CHAPTER 9
The next day at Abubak'r's house. One of the house' helps brought in Muejiz' luggage as he walked in behind her.
"I'm here! So who requested that my life be placed on hold cause of some doomsday prophecy?" Muejiz, now in the ballroom of the house, shouted at the top of his voice.
Raphael, coming down the stairs, "Hi! You must be Morjiz" pronouncing the name wrongly.
"Muejizhan!" Muejiz corrected in anger. "And who the hell are you?" He asked, feigning.
"Is that the way I thought you to talk to your elders?" Abubak'r fired at Muejiz, as he came down the stairs.
"Dad!" Muejiz cried, rushing to hug his father as tears filled his eyes. "What is going on? Why me? Why now?" He asked inquisitively.
"Shhhhhh! It's okay. You'll be fine. You can do this, it's what you've been trained for all your life. And we will be with you every step of the way." Abubak'r consoled.
Muejiz, now relaxed, asked, "So what are we up to?"
"Believe me we didn't want to bring you in yet. But I've been here for like five days now... We've been trying to track down your other 'soul siblings' but all to no avail." Raphael revealed.
"What exactly is your deal? I mean, who is this white dude?" Muejiz fired at Raphael.
"My house was attacked by demons, my wife saved me and I don't even know what happened to her, don't know if she's still..." Raphael lamented, bending his head in frustration. "Look, she sacrificed all that, just so I can find you..." He completed.
"I'm sorry about that." He said, apologetically to Raphael.
"So, you think one is Mexican and the other Indian?" Muejiz asked, moving to the wall where all the track plans were laid out.
"Yes! Your family believed you've met them before..." Raphael exposed.
"What?! How?" Muejiz asked, surprised.
"According to your sister..." Raphael explained but was cut short by Zainab who was now in the room as she continued with the explanation.
"We went on a vacation at the Mississippi beach twelve years ago as instructed by mom. You were just five. During that vacation, you went missing and we had to look for you. I met you sitting with two other kids, a boy and a girl holding hands and watching the stars... It was my first time experiencing magic. I saw bright lights radiating from your direction. You kids didn't notice but it was there and it was beautiful..." As Zainab narrated, Muejiz began to have flashbacks...
* * *
A five-year-old Muejiz walked to where a little girl was sitting and sat next to her...
"Want some sweet?" Young Muejiz asked the girl as he directed some bunch of sweets at her.
"No! My mom says sugar is bad for my body." The girl replied.
Young Muejiz, putting the sweets back in his pocket, replied, "I see. I'm Muejiz."
"I'm..." The girl tried to introduce herself but was interrupted by another young, lanky boy, who wore oversized clothes and a jacket for the cold.
"I want sweets." The boy requested.
Young Muejiz, again, pulled out the sweets and gave them to the boy.
"Where are you from?" Muejiz asked the boy.
The young boy collected the sweets and sat beside them.
"The orphanage" he replied.
As they sat there, the young girl mumbled in cold. She was wearing nothing for the cold.
"You're cold?" Muejiz asked as he struggled to unbuckle his cardigan for her.
The other boy from the orphanage pulled out his Jacket first and handed it over to her.
"Thanks!" The young lady said, appreciating the boy for his jacket.
"You're welcome. But next time, you should wear something for the cold if you're coming out to the beach." The boy advised, intelligently.
"I'm Milli by the way..." He introduced.
The name "Milli" echoed, bringing Muejiz back to the present...
"That's not possible!" Muejiz shouted, bringing the attention of everyone in the room to him, as they were busy checking the map plan for new leads.
"What isn't?" Raphael asked.
"This might sound crazy, but, I think I know who one of them is," Muejiz replied as he opened his Facebook on his phone and went straight for Milli's profile. This time, checking it carefully. "As a matter of fact, I know exactly where to find them..." He confirmed.
* * *
Muejiz, Lt. Ali and Raphael got to the Mississippi orphanage home. They met the Mother Superior of the orphanage who told them Milli wasn't present at the orphanage.
