Chapter 16

It has been weeks since I came to stay with my uncle, I have learnt about the cock fights which happen around here, the men take their cocks and place them in an arena where they battle one another, they place bet on the animals and the winning cock owner gets a percentage from all the bets, uncle Jonah has been winning for long, it was as if he had a special secrets in the cocks he used, Annabelle was telling me excited what her father had told her about the fights but she was sad she had never seen one before.

I just sat there and listen to her talk about it, she annd my mind drift to Kal, who has been staying here undetected, I wonder how he does it, but it seems there is something he is not saying, but I don't ask him about it, I just enjoy my time with him, I can't wait for night when we just lay in each other's arms, he is planning for us to go far north, he says there are rumors about free slaves over there, I want to be with him there, where we would be free.

He is trying to gather some money for the journey, I don't ask him how but I know he would, I know he is working, I don't push for answers.

I know he will tell me once he is ready.

Martha!!

Martha!!!

I raise my head to look at the dismayed face of my cousin, she wasn't happy I had wandered off while she was telling me about the animal fights her father had been championing.

I raise my head and smile and she moves closer and ask in whisper "do you miss him?

" Have you heard anything from him?

" No, I replied, I haven't heard anything from him."

" He might be dead, I father must have sold him off or even killed him, there is no telling of his fate".

We hear a knock on the door breaking our conversation, the maid hurriedly attend to it and the man who had brought me here walks in, he has a letter in hand and demands to see the lady of the house.

My uncles wife walks out of the kitchen and then he hands the letter to her and he tells her it's from my father and then he leaves.

My aunty opens the letter and then she began to read it inwards.

I and Annabelle watch her expression and decipher something bad had happened.

She looks like she had just been hit in the head with a shovel and then she says to me," what is wrong with you and your sister?

I don't understand what she meant by that I don't now what my sister had done, I just wait to hear it, but since she had asked that question it looked to me like Elaine had committed the same sin I am being punished for.

"When your uncle gets here, we are going to talk about your marriage, your father had instructed we get you married off right away!

Confused I just stare at my feet unable to defend myself from the crime I know I haven't committed yet, I wish in my heart Kal would soon come with the news for us to leave this place, I don't know what to do, I just sit back down and cover my face in my palm as my cousin rubs her hand on my back.

At dinner when my uncle had come back he sat at the head if the table as always and the spoke about my mother, he said "the two of you got your whoring blood from your mother, that is why!

" You should have chosen to be with someone like you but no you want to be with them, disgust filled his eyes as he spoke, he continues "I have spoken to quite a few men around here and tom slanky has agreed to Wed you, I have already sent word to your father and he has agreed too,yiu better be a good girl and do as we say now.

I can't take it anymore, I ask what did my sister do?

Why am I the one getting married when she is the one that caused a problem!!

You my dear started the whole thing, you brought him to your house and now like a rabid dog he has been infecting your sisters.

Now more confused I ask, who has been infecting my sisters?

"That Blackie of yours, he got Elaine pregnant.

My throat goes dry and my mind wild just thinking of him and Elaine together my stomach Knots, I can't breath now, I look around the table and look at Cynthia who could not look at me, rose has a bright smile on her face as I escuse myself from the table and rush to the room.

I lick the door behind me and look at him in horror, he was there sitting on my bed, he knew what I had just heard I could see it on his face, he knew, wait how did he know?

I can explain all of it, let me he says

Tears well up in my eyes as I walk and sit on the other side of the bed facing the wall,i don't say a word but he hears me sobbing, he hears my heart breaking or maybe not.

I don't know what to tell him, I don't know if I want to listen to him talk, it seems I would have to marry Tom slanky now.

She asked me to sleep with her in exchange to tell me where you are, I did that just to be here.

Did you sleep with Shana too just to be here, I shot back.

Shana was a mistake he replied.

I love you and you only he said and the rtoom grew silent, I knew he was telling the truth but I could not help it.

The door opens wide and Cynthia asks "who are you talking to?