𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 (𝐀 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧-𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥) ✔

- 41 -

            - Henry's POV -

I held mother like an egg as I took her up the stairs to my room. I got to the room she shared with my father and laid her down gently. After observing her a bit, I thought it'd be best to call Johnathan, the family doctor. "I'll go call Johnathan."

Mother stopped me as I was about leaving, by wrapping her hands on my wrist. I looked at my wrist and back at her if she needed anything. Water, maybe. "Son, you can't be with that girl."

I looked at my mother, "Why? Minutes ago you were all over her, praising her. Why all this talk all of a sudden?"

Mother let go of my wrist and then shook her head defiantly. "Y-you just can't date her, trust me."

I wish I could, but mother wasn't making sense at the moment. "I love that girl and she has gone through so much because of me. Got ridiculed and even got kidnapped."

"I don't care!" mother yelled, taking me off guard. This time, she moved her position to sit on her bed while resting her back on the bedboard. "You won't date her and that's final."

The door to the bedroom opened and dad walked in. He looked and mother then at me. "What's going on?"

"Ask your wife!" I knew my tone and language weren't appropriate but my mother was giving me very little to work with. "Why won't you let me date the one person I like?"

"Honey, I thought you liked her." My point exactly. I had never seen mum this way and she wasn't explaining her decision.

"Her family is no good," Mum turned to dad. "Their offspring won't be better."

"Mother," I sat beside her on her bed, with a gentle voice. "Can you please explain things to me? Why are you taking such a decision all of a sudden? I can't just call this off with Hope, I like her a lot. No, I love her."

Mother remained quiet, staring at nothing in particular. My eyes were filled with so much pain that it ached to see her in such a state. "Years ago far before I met you and your sisters, I was betrothed to a man in my village. Both he and my best friend betrayed me and had an affair behind my back. Hope is as a result of their betrayal."

        - Third Person POV -

Idara kicked a Pebble as she jumped happily down the hill to Essien's house. The latter had promised to braid her hair so she would look good for Ebong. She finally got to the cracked hut and clapped her hands four times to indicate her arrival.

"My very good friend," She kept clapping when Essien seemed to be taking too long, all this she spoke in Efik. "I wish my hair to be done before the night graces us with its black garment."

Ruffling came to the side of the hut and Essien revealed herself. Her hands were dirty because of the cocoa she'd been peeling in the backyard. "I could hear you from the back. Let me go wash my hands."

"Be fast, I need to look good for my betrothed." Essien's heart clenched but she was strong enough not to make it known. She lowered her body to fit the entrance of the hut, then brought out a smaller stool after she had washed her hands. Idara sat on the stool while Essien stood behind her so she could braid her hair beautifully.

Fifteen minutes into the braiding, Essien felt a disturbance in her stomach and her throat started to feel irritated. She quickly left the hair she was braiding and rushed to the side of the hut close to the bushes to empty her tummy through her mouth. Idara being concerned stood to have a look at her friend. "You are still sick?"

"I think this is a different sickness," Essien lied so her friend won't think about what the healer had said.

"What sickness is this?" Idara moved closer to Essien, to inspect her closely. "What if it's a dangerous one?"