Chapter eighteen

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

MMA'S POV,

Walking towards the kitchen, I was stopped by Adaure who was holding a basket of food items.

"Mma there is a problem" she said as I stared confused at her words.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Your mother, I just got informed by one of the villagers at the market that she fainted this morning" I was terrified as I almost held Adaure.

"Tell me you are lying" I said praying she was playing a prank on me.

"Look Mma, get a grip on yourself, you need to find a way and get out of here, your mother needs you right now" Adaure said as I nodded while cleaning the tears on my eyes.

"So how am I going to leave here, it's not yet my break period" I said as I looked around to make sure no one was nearby to hear us.

"Follow me, I have my ways" Adaure said as I followed her.

******************************

The sight I met at home was so heartbreaking, I knew my mother was battling with an unknown ailment but I never knew it has gotten to such stage.

"Mama, why didn't you sent for me?" I asked with tears on my eyes.

"I didn't want you to loose your job because of me" she replied in a low voice.

"Mama you are my top priority right now, what will I do if anything happens to you?" I was confused on what to do.

"God forbid, nothing will happen to me my daughter" she grunted in pains as I held her.

"Mama you need to go to the hospital, you are in so much pains" I tried to fight the tears that were threatening to come out from my eyes.

"I don't think I can go, I am very weak to even walk, I will just sleep and wake up and I will be okay" she said with a faint smile while patting my back.

"Mama no, I will take you to the hospital" I stopped and smiled on a second thought " mama I will be back" I said as I hastily ran out of the hut.

I ran into papa Emeka's house and I was happy when I saw him eating with his wife.

"Ndewo Papa Emeka" I greeted as he looked up from his food.

"My daughter, what brings you to my house today, I heard you are now serving at the palace, I'm happy for you" he said while licking his fingers.

"Papa Emeka, please help me, my mother is terribly sick and I really need to take her to the hospital but she is too weak to walk" I said as he stared weirdly at me.

"Then take her to the hospital after all the prince of our land has made that available for us" he said absentmindedly.

"That's not the problem papa Emeka" I said impatiently.

"What's the problem my daughter" he asked as he washed his hands.

"I need you to help me take her to the hospital with your motorcycle" I said praying he doesn't send me out of his house.

"You should have said that since instead of beating around the bush since" he said as he stood up " wait I will be back, let me dress up" he left for his room.

"Don't worry, your mother will be okay. Poor woman, I wonder why this sickness will not let her be" his wife patted me on the back before clearing the plates.

******************

I exhaled after my mother was admitted into the hospital, I watched as two beautiful ladies on white which I later found out to be what they called nurse placed her on a bed.

"The doctor is on her way here, we promise she will be okay" one of them said as I nodded.

"Don't worry child, she will be okay" papa Emeka said from my back as I nodded.

"I need to go back to my business but I will drop by in the evening" he said before leaving the ward.

The door opened as two ladies walked in, I looked up and looked down almost immediately at the sight of the prince girlfriend and another unfamiliar lady.

The other lady walked towards my mother as she observed her eyes.

"How are you related to her?" She asked as she stared at me.

"I'm her daughter" I replied.

"What really happened to her?" She asked further.

"I was told she fainted this morning" I replied.

"Okay" she replied.

I watched as she placed the object that hung across her shoulder on Mama's chest while the prince girlfriend focussed her gaze on me.

Chelsea POV,

"What's really wrong with the woman?" I asked doctor Lizzy on our way out of the ward.

"I pity the poor woman and her child, she is suffering from cancer and needs to undergo surgery because she might enter the last stage of the ailment any moment from now" doctor Lizzy explained and I sighed.

"This is too bad, where will they get the money for surgery from, that's a whole lot of money" Lizzy shrugged as we entered the laboratory room.

"I think the prince has to know about this, he might be of help, the poor woman is slowly dying without her even knowing" she explained causing me to look up from what I was doing.

"You don't have to tell the prince, I will tell him myself" I hastily said as she nodded.

*************

Mma's POV,

"Thank you Papa Emeka" I said after my mother was laid down on the small mat inside our hut..

"You don't have to thank me, I just did what I'm supposed to do at a time like this, you see your father was a good man when he was alive, he makes sure he helps others with the little he has so I feel happy being able to help his family even in his absence so it's no big deal okay" he said while starting his motorcycle.

"Take care of your mother and make sure she takes her drugs as the doctor instructed" he said before riding off.

"Okay papa Emeka" I shouted at his retreating figure before heading inside.

I stared at my mother as my mind drifted to the doctor's words to me at the hospital.

"Your mother is almost at the last stage of what we call breast cancer, the drugs she has been taking can never cure this disease, they are just pain relievers which can only subdue the pains she is feeling, I'm sorry to tell you this but your mother might die if she is not operated on as soon as possible"

"You are still here" I hastily stood up at the voice of my mother.

