บท 12: CHAPTER 12: MEETING AN ACQUAINTANCE
Namwapa was the name of the town, and it was quite close to the sea, therefore most men from neighboring villages or towns would travel all the way to Namwapa to work at the docks, where they would load and unload products from ships.
Tapiwa ignored these folks and hurriedly walked to the escort agency, which was more than ten minutes away from where she got off from the ox-cart. When she arrived, she was not shocked to see that there were already a few individuals, all dressed elegantly.
When Tapiwa arrived, a middle-aged man who was friendly and outgoing greeted her cordially.
Tapiwa had the demeanor of a noblewoman, having grown up in the metropolis before moving to this deserted place. Anyone who saw her would just put her up there and not look down on her or dismiss her as a villager.
However, in the last three years, her self-esteem had deteriorated to the point where even a village woman with no name would bully her. It was that serious, but because of all that had happened in the last several weeks, her confidence was returning, and she was carrying herself much better.
"Are you planning on traveling to Karoba?" Tapiwa inquired gently after exchanging greetings.
"I am afraid that the carriage for Karoba will not be available until the day after tomorrow," the man said, looking at Tapiwa with surprise.
Tapiwa was taken aback when she learned this. That was two days away; how could she possibly wait that long?
"There really isn't anything?"
"I'm afraid not, but the carriage is going to Guche this morning. If you don't mind going to Guche, you can find another carriage for Karoba from there," the man offered his suggestion.
Relief surged over her when she heard that.
Guche was another town two days drive from Namwapa on the way to Karoba.
So as long as she got to Guche, she could simply find another carriage to take her to Karoba.
"Well, that's a relief. I'll take the carriage for Guche and find another for Karoba," Tapiwa added, knowing that departing now was essential.
The man was likewise relieved to see Tapiwa agree. Most travelers would decline because it was more expensive to go this way than to do a single long trip.
"That's fine, please come this way," the man said as he led her into the facility for formal procedure completion.
Tapiwa paid for her transportation inside the facility and declined the invitation to purchase food and water because she had brought some with her.
She didn't need to change her clothes at this point because her garments wouldn't become dirty easily. The main reason why she chose the brown and yellow kaftan from her collection of beautiful kaftans.
She was led to the carriage after finishing all the processes inside when she was astonished to find a familiar face.
"Ohh! I thought I was having vision problems. It is indeed you!" When she saw Tapiwa, the other woman, who was in her forties, gasped in amazement.
Tapiwa smiled sincerely at the woman after ensuring that she, too, was seeing accurately, "It's indeed me. How have you been, ma'am?" she inquired gently as she approached her, after checking the other's identity.
The older lady smiled as she motioned Tapiwa to come and sit next to her.
The horse-coach carriage was designed to transport ten people and luggage at a time.
Tapiwa was the sixth person to enter the carriage, which meant they had four more people to wait for before the carriage took off.
This also meant that there was plenty of room inside the carriage, making it feasible to sit close to a friend.
"What was your name again?" the middle-aged lady asked after Tapiwa had taken her seat.
Tapiwa smiled at her and said simply, "Tapiwa, my name is Tapiwa."
"Tapiwa, we have been given, what a nice name!" exclaimed the lady, happiness overwhelming her upon hearing Tapiwa's name.
"Thank you very much, Madam Matombo, and I still remember you," Tapiwa stated, revealing that she remembers the person she saw three years ago.
Madam Matombo grinned toothily when she learned that Tapiwa remembered her, and her attitude towards Tapiwa improved, "What an intelligent child!!"
Tapiwa felt more at ease now that she was with someone she knew.
Madam Matombo was a woman she met three years ago after purchasing the estate. The lady was gracious enough to assist her when she truly needed help the most, which is how she could still remember the other without fail.
Thirty minutes later, the carriage was full, and the horses finally began to draw the carriage, signaling the beginning of a long voyage.
Because the route was two days long, the carriage would stop at night and everyone would camp before continuing their journey in the morning.
This was also done to allow the horses and passengers to rest and freshen up.
Even as nightfall neared, Tapiwa remained calm. Tapiwa gladly munched on her food when the time came, having enough food to last her two days.
She even feared Madam Matombo would take advantage of the situation to eat food from her, but the lady was better prepared and ate her own food without reaching out for hers.
The next day, Tapiwa cheerfully chatted with Madam Matombo, and through her, she learned a lot of things she didn't know before, which was really beneficial.
The carriage arrived in the small town of Guche late at night, and it looked prosperous.
One of the advantages of traveling in coach carriages was that passengers could sleep inside at night if they couldn't afford to pay for a room in an inn.
Tapiwa, on the other hand, was feeling sticky and wanted to change clothing as well as bring out more food.
So she bid Madam Matombo goodnight and promised to visit her when she was free in the future.
Tapiwa didn't go immediately to an inn after leaving Madam Matombo; instead, she went to another escort agency and looked for the next day's travel arrangements.
'Thank God, I can still leave tomorrow.'
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