CHAPTER 26

The battle continued raging with the

three groups fighting against each

other. Residents living around the

area had already fled the city a long

time ago as they thought it was a

militant attack.

 The rulers of the city knew what was

happening but they were tired of all

the gangs in the city. They allowed

the bloodline into the city many

years ago and right now, the

bloodline has become a bone in

their throat which they can't swallow.

They saw this as an opportunity to

finally chase them out of the city.

Like the saying goes, if you must

eat with the devil, use a long spoon.

The rulers of the city forgot that and

fraternized with the bloodline believing

that they were better than the lady

vampire and her Shadows but they

soon realised their mistake. The

bloodline infiltrated everywhere that

even the rulers of the city have no

power in their own city anymore

because the bloodline has

become the puppeteers while the

rulers of the city has become the

puppets. They do anything the

bloodline wants them to do because

the bloodline has got a lot of things

against them.

 The rulers were very happy as they

contacted the governor of the state

who sent down soldiers. They told the

governor that some cult groups in the

city were clashing thereby putting the

lives of residents in danger. It was

brought to the notice of the governor

that these cult groups were using

guns and explosives which means

that even the police cannot stop them.

 By the time the soldiers arrived, the

fight became very bloody as the

soldiers were instructed to shoot

anything that moves whether human

or animal.

The bloodline had to retreat after their

leader was taken down. The Ace has

been avoiding this fight for a long

time because he knows that there

are no guarantees in battles. After the

leader was down, everyone ran in

different directions.

Kamsy and Josh called their men to

stand down. Nobody anticipated the

results of this battle. The bloodline

felt betrayed by the rulers of the city

as they know that soldiers cannot be

deployed without their notice. The

rulers betrayed them at their weakest

but they will show these rulers that

they have been in existence before

them. 

The bloodline has lost many of its

members, thanks the rulers of the

city. The few mercenaries who were

left after the battle were sent to give

a message to the rulers. by the time

they got there, some of the rulers have

 fled the country. That day there were

multiple assassinations and even the

ones who fled the country still got their

message wherever they were because

the bloodline have connections both

in and outside the country.

While all of these were going on,

Ama who thought that she will cart

away with everything that Fred owned

was kidnapped by someone. Ama woke

up tied to a cross and the last thing

that she could remember was being in

a taxi headed for the airport. Her mind

was still hazy as she couldn't

understand what was happening.

She looked around and noticed that

her hands were tied up and her legs

were also tied apart. She was tied to

a cross that has an X shape and every

cell in her body was screaming danger.

She kept thinking about who could

have set her up like this because Fred

was already dead and his son is

useless, so who did this to her. Was It

Felix? She felt very angry as she

shouted "whoever you are, stop being

a coward and come out. If you have

a score to settle with me why don't

you free me from this that you tied

me to and let's face it like two adults."

While Ama was shouting, a slim tall

lady walked inside and said it's nice

to meet you in person Amaka. "Do I

know you from somewhere?" No you

don't but I know you. You are Fred's

ex-wife who stole what does not

belong to you. Do you know that he

has a daughter? 

"That's a lie. I lived with Fred for five

years and he never mentioned having

any daughter anywhere, neither did I

find any while investigating him." 

 You didn't find his daughter because

you were naive and still are. I wanted

to let you get away because you have

not offended me in any way but

stealing everything that belongs to

his daughter is a no for me. Fred

made you pay for everything that he

spent on your family, so why do you

still feel entitled to his properties?

Ama, you only have yourself to blame

for your greed. Fred is a predator who

preys on the weak by setting traps for

them with what he knows they love

most. Did he force you into marrying

him? You and I know he didn't, so

why are you blaming anyone for your

predicament? I am not here to hurt you,

I just want you to know that if you ever

dream of coming back to take anything

from his daughter, you will have me to

deal with.

 If you think that you have suffered

anything from the hands of Fred,

believe me you have suffered nothing

compared to his daughter.

"Why do you want to cheat me out of

my portion of Fred's property? If you

want a share of it, just let me know

and we can shear it. Not you coming

up with a story of Fred having a daughter

somewhere who has been through a

lot. Everybody who has ever come

across Fred in this life, has also been

through a lot. Yes, I agree that I was

greedy but did I ever force him to give

me money? I deserve everything

because Fred ruined my life. My life

can never remain the same and you

also know it. I need this money as

compensation for everything that I

have been through in the hands of

that man."

Kamsy got home but couldn't find Lota

anywhere. He got very scared as

started running around looking for her

in the house and shouting her name.

 He got very scared when he found her

in the closet and unconscious. He

carried her out while calling a name

then suddenly she started to chuckle.

"Really sweetheart? If you were not

pregnant I would have dumped you

on the bed right now. Why did you

give me such a scare? I thought

something had happened to you."

Lota looked at him with sad eyes

as she asked, do you really love me

this much? "Babe what are you talking

about? I love you to the point that I

am willing to lay down my life for

yours." But the story I got is different.

I once asked if you were married and

you told me you weren't. Why did you

lie to me? Your wife Samira was here

yesterday afternoon and she was very

mean. She called me all sorts of

names and said before she leaves

today, she will come and pick me up.

