Caught In between

CHAPTER 15: Moms who played God

"You don't have to do this," Ma Eli begged, Levi as her eyes went around the room. He had never seen the woman this scared in her life. Even he got afraid as he watched what he was unraveling. He was about to open a can and whatever was to come out of it was not going to be pretty. Should he stop and let everyone go back to their lives?
"Baby, maybe we should let it go," Cherish echoed his thoughts.
"I want the truth!" Levi screamed. If he stopped now, he would never have this opportunity again.
"Speak up Elizabeth!" Mr. Mutanda commanded making her finally crack.
"The truth is..." Ma Eli began in a trembling voice.
"Many years ago, after having my two girls, your father kept pressuring me as if I was responsible for giving myself boys. I got pregnant but during delivery, my baby boy died. While I lay crying on the delivery bed, a midwife suggested that she could switch for 5 million. I could afford it so I promised her the money and later paid her," She paused and took in deep breaths. The room was so silent, they could have heard a pin drop.

"So what happened?" Levi asked impatiently like a child eager to finish a bedtime story except that this was the horror story of his life.

"She handed me another baby boy and gave my dead baby to some woman who had just undergone a CS and was still unconscious," she revealed, lowering her head and sobbing.

"What? So you made a woman go home with a dead baby?" Levi snapped, running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"I was desperate because..." Ma Eli continued.

"Because your husband needed a child so you stole one!" Levi shouted, standing up and pacing the room like his body suddenly itched.

"No, desperate because the maid was also pregnant for my husband and I was afraid she would have a boy," She said quickly.

"What maid?" Levi asked, looking around.

"Her," Ma Eli said, pointing an accusing finger at Mado who sat straight up like a rod, her lips tight and face betraying no emotion. It was like she'd built a defense around her body, bouncing off any arrow of accusation.

"Mama, you told me that you don't know our father!" Cherish screamed out, standing up.

"I was foolish enough to believe Mr. Mutanda that if I had a boy for him, he would leave his wife for me. I was just a maid trying to secure a future with a wealthy man. When I got pregnant and found out I was having girls, I knew I had lost. My chance to blackmail Elizabeth came when a rumour circulated that she had actually switched a baby. I threatened to expose her if I didn't benefit from the wealth her boy was going to inherit," Mado paused and looked straight at Cherish.

"My girls or at least one child had to benefit from this wealth so I told her to raise you and make sure you marry Levi while I kept Marlise. I knew you were a fighter and your sister was not. She's the one who almost died at birth because she had health complications," She said.

"So what would have happened if Levi stayed with Jay's mother?" Cherished asked.

"She was never going to last although I didn't need to do anything. That was Elizabeth's doing," Mado said.

"You are wicked! You played God with our lives!" Cherish shouted, her voice cracking as she wiped tears from her eyes. She turned to Mr. Mutanda.

"You are not innocent. You caused all of this because of your archaic mindset about the role of girls!"

"Yes! This woman gave me useless girls, so I knew that a boy would be different. See how much Levi has accomplished," He bragged.
From the way the man spoke, Levi figured that the man had been aware of all of these schemes.

"You mean slaved for you! So you knew the truth that I wasn't your son and you knew your daughters all along yet denied them fatherly care," Levi shouted, picking up the lighter.

"I did what a man has to do, secure his inheritance which is what you should always think of," Mr Mutanda said.

"Inheritance my foot! watch as your farms burn to the ground. I quit a long time ago, incase you haven't noticed. I haven't shown up in any of those places for three months and I never plan to!" Levi yelled.
"Ingrate! So you would throw away everything we've built?" Mr Mutanda asked.
"We? Its me. You've squandered your wealth, made bad investments and destroyed all the relationships around you. I don't want any part of that legacy," Levi said.
"You're a fool! Cherish would do better at managing things than you. Afterall, she is my blood, " He said.
"I would rather be an orphan than have you as a father and I don't want anything from you," Cherish said and came to stand close to Levi.
"Now everyone get out! Ma Mado, you would leave first thing tomorrow morning," Levi said, pointing to the door.
As soon as he finished speaking, his phone rang. He looked at the unregistered number and ignored it. This was not the time for scam calls. It kept ringing so Cherish seized it and answered. He wasn't paying attention to what she was saying until when her facial expression started changing.
No, I'm not Levi, I'm his wife...
Yes, I know her, that's my sister...
What do you mean? Where, which hospital?...
After the call, Cherish looked like a cold bucket of water had been dumped on her body. She was visibly trembling. Everyone else in the room had forgotten that they were kicked out and stood waiting for her to explain the call.
"Something is seriously wrong with Marlise. We have to go now," She grabbed Levi's arm.

TO BE CONTINUED...
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Wow! What a mess right?