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“Professor, are you really sure this is a good idea?” Susan asked while staring through the window of the plane. Her guts clenched when the plane was hit by turbulence.
Professor Jones Harrison, a man with a salt and pepper beard expelled a tired breath. He adjusted his cowboy hat before dignifying her with a response.
“How many times must we go through this? Don’t you want to earn your doctorate?” Jones gazed at her with an arched eyebrow.
Susan could not believe she had been talked into accompanying her professor on this journey. While he admired Jones for his extensive knowledge in history, he was an insufferable tutor who always had his way. Jones smiled at her and pulled the hat over his face, obviously signaling her that he wanted to doze off.
Susan cast her eyes around the occupants of the plane. Jack Quainoo sat on the right going through some magazines. He gave her a wink when he saw her staring at him again. She quickly pulled her eyes away and focused on the two teenagers with their heads together listening to music through their earpiece. They were a five-member team. How the professor had managed to coax the university to fund such a venture was an enigma to her?
“We will be landing very soon. Please fasten your seat belts.” Everyone stirred at the voice of the pilot. Susan fastened her seat belt as she felt the plane banked steadily downwards. She felt trepidation build in her gut. She had never enjoyed flying and this was her third flight.
Through the window she gazed at the runway lights. She braced herself and prayed.
They passed through the checkpoints swiftly and boarded a taxi. A hotel had already been booked for their stay. Her room was beside Jones with the two teenagers on the far end. She was too tired to bother with removing her dress and flung herself unto the queen size bed. She gazed up at the chandeliers. Just when she begun to doze off, she recalled she had to take a shower. She stepped into the bathroom and let the cold-water slide over her body. A mirror on the bathroom wall showed her dimpled dark face staring back at her. She had bags under her eyes. She needed to get more sleep. She flung herself naked unto the bed and was asleep in minutes.
***
PROFESSOR JONES HARRISON sat behind a mahogany desk in his hotel room. His sight was glued to the newspaper clipping he held in his hand. The aesthetic beauty of the room in which he was lodged in was of no concern to him. Being a professor of history, he had the luxury of studying the historical impacts of different eras. He had been composing an essay on Emperor Nero and his fixation with Christendom. He had stumbled across an interesting news item online when he had been doing some research for his lectures. He held the newspaper he had pleaded with a colleague to mail to him. He read the extract again.
“Two kids, a brother and a sister were found outside a cave in the region of Mount Elgon. Kids were blabbering about seeing a giant white ghost in the cave. They described symbols which made no sense whatsoever. Authorities have cordoned off the area to visitors until investigation have been carried out and the truth ascertained.....”
Jones scratched his head and read the story over again. His old but intelligent mind was unto something. He fished out his own brown book and opened to the myths and history of Uganda. He glanced at his watch. He had little over six hours to sleep. He put on his spectacles and began to read.
***
SUSAN WOKE UP WITH a blinding light in her vision. She had forgotten to close the drapes in her room and sun rays was streaming in. She showered and donned a jeans with a pink top emblazoned with ‘I love my self.’ She walked out her room with her backpack. She had come prepared. She descended the stairs and heard commotion downstairs as she approached the reception where they had agreed to meet. Professor Jones was arguing with a short plump lady. Behind her were her two kids making faces at the professor. The receptionist was at a loss as to how to separate the two. Susan got closer to them and coughed.
Immediately the arguments stopped. Jones turned to Susan and smiled. “Hey, I was just explaining—” He paused, a slight tick in his jaw, “to this lady here that the first ride was ours.” Jones said as he gazed expectantly at Susan for support.
Susan’s gaze switched between the professor and the plump lady who had her arms crossed. Jones obviously wanted her to choose his side. Her lips curled up as she remembered how the professor had tricked her into coming with him on this journey if she wanted to earn her doctorate. She pretended to think about it.
“Prof, why don’t we wait for the next car?” Susan said while smiling sweetly at him. Jones scowled, saying nothing. “Afterall, these kids want to be out of here, right?” the kids eagerly nodded their heads.
“Agreed?”
“Of course.” Jones said, accepting defeat graciously, his eyes belying his anger.
“Of course, no thanks to you.” The woman said whirling around on her high heeled shoe as her kids followed her.
“How rude,” Susan paused as she saw the calculating eye the professor was giving her.
“You just had to ruin that. Didn’t you? I know you did it on purpose.”
“No! I would never—”
Jones put on his hat, “never mind. I’ll make some calls to an old friend of mine.” He moved aside as he began to engage someone on his walkie talkie like phone.
Susan was amused and turned to the receptionist who was pretending to be seriously staring at something on his computer. She heard something being dragged and someone giggling. She rolled her eyes and saw the two teenagers, Chloe and Mark appeared, dragging a suitcase behind them. As predictable as ever. They were the youngest in the group. Susan still could not comprehend how the professor had gotten permission to let them tag along. Another thought popped into her mind; did they sleep in the same room? With the way they acted around each other, it was safe to assume both had been doused in a love potion.
“Hey Susan.”
Susan’s thought was cut off as Jack Quainoo came into view. He was tall and extremely built like an athlete. There was something about him Susan couldn’t put her hand on. She smiled back at him.
“Sleep well?” She said as she gazed up at his ruggedly handsome face. She knew he was overly protective of her, but he didn’t really show any active romantic interest.
“Yea, a bit,” he said in a deep voice. Jack had a commanding presence in any room. She knew the girls in her class ogled him anytime he lectured. “Where is the old man?” Jack asked, a smile twitching on his lips at the joke. He was the professor’s assistant so he could afford to call him that.
Susan shrugged and stopped short as she saw the professor approaching them and grinning.
“Ok, guys I’ve got good news. We will be escorted by our very own local guide.”
“Any moment from now,” Jones said, staring at the door of the hotel lobby. They all stared in anticipation. The door opened and a figure walked in. Susan felt her mouth opening in shock as they all stared at the person before them.