Nainai was my guardian and for the better part of my life, she was the only one I have known as a parent.
There's no idea as to how I came to being, but I have learned to live with that.
Nainai's cottage has a door that's always shut. A door she guards with her life and no one is allowed to go in. But the thing is, whenever I walk pass that door, I feel a magnetic pull as if there's something calling for my attention.
So on this faithful day, Nainai was out picking herbs and weeds. Thus, I decided to do some snooping and also heed to the call that has been beckoning. But unfortunately, I got caught right before I could even see what the inside of the room looked like.
“What are you doing there? Shut the door!!!!! Nainai thundered with red bulging eyes”…. I could swear she popped a blood vessel from the way her eyes strained.
I was terrified as I wasn't expecting to be caught. In an attempt to save my neck, I stuttered and lied.
“Good mor.... Goo… Goo… hem-hem…. Good evening Nainai, I was just checking out the door knob.” I managed to complete the sentence.
Nainai wasn't buying my lies as she fired, “You were checking nothing! Go away from that place at once, and don't let me catch you snooping around again.”
“Silly! Silly child.” Nainai concluded the yelling as I did the walk of guilt laced with shame to my room.
I wasn't far gone when I heard Nainai's tone drop. I stood close just in case she might need my help, but I wasn't ready for the conversations that followed, so I hid to avoid being spotted.
“Oh. My fragile heart, I know this naughty boy will be my end.” Nainai continued lamenting as she gasped and collapsed her old bonny body on her rocky chair.
As she rocked slowly, she leaned her jaw on her weary hand cupped in a fist and lamented bitterly. Just then, Bolivia, whom we fondly call Nainai's eyes, walked in.
“What seems to be the issue, Nainai?” Bolivia questioned.
“The boy grows inquisitive by the day”
“Well, let him in already on his life's purpose. Or would you rather he deviates? Sooner or later, he'll start seeing the signs, especially if he's an early bloomer… remember what happened to Vlad.”
"Vlad? Whose Vlad?” I murmured from my hideout
“Hmm mm, you have a point, we wouldn't want Vlad happening all over again or even worse, let Vlad get to him and corrupt him," Nainai said as she shook her head in displeasure.
“You see Nainai? You know these things, and you need to act fast”. Bolivia said as she got up and excused herself.
By now, my urge to know what's behind that door grew.
“Should I confront Nainai with all I have heard? Or I should make another attempt to open the door and just get a peek of what's inside the room”. I had thought.
“Ask Nainai, if she refuses to carry you along, take matters into your hands” a voice in my head advised strongly.
It was midnight already, and I was still counting sheep as I could not sleep. I am just too anxious to hear of my purpose and learn about the door. I am also interested in Vlad and to know about his story.
“Hopefully, tomorrow, Nainai will provide answers”. I concluded with a deep yawn and then slipped into La La Land.
“Roman…. Roman wake up you are burning up.” Bolivia called out, which catapulted me straight to reality, only to discover the whole place had been engulfed in fire.
Sleep cleared at once from my eyes and immediately then something strange happened. I was burning alright, like I was the fire source, but the fire did not consume me.
As I looked around scared and confused about what's going on, Nainai and Bolivia started with a chant, protecting themselves with a force field not to get burnt.
The more they chanted, the hotter I burnt until I became the flame. At this stage, I was no longer seeing Nainai and Bolivia but a white energy field. The light from their force field shines so bright that it was almost blinding in my state.
Then again, whatever was locked behind the mystery door calls, drawing me forcefully and robbing me off any control I had not to heed. I burnt through the door and what greeted me was a gigantic black energy force field that seemed to try consuming me, but instead my force was too strong and as we joined forces, I found myself over powering it.
Next, everything went blank and when I regained consciousness, I was being called Roman the purifier by Nainai.
“I know you might have some questions, come with me”. Nainai stretched forth her hands and I held it while holding on to the knitted blanket covering my nakedness.
We both took a walk out into the woods. As we walked, it crossed my mind to ask about the strange man Bolivia was tending to, and like Nainai could read minds, she responded in a whisper, “that's Vlad”.
My eyes shun as Nainai continued, “thanks to you, he's been rid of all the dark force he harbored, he's now a clean Spirit and one with the tribe again”.
“The tribe?” I questioned inquisitively.
“Yes Roman, we are The Tribe, the extraterrestrial being sent by the Supreme Deity to help rid mankind of their dark force, to make them pure and whole again so they can become one with the Almighty. We waited for you, for so long Roman”.
Then she called me again “The Purifier”, as she bowed and went on her knees to reverence me.
As Nainai arose, she whispered “I am ready”. Everything happened so fast as Nainai turned to dust and went with the wind. But her staff remained and found its way to my hand as its new owner.