Chapter 2

The next morning everyone was surrounding Amina's hut. Acting as if they cared for her or maybe they did. But still, they had a weird way of showing it.

Everyone was talking at the same time until the Chief yelled, "Amina! Show yourself to me!"

Silence.

"Sister wife! Please come out!" That was Lydia. Winnie walked to the hut and tried to knock the same time the wooden door was opened.

"Greetings," Amina greeted with a smile hiding all the pain she was feeling. She didn't know where her baby was or if she was safe. Any mother would be so worried if their little baby was nowhere near them.

"Amina, we heard cries of an infant last night. What was happening?" The chief asked, using the same tone he use with the other chiefs when he want their lands or when he demands peace.

"Coming from my hut?" Amina faked shock that made everyone believe that she didn't know anything. The Chief turned his back on her as a sign of disappointment. Everyone also turned their backs towards her.

She didn't say anything as the Chief and everyone else left. She went back into her hut and hugged her pillow, bawling her eyes out.

In the meantime:

The picnic basket was still floating with the baby inside. Her eyes were still closed, her hands gripping the doek that was used as a towel to cover her. She was about to reach the shallow end of the river then she would have left the seven Chiefdoms Chief Zulu owned. Once at the end of the river, the basin fell over the waterfall and continued to float into the 'whites' as they were called.

The english world or part was ruled by King William and Queen Adele. It was called the Glyme Kingdom. One of the men who was fishing found the basin containing the baby so he took it then uncovered it. When he saw the baby inside, he ran to his small house where his wife was busy watering the flowers.

"Jesus James. You know your legs are not strong enough to carry you. Now you are running like someone is after you?" His wife, Marian said while looking at her husband's skinny, stick legs.

"Follow me," James said clearly out of breath as he hurriedly walked into the house with Marian walking closely behind. She kept asking herself negative questions on her way to the bedroom. Like did he kill someone? Is he upset? What wrong did she do? Did he manage to catch plenty of fish for the whole week? Was he banned from the river?

"Look here," her husband said so her eyes travelled to the basket that was sat on the small bed. She just saw a nice cloth so she smiled thinking her husband might have bought it for her as a present for their anniversary. It has been twelve years since he got her any present for their anniversary.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed jumping in her husband's arms catching him off guard but he caught her in time.

"Do you think we should keep it?"

"Of course. You can't buy me such an amazing cloth and expect me to just throw it away," of course this shocked her husband so much cause he was talking about the baby but she was talking about the cloth covering the baby.

"No. I meant look inside the basket," Marian moved away from her husband and close to the bed. She moved one slit of the doek to find the baby sleeping peacefully. She gasped and looked at her husband with tear-filled eyes.

"Yes," she nodded looking at the baby. What was she agreeing to? Now that is the main question.

"Yes?" The husband asked coming to stand next to her clearly confused as to what 'yes' was referring to.

"Of course we can keep the baby."

James smiled and hugged his wife. His wife could not have kids so this gave them an opportunity to be parents to a child gifted to them by Alaisiagae. They looked lovingly at the baby who was busy trying to push the cloth out of her face. Marian removed the doek and took the baby out.

"She is so pretty isn't she?" She asked playing the baby's hand. James smiled while looking at his wife and their new baby.

"You look so good with her. So natural. It's like you are meant for her," upon hearing this, Marian's smile grew wider.

"Let's name her," she suggested without taking her eyes off the baby.

"Of course. What do you want to name her?"

His wife looked at the zinc ceiling and for a moment said nothing more. Of course she was thinking about a name for her new baby. She shook her head once or twice then looked at the baby in her arms then looked away again, as if the poor little baby could tell her her own name, she is just a baby though.

"How about.... Alexandra?" She suggested causing her husband to smile small yet sweet smile.

"I love it," he whispered back softly. It was supposed to be their first baby's name before his wife miscarried five years ago.

"Our little Alex have fallen asleep," Marian said rubbing her nose against Alexandra's who snuggled deeper under the doek. Her husband hurriedly prepared the bed for the new baby.

Once the baby was asleep in their room, they both sat in the living room happily sipping tea like their worries have disappeared.

"Alexandra," James whispered to himself but catching his wife's attention who smiled instantly at the thought of their new baby.

"I never thought Alaisiagae would give us another chance," she replied taking a sip from her tea. Even the thought of having a baby never crossed their minds.

Five minutes later small, tiny cries were heard from their room booming in their small house. They hastily placed their cups of tea on the table and both ran to the bedroom.

The baby's cries ceased immediately. They both smiled and walked to the bed. Marian scooped the baby in her arms and caressed the baby's face.

