The Cannibals of Caliba 02

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A Century Later...

A group of Archaeology students traveled North towards the plains surrounding the Ngwal Ocean in search

of fossils and ancient artifacts. They made a camp to rest before they continued their expedition. The head of

the group, Bona made for the heavily branched tall Baobab tree. He climbed and laid on one of the strong

branches closing his eyes. His long lashes rested on his skin above his cheeks. Mari watched him her face

expressionless but her eyes spoke otherwise. The sound of Sule clearing his throat to let out viscous yellowish

sputum jerked her back to reality. She sighed and turned back to putting up her tent scrunching her face in

disgust. She sometimes wished they were not in the same department then she wouldn't have to go through

this torture of seeing him almost every day.

Who would have thought that Bona had applied to the same university she wanted to go to and even to the

same department. She still could not comprehend him they haven't spoken a word directly to each other since

they met in the beginning class not that she had anything prepared to say. She had thought it wise to break up

with him when they finished high school because she wasn't a lover of a long-distance relationship. She

couldn't bear the heartbreak that came with it. They were still young and their life was just beginning. She

remembered the day she had broken up with him, the way his eyes twinkled with cloudy tears still hunted her.

She regretted hurting him so badly and his way of avoiding her was the best pretense she had expected at least,

that's one thing that reminded her of her place in his life. Thanking God for that, she glanced back at him.

The image before her caused her to snap a twig she had held in her hands in half.

"Laila, come on," she said under her breathe.

Why can't she just leave him alone?

"Who are you glaring at?" Sule who had been helping her make her tent noticed her countenance and stared at

her directed gaze.

"They are just friends and don't take yourself too obvious" he concluded. "A fl y might just enter that opened

gap of yours"

Closing her mouth, she gave a last glance and turned back to putting up her tent. For the rest of the day, she

spared them no more glances and avoided them like a plague.

When the night came, Bona held a brief meeting on their activities for the morrow. They had all been

grouped into a group of twos. Sule and she were partners and of course, Laila and Bona were also in a group.

"We will work faster when in groups of twos than we all going together as a pack since we made a camp here.

Let's stay here. I have sent out the location to the department, the helicopters will be here in 2 days. We need

to be back before nightfall." Bona concluded.

As everyone dispersed, he quickly gave out a warning."No branching out of the marked area. If anyone comes

without at least one fossil, the group will be responsible for the night watch and chores"

Laila smirked openly at Mari.

"Bring it on" she glared back. Turning away, her glare turned to a frown. Knowing Bona, she knew he will

never come back empty-handed. He had always been exceptional at finding things. She entered her tent and

gazed into space. As the camp grew silent, she slept.

The next day, Sule and she had combed the marked area but there was no object worth saving. The sky was

getting dark, She gathered up her tools into her archaeology kit. They decided to go back to the camp

empty-handed. Mari wished they weren't the only ones who had arrived empty.

"Look who decided to show up" Laila gave a loud declaration, everyone stopped what they were doing and

watched them enter the camp.

Mari quickly made a headcount. Realizing that they were the last group to arrive, she slumped her shoulders.

"I see you have no artifact," Bona said without sparing her a glance he stopped sharpening the stick on his

hands. "Tonight cooking is in you guys" he dropped the cooking pot by Sule's feet and walked off .

"Better luck tomorrow" he whispered to her so that she could hear him as he passed by.

The scratching sound on her tent woke her up.

"What is it?" She croaked

"Wake up, we have to start early" She could hear Sule whispering.

And off they went again to the area assigned to them. After spending hours and the sun was beginning to rise.

Sule aggressively hit his shovel on the soil.

"It's obvious there is nothing for us here"

"One will wonder maybe this was done on purpose" she replied under her breath

"What did you say?" Sule turned to her wiping the sweat off his brow.

"I believe so too. Can you check your Google Earth?" She asked"Yeah sure," He brought out his gadget.

Mari dusted herself and removed her gloves from her hands, she stared at the screen. Her head mentally makes

calculations.

"If we move up a little towards the north, we will see some ruins. Let's check out that site"

"But it's away from the marked area, are you sure?"

"Do you want to go back to camp empty-handed or continue the watch again?"

"No, I do need the extra credit"

"Good, you do have your markings right?" She asked him. He nodded in response.

They moved away from the marked area into the woodland marking the trees they passed by.

They reached a deep valley that was completely level under its thick cover of mosses. Beneath the enormous

peaks, the valley was now one great basin of greenery in different shades of light. The foliage had covered the

shrubs and boulders, the dark soil could scarcely be seen under the coats of greens. They strode along, the

ground was soft and green patches had soiled their boots and khaki trousers. Sule who appeared exhausted

gave a long echoing sigh. His voice seemed to take flight in the death-like silence of the sleeping valley. It rang

far out over the peak. Then it died away and there was no answer.

As they got out of the valley, she gathered the courage to make a U-turn. She looked up and could see

enormous mountains clustered in a group together at a distance. Her face lights up as she stirs Sule's attention

to the sight ahead.

"There it is, comes on," she said her tiredness vanished.

Their slow pace turned quicker as they made their way to the mountains.