CHAPTER 03

Daphne walked back home that night and came into her family house. Her mother and siblings welcomed her and she told them her experience. Vincent heard voices in his parlor and decided to find out what was going on. When he saw that Daphne was back in his house, his anger flared up.

"what is she doing here?" Vincent asked them.

"that boy has absconded to Tasmania and his mother is wretched, she's not capable of looking after my daughter." Jemima answered her husband.

"that is not my problem! It is her headache." he said and turned to Daphne.

"Daphne!" he called her by name.

"daddy." she answered.

"if I see you in my house again, God forgive me because I will kill you." Vincent threatened.

"father please forgive me. It is me, Daphne, your daughter. Forgive me this sin I committed against you. I was deceived." Daphne implored her father.

Vincent took her bag and threw it outside. He returned to her and pushed her outside his house.

"next time I won't push you out. Try me." Vincent said to her and closed the door.

Vincent went to his room, while his family remained at the parlor, sad and weak to help Daphne. They could hear her weeping sound and time was late. It was heartbroken for them to lack the power to assist Daphne. All of them just remained there, listening to her cry and remorse.

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Daphne made her way to Sophia's house. There was no dog or security guard at Sophia's house. She quietly sneaked into the compound and knocked at Sophia's window. Several systematic knocks woke Sophia up.

"who is there?" Sophia asked cautiously, not to attract her family members.

"it's me, Daphne." Daphne answered.

Sophia was sure that it was Daphne's voice. What could she be doing at her house by that ungodly time? She was really worried and troubled. She sneaked out of her house and met Daphne outside.

"what are you doing here by this time?" Sophia asked.

"I need your help." Daphne said to her.

"who did you come with?" Sophia asked.

"I came alone." Daphne said.

"girl you are brave. What is going on?" Sophia asked.

"Eliot has absconded to Tasmania."

Tasmania was a prosperous Northern state that most people wanted to go to and make money. It would take three days to get their from Longvill.

" what! " Sophia exclaimed in shock.

" my parents have found out about my pregnancy and my father has banished me from the house." Daphne explained her pitiable state.

"trouble has come." Sophia muttered.

"Eliot's mother did not welcome me and her grandchild. I need to sleep with you this night. Tomorrow morning I will go away." Daphne said to Sophia.

"am sorry, but you can't sleep here." Sophia said to Daphne.

"I don't have any other place to go." Daphne reasoned with Sophia.

"my parents will be mad with me. They will begin to suspect me too, since we are friends." Sophia explained reasons for her refusal.

"so because they will be mad with you, are you going to allow me to sleep outside?" Daphne asked her.

"am sorry, I can't help you with this." Sophia maintained.

"I should have made other girlfriends but you wouldn't let me. I listened to your voice too much. Now it has ruined me." Daphne lamented.

"I am sorry you feel this way. But I should think of my own safety too." Sophia said to Daphne.

"so you want me to risk my life again and go out into the night when I just managed to get to you?" Daphne asked Sophia.

"I am so sorry, forgive me. I just can't do it." Sophia said to Daphne.

"I thought you were my friend, now I know better." Daphne said to Sophia.

Daphne picked up her bag ready to leave.

"Daphne I am sorry." Sophia muttered.

Daphne walked away without saying a word to her.

As Daphne left Sophia's compound, she began to cry. She could feel that her weeping was so loud because everywhere was gravely silent. She advised herself and stopped crying.

She walked back home, making less noise as possible as she could. When she saw few individuals coming in front of her, she hide beside a house and waited for them to pass before she continued.

When she finally got to her house, she watched through the several windows of the house and saw that her family were in deep sleep. She didn't want to knock and wake them up. She dropped her bag beside the building and knelt down to pray.

"lord I have sinned against you, please forgive me. I don't want to abort this pregnancy. Provide assistance to me to save this innocent soul inside my womb. Soften the heart of my father to forgive me. Please father, don't let me die in my sin. I beg you and thank you for answering me, amen. " she concluded her prayer and lay down on the ground to sleep.

She squeezed and folded her legs because of cold and gradually she fell into deep sleep.

In the morning, Roland was the first to wake up and unlock their door. He saw someone sleeping on the hard floor and checked the person out. He saw it was Daphne. His movement around her made her to stir and wake up.

"Roland good morning." she greeted her elder brother.

"good morning." he responded to her.

"Roland am very hungry, please give me something to eat." she begged him for food.

"there's no leftovers in the kitchen. I am sorry."

"Roland my stomach is grinding me badly." she complained.

At that point in time Vincent came out from the house and saw Daphne. His anger flared up.

"father good morning sir." Daphne greeted her father.

"so you tried me?" Vincent asked Daphne. "wait, I am coming."

Vincent ran back into the house, and Roland came to his sister.

"pick your bag and run, stop coming here for now." Roland suggested to Daphne.

Daphne hurriedly picked her bag and took few steps from their house before Vincent rushed out, brandishing a sickle. When she saw Vincent with a weapon to kill her, she ran away and he chased after her.

Salome and Jemima heard the commotion and rushed out, only to see Vincent chasing Daphne down the street. They stood there and watched as he stopped chasing Daphne and walked back to them.

"I will keep this sickle handy. Let her come back here again and I will spill her blood." Vincent foamed.

"where is she?" Jemima asked him.

Vincent ignored Jemima and walked into the house. Jemima turned to Roland to enquire what happened.

"Roland what happened here?" Jemima asked her son.

"Daphne slept here and dad met her. He chased her away with that sickle." Roland said to his mother.

"see what Daphne brought to herself." Jemima lamented Daphne's situation.

They discussed the whole affair among themselves and still they couldn't find a way to assist the poor girl.

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Appolonia and Amorita were at Appolonia's shop that afternoon. Appolonia sells groceries and Amorita was helping her to attend to the customers.

This was Amorita's habit. She spends a lot of time with Appolonia, and that was also a reason why Appolonia loves her and wants her to be her daughter-in-law.

When customers ease off a little, the two ladies will engage in chatting.

"Amor," Appolonia fondly calls her sometimes, "do you know that am just remembering now that there's no food at home." Appolonia said to Amorita.

"and Simdi will be home very soon." Amorita added.

"you only remembered Simdi, what about my husband?"

Both of them began to laugh. They were like a happy mother and daughter.

"let me give you items to cook for them before they come back.." Appolonia said to Amorita.

"okay mom."

Appolonia selected the items she wanted and gave them to her prospective daughter-in-law.

"Amor make sure that you eat after cooking, don't wait for Simdi." Appolonia instructed her.

Amorita began to laugh and began getting ready to leave.

"Amor you didn't answer me and you are laughing." Appolonia said to her.

"mummy I have heard you, don't worry, I will eat when I finish cooking."

"you are just saying this to make me stop disturbing you. Don't wait for Simdi, if you finish cooking, just eat to your satisfaction." Appolonia insisted.

"mommy don't worry, I will eat if am hungry. I should be going now." Amorita replied her prospective mother-in-law.

Appolonia was a bit relieved, looked into the bag to make sure she didn't forget anything concerning the preparation of the meal.

"cross-check with me and make sure you have all the ingredients you need. If you forget anything, the distance from our home to this shop is far. So confirm the items before you leave."

"yes mommy."

Amorita began to check the items in the bag one after the other. When she checked and was satisfied, she took the bag and headed home.