"I never thought this day would come. You know, his mother is from Mexico, she put to bed here and died shortly after delivery. She begged me not to let anyone adopt her son. That his real family will come for him. She explained it to be just as you came for him. But we are sorry to tell you that he's currently not here!"
"What do you mean he's not here?" Asked Raphael in worry.
"Well, you see, Miliagro is a very bright child. Just last week, he got a scholarship to Harvard. He's there now..." She explained.
"Woo! The Harvard thing is true?" Muejiz cut in.
"You know he's in Harvard?" Lieutenant Ali asked.
"Yeah, No, I mean, not really. He wrote that on his profile on Facebook..." Muejiz explained.
"And you didn't bother to say so? why?!" Raphael asked in anger.
"Because Sir, most people write things on their Facebook profile just to get attention. These things ain't true. They're doing it for clout!" Muejiz confessed.
"Miliagro doesn't lie about his life. He does lie about other things sometimes but only for a better course. Everything Miliagro does is for a reason!" The Mother Superior expressed.
"Hmmmmmn! I see..." Muejiz murmured.
"Thank you very much, ma'am." Lieutenant Ali said as they made to leave.
As they left the orphanage, walking to their car, Raphael stopped halfway.
"What is it?" Muejiz asked.
"I'm sorry, but I need to go check out my house. I need to find my wife." Raphael responded, looking worried.
"I understand. If you can, meet us at..." Lieutenant Ali expressed but was interrupted by Muejiz.
"We will take you there?"
"What?!" Asked Ali.
"Yes! We will take him there." Muejiz replied, finely.
"It's a long way from here and your destination. I will go get Mary and we'll meet you up..." Raphael explained but was interrupted by Muejiz.
"I insist we go together. Besides, your boss's daughter is still looking out for you." Muejiz said, leading the way to their parked car, and made hand gestures for Raphael to follow him.
"Thanks! I appreciate it." Raphael confessed, following Muejiz, as Lieutenant Ali followed behind.
They drove and made a stop at the neighbourhood of Raphael. The three observed from the car, what used to be the home of Raphael. It's been burnt down to the ground.
There were wanted posters of the doctor everywhere around the district he lived.
A poster read, "Wanted for killing his wife and burning the house down. He's nowhere to be found. Please report to the police if you see him. He's considered highly dangerous."
Raphael was moved to tears as he realized his wife died that night saving him.
"Let's get out of here." Muejiz opened up to Ali who drove them out.
They drove to a bar, sat down, and started to have a conversation to comfort Raphael for his loss.
"You knew what has happened didn't you?" Raphael asked, inquisitively.
"I guessed..." Replied Muejiz.
"Huh! I'm done with all this madness. I don't care anymore if the world burns..." Raphael lamented as the Lieutenant chipped in.
"You can't start something you wouldn't finish... I don't think your wife would want you to chicken out of this now." Ali expressed.
"My wife?! What wife? You mean the one who's dead and the whole world seemed to think I killed her?" Raphael fired.
"I lost my mother to these same people, do you know what her family thought of me? They carried me, a motherless infant, in their minds as the reason they lost their daughter. They saw me as a stroke of bad luck. Do you even know what it feels like growing up without a mother and yet her family blamed it on you?" Muejiz spat furiously in tears.
He then sighed deeply and wiped his eyes. "My mother, your wife, and like you said earlier, countless others have sacrificed their lives to ensure our world doesn't burn. I don't care if you want to quit on all this but have some respect for the love you have for your wife, and fulfil her dying wish of ensuring our world doesn't perish in the hands of the same people who took our loved ones away from us." He completed calmly, bowing his head down, placing it on his hand.
"Where again did you say Milli is?" Raphael replied, placing his hand on Muejiz' shoulder. Muejiz rose his head and smiled gleefully.
* * *
In Havard. Milli was busy playing American football at the field. It was a match against the freshmen and the school team, It was set to pick qualified freshmen to join the school team. Milli was very good as he was everywhere on the field and thanks to him, his team was in a close-up goal with the school team.
