Part 8 (6)

The late Governor's aide-de-camp Polo entered the chalet with the youngster Baba and they met the lumberjack and the young miss Suzie who were sitting next to each other on the rattan divan in the parlor.
Babida kept on consoling his crush, though she couldn't help crying.
The loss of her two last relatives was unbearable. Uncle Bibi and big Momma were her greatest support since the passing of her Mother Anna when she was a five-year-old toddler.
Younger, the trauma of her mom's death often caused her to scream in the middle of the night.
She constantly had nightmares till she turned twelve and uncle Bibi and grandmother had finally found the secret to make her move on and forget about her mother's death.
One day, uncle Bibi, Big Momma, and twelve-year-old Suzie went to the market to buy a turkey for the "Ngondo", the Batang empire's yearly celebration to thank the divinities for their kindness over the past year, and beg them for protection for the next year.
As they were strolling around the market on the lookout for the biggest and most good-looking turkey, an old and strange woman who was standing on the sidewalk drew the attention of little Suzie and with her right index finger told her to come closer.
The teenager Suzie obeyed under the influence of the hypnotic power of the old lady.
Uncle Bibi and big Momma were unaware that their little darling had left them until when grandmother wanted to pay the merchant for the turkey and she asked her grandchild to pass on to her the three Batangi coins she had given her to hold when they were about to go out to the market.
"Suzie, give me the money!" Grandma said but the kid was not around.
Uncle Bibi turned to look behind and saw the little girl from a distance talking with an unknown old lady dressed in an all-black robe.
"Suzie !" He shouted before hastening to go up to her since she couldn't hear.
"Suzie!" He said again as he was now near to her.
Little Suzie turned to look at him and uttered: "Uncle Bibi, behold, this old lady right here knew my mom Anna. She was her Makossa teacher. She even told me to come to meet her here every three days so she would tell me more stories about my mom."
Uncle Bibi was taken aback. He was Suzie's mother big brother and had never seen the old lady before. Moreover, Anna never learned Makossa to become either a singer or a dancer.
However, the story seemed to make the little girl Suzie happy and uncle Bibi didn't want to spoil the moment. It was the first time since her mother's passing that something about the latter made the teenager smile.
So uncle Bibi pretented he knew the old lady and she was telling truth.
He therefore answered: "Yes, Indeed your mom was the most gifted Makossa singer in the empire and she was also a very good dancer."
And as he was done with his pretense, grandmother came from behind and shouted: "Suzie, give me the money!".
But her son, uncle Bibi, pinched her and she understood something was going on. She hence let it go.
"Mom, here is Anna's Makossa teacher. She is very nice and was telling nice stories about Anna to Suzie. She even told her to come over here every three days and she would tell even more tales about my sister." Uncle Bibi described to big Momma while pinching her.
"Oh yes, I remember like it was just yesterday. Well, that would be kind of her. I see already the glow on Suzie's face. Anna was indeed everything to her. Well, we shall then come back in the next three days with the little girl so she would hear stories about her mom. Thank you very much!" said Grandmother, pretending as well to know the old lady.
"Well now, we have a turkey to buy for the Ngondo. Thank you once again!" She said as she held Suzie's hand and together with uncle Bibi, they left.
They purchased the turkey, went back home, and celebrated the Ngondo with the well-grilled meat of the bird. Then they went to bed.
The next morning they woke up and surprisingly the teenager Suzie had had for the first time no nightmare about her mom and it was the same thing on the following day.
Uncle Bibi and Grandmother were thus convinced that the unexpected meeting with the old lady was the source of the positive change.
On the third day morning, Suzie had had also no nightmare in the past night. Uncle Bibi and Grandmother were even more convinced that the old lady was behind all this.
So they decided to take Suzie to her as they had promised, though at first they weren't serious and just wanted to be kind.
They took Suzie to the market and the old lady was at the same location she was standing last time. And as she had pledged, she recounted a new story to Suzie about her mom Anna and the little girl was even more contented than the first time.
The family went back home and in the night the teenager Suzie still had had no nightmare. Uncle Bibi and Grandmom realized that the meeting with the old lady had a positive effect on the kid.
So finally they decided that they will continue to take her to the old lady every three days as part of a therapy.
They did so till Suzie turned thirteen and at the next meeting with the old lady, the latter didn't show up and she never did again. But ultimately Suzie stopped once and for all to have nightmares.