"When are you going to tell your family?" James asked looking at his wife. None of her family members liked him. He never seemed to care though even though their words hurt him like hell on some days.

"I will tell them soon. Let's wait till she settle," she suggested and the baby cried again. She stood up with her in her arms and walked to the kitchen. She quickly warmed the milk and poured drop of milk on her palm and brought it closer to Alexandra's mouth which willingly opened and she gulped the milk. Marian continued till the baby spat some of the milk signaling she was full.

James came by and took the baby from Marian. The baby started crying again, this shocked James that he gave the baby back to Marian.

"She needs to burp first," she told him rubbing Amalia's back. She burped instantly.

The days went by with James building his baby a new bed. They had bought clothes and few milk bottles for their baby.

One night after dinner once the baby had slept, Marian was fixing the bed for her and James.

"You have to tell yoyr family about the baby sooner," James said for the third time that day.

"Why should I tell them everything that happens in my life?" She complained sitting on her side of the bed.

"They are your family."

"But they hate you. My husband, the one who completes me," she continued to complain without looking at her husband.

"They are still your family. You don't have to worry about what they think about me all the time. It's time you told them," he said as a statement that was not up for discussion.

"Ugh. Fine then," she replied lazily getting under the sheets. Her husband followed few minutes afterwards.

Three hours into the night, the baby's cries were heard in the room. Marian was about to get up and see what was wrong but James stopped her and said, "I will take care of her."

"Mank huu," Marian mumbled going back to sleep. He got up and walked to the small bed next to theirs, he took the milk bottle and placed the nipple in Alex's mouth but she pushed it away and cried some more.

"Move. She is not hungry, she's cold," Marian moved him to the side and placed the blankie over Alex. She went back to sleep instantly.

The mext night, the baby cried again and James went to put the blankie over her but again, Marian pushed him aside and said, "she is not cold. She is hot."

The next morning, James woke up early and heated some leftover milk for Amalia. He was picking her up with the small towel that Marian placed on the small chair the previous night.

"James, what are you doing?" Marian asked getting out of bed. James looked at the baby then back at Marian with confused face.

"Huh?"

"You are using the wrong side of the towel. Give her," she extended her hands and took the baby from James before walking out of the room and to the kitchen.

James looked at the ceiling and closed his eyes before saying, "wrong side of the towel? Which side is wrong and which is right?"

Marian came back and placed the baby on the bed before leaving to welcome her guests inside.

"So tell me Alexa my dear," he started sitting on the bed next to the baby. He continued, "how does your mom know when you are hungry or cold or hot... or need to burp? In fact, how does she know when the side of a towel is wrong?" Alex smiled looking at her father.

"You ladies are so picky. Only picking the ladies, I'm your father too aren't I?" He asked holding her hand.

"We are not picky James. We just know what we want," James turned around and looked at his wife who even in her late thirties still looked as beautiful and as young as the day he met her.

"So you do not want me?" He feigned hurt with his hand where his heart would be.

"James... No listen... ha ha ha," she started running across the small room with Alex gurgling at the scene.

"There are guests in the house!" Marian yelled before bursting out laughing when James fell with her under him.

"Oh right," he got up and helped his wife up to before he scooped baby Alex up and walked with her to the living room. Everyone looked at him in a funny way but he ignored it and sat on an empty couch where Marian joined her.

"Greetings," he said with a tired voice knowing what they were gonna say. He has learned to not take whatever they say into consideration.

When none of them replied, Marian said, "me and James have a baby."

"You were never pregnant," her second older sister said with an eye roll.

"James found the baby on the river and brought her home," she simply said and held Alex's hand.

"When?" "Can we get some tea?" Marylebone, Marian's mother and her husband said at the same time. Marian stood up to make tea for everyone when the baby cried. James has never handled Alex when she is crying so he didn't know what to do.

"Bring her," he obliged and the baby, like always, stopped crying.

"He can't take care of you nor your baby, why are you still staying with him?" Her oldest sister asked looking at James before her eyes travelled to her younger sister.

"He can. He takes care of her all the time." Marian defended causing her sister to chuckle bitterly. She has never liked it when they talked about her husband in this manner.

"Wow," she finished. James ignored them and when they started whispering among themselves, he stood up and took his fishing tools then walked out of the small house.

Marian looked at her family with hurt before heartbreakingly saying, "I love james. If you all can't accept that then I think it's best if you show yourselves to the door and close it on your way out. Sorry for being obscene but he is my husband and I will not tolerate any disrespect against him," she finished and walked to the bedroom with Alex in her arms. This shocked her family cause it is the first time she was talking to them in that manner. But what to say? A person can change anytime and anywhere!!