Moments later, Muejiz, Raphael and Ali walked into the vicinity of the school. As they looked round strangely, trying to get a hold of something to lead them to Milli.
"How on Earth are we going to find one boy in a place like this?" Lieutenant Ali asked, looking devastated.
"It's like finding a needle in a desert except this needle is supposed to save the world so..." Raphael said looking around the school buildings.
"We won't find him, he'll find us," Muejiz confessed, sharply.
"Then why search for him?" Raphael asked, surprised.
"Were we?" Muejiz asked, as he turned and gave Raphael a smirk.
They got to one of the school's Café as Muejiz entered and the others followed suit.
"How are you sure we'll find him here?" Raphael asked as they took their seats.
"Cause he had posted this place like three times on his profile, advertising that they sell good coffee and give the best WiFi service. I believe he works here part-time..." Muejiz explained, showing them the pictures on his phone.
"Yeah, their coffee is so good that your throat will dry out before anyone comes to ask you if you want one. But their WiFi is good though..." Lieutenant Ali lamented as he pressed on his phone.
"Hey! what can I get you guys?" Milli said as he approached Muejiz' table.
Muejiz gave Raphael a side look and smiled. Then turned to Milli, "Actually we are here to see you. If you don't mind sitting down." He begged.
"God! You look cuter in person." Muejiz whispered to himself.
"Wait! You're that cool dude from Africa that owns a philanthropic foundation that helps disabled kids." Milli expressed, recognizing Muejiz.
"We're friends on Facebook, I follow you on Twitter and Instagram but you didn't follow back." He added painfully.
"My bad. I've been really busy." Muejiz replied, apologetically.
"Yeah, I get it. I guess all rich people are always busy, brushing their teeth, taking a cruise, having manicure..." Milli complained in his Mexican accent.
"Ok! ok! Milli, sit down!" Raphael said, cutting off his complaints.
"Sorry boss. I can't. I'm working..." Milli replied.
"How much do they pay you here? I don't care I will pay you double if you can just sit down and listen." Muejiz expressed, frustratingly.
"Really? Do I look like I care about your money?" Milli said, acting angry.
"Of course I do, money is everything in this life." He added and winked, loosening his apron as he sat down next to them.
They talked for a few moments. All the while, Milli stared at them like they were comedians.
"So, you mean to tell me I'm like some kind of Superman that will save the world?" Milli asked funnily.
"Not really Superman, more like X-men cause you ain't doing it solo. It's a team effort." Lieutenant Ali expressed.
"Did you even listen to all we've been saying? This ain't some movie, The world is being led to its doom as we speak..." Muejiz fired in anger, realizing Milli is taking it all as a joke.
"You know what? I love your story, it's great. I mean, Netflix can buy it, package it and then make cool cash from it. But I'm too poor and I'm working my ass out to even live comfortably. So I've got no time to listen to this let alone understand it." Milli concluded as he made to leave.
Muejiz looked around to check if anyone was watching, he then quickly grabbed an empty coffee mug on the table.
"Hey!" He said, calling back Milli's attention.
Milli turned and Muejiz immediately threw the mug at him.
Milli tried shielding himself from being hit by the mug, with his hand.
Milli raised his head and opened his eyes, which he closed by reflex in fear, to check what must have happened. As the mug had not hit him, as it should have, by now.
He saw that the mug stopped halfway and was levitating in mid-air.
"Holy shit! How did..." Milli muttered as he froze, startled at the realization that he stopped the mug somehow. The mug then dropped hard on the floor.
"Do you believe me now, Superman?" Muejiz asked with a stern look.
"Wow! How did you know he will do that?" Raphael asked, whispering beside Muejiz in awe of what just happened.
"Real recognize real!" Muejiz replied, standing up.
"Get your things and follow us now. This train won't come back for you," He said, this time, to Milli. "The enemies will!" He concluded, walking out the door of the Café.