Changing lives constantly: The main

Chapter 15 mature

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Chapter 15 mature

Recap: This movement shook out the leaves that l brought with me in emergency. Freya poked me: "Mira look! Feverfew! Just when we need it!" I sighed in relief thanking myself for being smart and thoughtful: "Freya you chew those herbs and make Edena swallow them. I'll take care of the baby." I looked left, then right and received the baby that Freya was passing under her clothes to me. However, unfortunately, this day kept getting worse because the baby started crying extremely loudly and all eyes were on us once again.

Mira's P.O.V

                This wretched child! Why would it scream and make so much noise at this important assembly! I thought it would remain docile and quiet like it normally was but l guess its hungry. What to do? Do l deny ever seeing this baby and just say l found it on the street and decided to take it to the assembly so that l could find its mother? Or do l admit that it is Edena's? Admitting that it is Edena's would definitely change things because it would imply that Edena got pregnant, gave birth to son by the chief and so the chief made her his slave as a way of saying that the child was illegitimately his.

 Let's go with this then. I made up my mind and stared ahead resolutely not thinking of the consequences of this implication and the fact that the chief had nothing to say about the matter himself. 

          Mutterings and whispers started. The elder, who had just sat down, stood up once again in astonishment and repressed glee: "Whose baby is this?" No one answered and most people averted their eyes. He turned to me: "Mira Rowwe, whose baby is this? Is it yours?" I shook my head in quick denial because it really wasn't mine. "Then whose is it?"

"Replying to elder, it is my sister, Edena's baby." There was a period of silence after that declaration as everyone allowed that idea to permeate through their minds before all hell broke loose. "Edena? Edena had a baby out of wedlock?" I denied it completely. "NO! Edena had this baby because of her lover, who promised to marry her!" The elder scoffed: "Who would marry into such a low standing family? There is no one who would risk that except..." I smirked and slowly nodded: "The chief was her lover." That very same elder and a few others pointed their fingers at me with accusations: "You cannot say that you have no evidence!" "Yed, no evidence!" But l interrupted their chanting impatiently: "Then we can see right now whether this boy is the chief's son." We all looked to the chief and he nodded his head in agreement. The elder sighed while trying to hide his smirk: "That is all well and good. Bring a bowl and a knife here!" Shadows darted in and out so quickly that l couldn't see but the items appeared miraculously. He motioned for me to bring the baby to him. I did not trust him that much so l carried the baby myself to the raised ground and took the knife.

         'Sorry little child. I must hurt you this once,' were my thoughts before l sliced open his arm. A high pitched wail followed this and l rocked and cooed the baby as the blood flowed into the bowl.

"If his blood can mix with the chief's blood naturally without any resistance, then he is indeed the chief's son. Otherwise, we do not know his origins and at that point, he shall be killed along with you and your family for breaking village rules and customs. If he is the chief's son, then he will follow Edena and enter the chief's huts for his wives. She will have a smaller hut since she is just a slave but there will be enough space for her and her child."

 I inhaled sharply as the chief cut open his own hand without wincing and brought it towards the bowl full of blood. The whole assembly leaned in to try and get a glimpse of the outcome but not many could see clearly. Each drop of blood from the chief disappeared in the baby's blood without any rejection at all. I exhaled in relief but also in slight confusion.

               'So, he is her lover for real then. No wonder l found her all bloodied and...wait that means it was the chief who was abusing her all along! What a despicable person! But l cannot do anything to him right now because he is chief. I'll carefully bide my time till l can bring him to his knees." I was not paying attention to the elder in front of me, who was getting frantic as there was no reaction when the blood mixed. This meant that the chief now had his first son. In his mind, he was doomed! 'We already have one uncooperative chief. I really hoped that he would not have a son and that l would succeed him as chief! Seems that my plans need to be altered.' With a shaky hand, he raised the bowl up in the air and announced. "THE CHIEF HAS A NEW SON!"