Desta and the Aziza

By Quentin Allen

Unlike any other fairy book, you’ve read.

The Aziza gives a whole new look on fairies.

A young girl named Desta moves outside the United States to Africa with her dad, mom and older sister Caliah for the first time in their life’s, to her father’s home town, a new home, a new country, new surroundings and a new culture.
At first Desta and her sister are home sick because of the new un familiar house.
Desta battles being a good daughter while at the same time being trustworthy to the Aziza.

Benin, Nigeria is more interesting and magical than Desta first thought.
When she does her own investigation, she finds there may be a lot more to the out-skirt town of Benin than she realized.

The Aziza seem like fairies at first but she quickly realizes the Aziza aren’t just normal Fairies. They are fierce, strong warriors that aren’t scared to fight their battles as a family and how well the protect what the care for.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9781669867630

Quentin Allen

N/A

Book preview

Copyright © 2023 by Quentin Allen.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 02/15/2023

Xlibris

844-714-8691

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Jewelry Road

Chapter 2 GG

Chapter 3 Dahomey

Chapter 4 The Elocko

Chapter 5 The Hunt

Chapter 6 Grounded

Chapter 7 The Market

Chapter 8 Strangle Little Girl

Chapter 9 A Distant Tribe

Chapter 10 The Abara Home

Chapter 11 Night Fight

Chapter One

Jewelry Road

A white SUV drives down the country roads of Lagos, Nigeria. The sun is high in the sky, and the long road seems to go on forever as two girls sleep in the back seat of the SUV.

They have never left America before; this is their first time.

Caliah was the older one. She was thirteen; and her younger sister, Desta, just turned ten. The farthest they’d ever been was to their grandma and grandpa’s house in Grand Rapids. They saw them every Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas.

Their yard was so big; it had a pool, a trampoline, and a big treehouse that had been there since they were little. They loved going there every year. Plus, they lived in Detroit, so it felt good to get away from the city sometimes.

Lagos was so much different. There were palm trees, and everything—the billboards and signs—was in a different language; even the air smelled different.

From Detroit, Michigan, to Lagos, Nigeria—this was a big change for the Abara family.

As the SUV drives, the country road starts to get more rural, and the road goes from paved to dirt.

Girls, wake up. We’re almost here.

Both of the girls start to open their eyes.

They stretch, and then they both look out their windows.

All right, let’s see how much you girls remember. How do you say ‘hello’ in Yoruban?

"Peleo!" both of them say together as Desta yawns, beginning to wake up.

Good, good. Now how do you say ‘good morning’?

"E kaaro," they both say together again.

Good job. Okay, what about ‘how are you’?

Desta and Caliah both look at each other, unsure at first.

"Bawo ni o se wa."

Wow, very good, Caliah. That’s good, her mom says to her.

We’re about to see our new home, girls.

Daddy, will GG be at our new house when we get there?

I don’t think so, Desta baby, not yet, but she will be tomorrow. I know she can’t wait to see you both though. You two were so little the last time she saw you in person. I can’t wait for you both to see the house too.

I can’t wait to have my own room, and I don’t have to share a bunk bed with Desta anymore, Caliah says.

Desta sticks her tongue out at her. Caliah rolls her eyes and goes back to looking out the window.

They pull into a long gravel driveway. It takes a couple of minutes to even get from the driveway to the house, a large front yard and a forest in the backyard.

Whoa, this yard is ginormous! Desta says.

Your GG says this house used to belong to a man and his wife named Enitan and Ikenna. They lived here for a long time. They were farmers of the land.

Although Desta and her sister didn’t look too excited to be moving into the new house, they were still surprised. They saw it from pictures, but in person, it was definitely better.

The house could be painted or maybe the grass cut. The grass was so long, but that would all come in time.

I know you two really miss your friends and everyone back home in the States, but we can and will visit as much as we can. We promise, but I really think eventually you’ll see this place is nice. Me and your mom got really good jobs. This is really good for all of us as a family, Amobi says as he parks the car in front of the house.

Do you still have to start work tomorrow? Caliah asks.

We’re just going in to meet our new boss for a few hours, work some things out. Me and your dad won’t be gone long.

Desta looks at her dad.

Dad, are we going to be farmers?

Their mom and dad both chuckle.

No, baby, we aren’t going to be farmers.

He looks over at Caliah, still looking out the window, still not too excited.

Come on. Let’s go check it out inside.

They all get out of the SUV and walk up to the front door. As their dad goes to open the door, it opens easily. It was practically already open.

I guess your GG is already here. Mom! You here?

Amobi, I don’t think she is. Wouldn’t her car be out front?

Mom? Are you in here? My mom gets around without a car. I don’t think she even owns one. Mom!

Why would the front door be open? Kara asks as they all walk into the kitchen.

I’m not sure, but I’m sure everything’s fine, Kara. Don’t worry. He picks up a note on the counter.

I’m having another key made. I was only left with one. I can’t wait to see everyone. See you all soon, he reads the note.

See, Amobi says, folding the note.

And look, locks at the top of the door, their dad, says, pointing out the lever locks over the door.

How do you feel about the house so far?

It definitely needs some work, but besides that, I really like it. It’s nice. There’s a lot of potential, their mom says with a smile.

Come on, ladies, let’s go check out our rooms.

They all walk up the steps as the dad leads.

Mom, this house is so big. Which room is mine? Caliah asks.

Caliah, since you’re the oldest, you can get the bigger room on the left. Desta, you got the one on the right. Me and your fathers’ room is just down the hall.

They both went into their rooms. Caliah wasn’t exactly excited, but she couldn’t help but smile a little. This room was twice the size of her old one. It could probably fit three or four bunk beds in it easily. She finally had a room to herself; she was already imagining where everything was going to go—her bed, her dresser, but mainly her desk with the vanity on it. Her grandmother bought it for her birthday, for her new room. Maybe Lagos wasn’t going to be as bad as she imagined.

Desta’s room wasn’t as big but just as empty. It was nothing but a closet. Desta’s was maybe half the size of Caliah’s, but that didn’t bother her. Not