"You are awake" I said almost like a question as I traced my fingers round her face while fighting not to cry.

"Why are you still here? You need to go back to the palace" she said while trying to sit up which I helped her to do.

"Mama I can't leave you here alone" I said.

"Staying here with me won't benefit us in anyway, I can take care of myself so go back to the palace before the Queen's finds out about your absence and sack you, that won't be good for you and I " she said as I read sense in what she said but I couldn't bear leaving her alone not after what happened today.

"But mama I can't leave you like this, you still look weak" I pressed on.

"You have to go now, the palace need you" she said.

"No mama, you need me more, I don't mind quitting the job at the palace so I can take care of you"

"Shhh don't say that, if you quit then what will be our fate, what will we be feeding with, why can't you understand that that job is now our only source of survival, I can't work again because this sickness is killing me and I'm dying slowly, this is the more reason why you have to remain in the palace so you can have the means to live on even when I'm gone" her words strucked me as the tears from her eyes shredded my heart.

"Mama you won't die, this sickness will not kill you I promise you that, I will work so hard from now on and I will save up money for your surgery, you just have to keep taking your drugs and live for me while I struggle to get the money, you will not die mama, you will not, you can't leave me in this wicked world alone" I got choked with a painful lump in my heart as I tried to console my mother.

*************

The palace was quiet as I gently sneaked in into the compound.

"You know this is against the Royal rule, I hope you know that?" The gateman asked while gently locking the back gate to prevent anyone from noticing.

"I know and I promise it won't happen again, my mother was sick so I had no other choice" I said.

"Adaure already explained that to me" he said as he walked past me while I exhaled.

I gently walked towards the royal building as I carefully unlocked the door.

"Mma where have you been? The prince almost killed us all because you suddenly went missing" Janet one the maid said as I stopped in my track.

"Uhm.."

"Uhm.. what? Now think of the perfect lie to give to all of us" the voice of Miss Margaret interrupted me as I stood tongue-tied.

"Oh you don't have to explain, I'm too busy to listen to your lies anyway" she said as she walked passed me.

".... And before I forget, the king wants you in the meeting hall right now" she said causing me to stagger back.

"The king, the king doesn't have time for any of the maidens here so why me?" I asked rhetorically.

"Wow, girl I don't wish to be like you" Janet said before going her way.

The sight I met at the meeting hall looks frightening to me, this was the first I was meeting the king one on one and I must say his presence alone brought chills to my body. I stood like a lost sheep as the king, the prince girlfriend and the queen stared on at me without saying a word. I felt like urinating on myself while wondering the reason for the meeting.

"Young woman" I heard the king said, his voice was like that of a lion which brought fear and shook my inner being.

"My king" my voice came out almost like a whisper.

"What's your name?" He asked as I finally looked up.

"Mma Obi, the daughter of late Mazi Obi my King" I replied.

"So you are the one that made my son turned this peaceful palace into a war ground today?" He asked as he stood up and walked towards me, I felt like a little child under his gaze. My heart tumbled as I tried so hard to hide my face from him.

"What do you have with my son?" He asked now staring directly at me as I shivered in fear.

"Nothing my king" I managed to reply.

"Look she said nothing, she has the guts to lie to me" I was surprised with an ear deafening slap which took me to the ground, I grimaced in pain as I heard the mocking laughter from the prince girlfriend.

"I have always being a good king to my people, I have always give them everything they wanted, I even went to the extent of making low lifes like you my royal servants and this is how you repay me? By trying to seduce my son" he walked towards the extreme of the room as he stared angrily at me.

"What were you even thinking, don't you know it is a taboo for low lives like you to even come close to the prince, he is a royal blood and I beg you on behalf of the entire kingdom and the throne,please stay away from the prince. I might not be too kind next time" he said as I was trying to recover from the slap.

"I can't believe the prince can stoop too low after all his exposure, after all…"

"Stop! What the heck is happening here?" The prince interrupted the Queen as he walked towards the king while taking a glance at me.

"..and what is she doing here?" He asked pointing at me.

"Warning her to stay far from you, she need to know that she doesn't belong to your world" the queen said

"I still don't get it, wait Dad so you thought she is my woman?" The prince asked.

"Why won't I after what you did this afternoon, I have never seen you like that before" the king said.

"Gush, I can't believe even you could think so lowly of me, she is a maid for Christ sake, my personal maid, you don't believe the prince of this land to stoop too low for who, a maid? I was only looking out for her ranging from the fact that she is one of my most loyal servant, I would do same thing for any other person I value, as for her being my girlfriend is out of the list" I was dumbstruck at the words from the prince as I noticed a slight smile from his girlfriend. Miss Margaret was right after all, I am only but a maid and a maid I will always be, it is time I stop dreaming and face reality.