She said you are only with me because

of the child and that after I give birth to

the baby, both of you will think of what

to do with me. Well Kamsy, I have

accepted my fate. Life has never been

fair to me anyway, and everything that

has ever come my way that looks like a

way of escape is actually a bigger trap.

So it's better that I now know that I

never escaped. "Babe stop saying that.

I agree I lied to you that I was not

married but I did that because I was

scared of losing you. I didn't want you

to run away because I fell in love with

you. At first, we wanted to use you to

have a child because Samira can't

have children but along the line, you

changed me. You are the only person

who has ever showed me what love

truly is because everyone who has

ever loved me, did that with a

condition. Lota you are pure, plain,

and simple. I love you because you

always express your feelings. You

don't connive like Samira and the other

ladies." Why should I believe that you

love me? Love does not deceive and it

does not lie. if you truly loved me, you

would have explained the whole

situation to me but you felt I was too

young to understand. Being young

does not mean foolishness. I guess

the same thing you're telling me right

now is the same thing you once told

Samira. Someday when I grow older,

you will meet a younger girl, tell her

the same words you're telling me now,

and dump me the same way you want

to dump Samira. I never knew who my

father was and I was happy that my

children will have a father and I will have

a husband so I don't have to end up

like my mother. But that was all a dream.

It was all a lie. Kamsy why did you

give me hope? Why did you do this

to me? I am too young to go through

all of this.

My mother and I lived our lives on the

streets. We slept under bridges at night.

We had no place to call home. As a

child, I see other children going to

school every morning and I always

asked my mother why I can't go to

school. She will always tell me that

those children are going to school

because they have fathers but I can't

go because I have none. Every day, I

prayed, cried, and begged God to give

me a father so that I can go to school,

eat ice cream, wear good clothes, and

not go hungry. But I never got any

reply. Rather, my mother was taken

away from me.

When I was ten years old, I woke up

one night and saw my mother being

raped by three men. She refused to

shout because she didn't want to wake

me up. She never wanted me to see that

but I did. It kept repeating itself over

the years. Everywhere we try to take

shelter, people take advantage of my

mother both the rich and the poor. My

mother has always pretended like all

was well even though I see her cry

sometimes at night. One night, she

thought that I was sleeping when she

came close to me and said,my child, I

want nothing more than to take my

own life but if I do that, who will protect

you in this wicked world?

I've seen her frustrated many times

and even attempted to take her life

but I know that the only thing that

stopped her from doing it was me. I

always blamed myself because if I was

never born, I guess my mother's life

would have been better than it was.

Each time my mother was raped, do

you know what they used to threaten

her? They always say that they will hurt

me if she doesn't let them. I've always felt

that if she had never had me, she would

have fought those men and not let them

take advantage of her like that. When I

got older, I did some research and I

realised that my mother died of syphilis.

It was all my fault and I think I deserve

everything that's coming my way right

now. My mother lived and died for me

and also warned me when I was still

living with Fred and Sade. She appeared

in my dream almost every night telling

me to run away that there is danger

where I was but I refused to listen to her.

 I promised myself that I will never have

children so that they won't end up like

me and I won't end up like my mother. I

wanted to be a medical doctor because

I wanted to help the poor who are like

my mother and I. I never wanted to be

a medical doctor for the rich. Have you

gone under the bridges before? Have

you seen children who are products of

rape? When I kept pestering my mum

that I want to go and meet my father

and I don't care if you rejects me but I

just want to see him and know who he

is. She got very angry because I kept

asking for my father and out of

frustration, she shouted "you don't

have a father because you are a

product of rape." She said she was

raped by one of the most wicked men

in society and because of his power,

there was nothing she could do about

it so, when she discovered that she was

pregnant, she ran away because if he

learns of my existence, he will kill me.

 I never knew anything about the

bloodline and my mother never told

me anything about it because she

hoped I never come across all of you.

She never wanted to introduce me to

this nightmare but I guess she didn't

think far. It is true that my mother had

syphilis but I also know that she was

killed because barrister Fred said it.

I was only thirteen when I lost my

mother and I guess you know that

part of the story too. Why didn't the

bloodline just let my mother and I live

our lives in peace? We never bothered

them, we never came to you for help.

I don't even know why my mum named

me Lotanna.

There's no father for me to remember

because every father in the world has

failed me. I don't know if my mother

and I have a tag on our foreheads

that says "exploit us." Because that's

what everybody that we have ever

come across has always done. You

think that you are the only one who

has ever been loved with a price? You

have no right to say that because

my mother and I have received the

worst of that kind of love.

 You and Samira can have the children

because there are two of them. I won't

argue with you because I have

accepted my fate already. I felt that

things will change but I was only

deceiving myself because this is who

I was born to be.

By the time Lota was done talking,

her eyes were red from crying and Kamsy

also had tears in his eyes. He never

imagined that she went through all of

that as a child and he hated Samira

more for what she did. He wished he

had killed her with his own hands as

he would have enjoyed the look on

her dying face for the pain she has

caused Lota. He pulled her into his

arms and said you are mistaken. Samira

knows that I love you and that's the

reason she came to pour out her

bitterness on you. I never loved Samira,

I was forced into the marriage.