Horror stricken, Fade's eyes widened as he watched Ara slide into the water, and for the tiniest moment he couldn't get himself.
When he finally came to, he scanned the surface of the sea but couldn't find her, since the ship was preventing him from seeing much.
Without further hesitation, he jumped in after her, wincing as the ice water hit his skin.
He fought against the current to get to where he last saw her. By the time he was able to do so, she was no longer to be seen. Not even a ripple effect to show where she'd been.
Holding his breath, he went beneath the surface and searched for her. Then his heart leaped for joy when he sighted her. Her clothes had been hooked by a piece of wood that jutted out from the ship. Instead of sinking, the wood held her in place, although the water made her sway from side to side.
Her eyes were closed, her hands limp. He swam towards her and freed her from the ship's hold, before swimming upwards with his arm round her waist.
They broke through the surface of the water and he swam to the boat where Saheed pulled Ara into the boat while Lanre did the same for him.
His chest burned, having been without oxygen for a while. His breath came out in gasps as he leaned over Ara and began to press down on her chest.
Worry rose within him when she didn't respond and he increased his movements till they became frantic, his mind now in overdrive as he fought to resuscitate her.
Just when he thought she was gone forever and was about to give up, she coughed and water spilled out of her mouth.
A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he threw his arms round her shivering form.
"Thank God. Thank you Jesus. Oh, thank you Jesus." He kept repeating this over and over again while she coughed out all the water in her lungs.
Sewa, glad to see both of them safe also managed to squeeze herself into their embrace. But Fade and Ara didn't mind, they just created space for the little one to join them.
With one arm around Ara and the other round Sewa, Fade vowed to do everything within his power to keep both of them safe.
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Gone was the violent rocking of the boat upon waters, and in its place was a sway as the water flowed underneath the boat. A fish glided up and stayed underneath the boat, swimming alongside it. The night hid the other creatures swimming in the sea but one could hear them as they swam up before entering back into the sea. A breeze blew, caressing the waves upon the sea.
The coolness of the night, coupled with its serenity, created a peaceful atmosphere.
It was this, and none other, that awoke Ara. Upon opening her eyes, she rubbed them and let out a yawn.
Peering into the darkness with the moonlight as the only source of illumination, she could make out the silhouette of two men as they paddled on opposite sides of the boat.
One of them was Tomi and the other was the Prince. She glanced around and noticed that everyone else was asleep. The night was quiet, save for the paddles hitting the water.
She also noticed that animal skins covered everyone, except Fade. She stood up, stepped over Anike and Dami who shared a covering, then over Lanre and Kola who shared another. She picked up Sewa, placed her beside Bayo and then used Sewa's own to cover both of them as the poor man shivered even while asleep.
Olu and Saheed shared a covering so Ara moved closer to Fade, removed the animal skin from her shoulders and draped them around his.
His gaze flickered up to hers and she bowed her head before turning to leave, not wanting to distract him from his work.
YOU ARE READING
Awaiting Her Beau
Spiritual"Do you have anything to say?" He shook his head, but never shifted his gaze from her face. "Well then, what do you want?" She snapped, tired of his incessant staring. He shook his head again, still remaining speechless. She sighed. "Is there someth...
