside me.
“Meenah? Let's get out of here already” I heard khay’s voice echo as my replica walked away to meet her. “Are you okay Meenah? You seem different. Aha! the Tamala cave did favour you”. I could still hear Khay’s voice and their footprints as they left the cave.