CHAPTER 1

The gates closed after she entered but the misapprehension of happiness was just one of the infinite unfulfilled desires.

Her tattered dress and her long hair misinterpreted with a stigmatized patient lured everyone to close the chapters of their work and keep watch as she aimlessly walked behind her husband. The amazement of her arrival was a discombobulation to many as it was announced to everyone that the missus had finally landed.

She was timid as she kept hiding under the shadows of her husband. She was only a little soul whose sacrifice was for the few ambitious.

But all in all, she was fully graced and escorted to her room which was full of fruitful grapes. She was objective when it came to life matters but frail when it came to kin. Ruth picked the vase of flowers beside the door and placed them on the window. To her it was a sign of freedom but to everyone it was wrength.

Lady Akeshia entered the room panting as   she handed over an antiseptic soap for her fresh water bath. Her array of clothes were on top of the bed. Like the fresh lily water, she was fully dressed. Martin her husband arrived contemplating on the bunch of flowers that had been arranged at the window. 

“Lady Akeshia” shouted Martin as he broadly took the bunch of flowers and put them on the floor.

Lady Akeshia entered the room timorous and mortified. 

“Her hair looks heavily unkempt” said Martin.

“At least I can try to grace my hair” said Ruth as she removed  two pairs of comb from her bag.

His fury assured Ruth that Martin was completely anguished. 

“Lady Akeshia, her hair looks unkempt” said Martin who left the room in a hurry.

Lady Akeshia took the two combs from Ruth and assisted her to make her hair. Working under the custody of Martin was one of the tasks which most workers failed to fulfil. His infuriate attitude caused affright to many labourers who left without a say.

Therefore, Lady Akeshia took the bunch of flowers and placed them beside the door. She noticed a sudden change in Ruth’s appearance. Her motivational beauty embodied her to Martin’s departed wife. Lady Akeshia smiled as she rubbed Ruth’s hair.

“I would like to know your name Madam" Lady Akeshia said as she gave Ruth a piece of grape.

“They call me Ruth Bora “ said Ruth as she smiled aimlessly.

Ruth left the room after hearing voices from the next room. She was astonished to see two old ladies kneeling and begging Martin. Senselessly, she entered the room and signalled the two ladies to stand. Ruth held Martin's arm tightly and closed her eyes after Martin threatened to beat her up.

“From today, you will not work for Martin Tapfer”  said Martin who left the room holding Ruth’s arm slapdash

Martin entered one of the rooms in his house. It was full of her wife’s departed photos. There were chairs arranged and in the middle a crib which contained a little baby’s photos. Lady Akeshia and other labourers were already seated. Martin escorted Ruth to her seat and took one of the pictures from the wall and one of the pictures from the crib. 

“My departed wife must be suffering solely and I will not come to her aid. It is a sudden relief to me that she has left and there is no way back” said Martin.

He took all the pictures from the walls and the crib and broke them into pieces. Ruth tried to stop him but instead she fell and got cut from one of the broken pieces. She tried to wake up but still fell down for the count.

Unknowingly, Martin left the room carrying the crib and broke it into pieces. He was astonished to see an ambulance and two workers who were carrying Ruth accompanied by Lady Akeshia who was carrying a first aid kit. 

“Stop” shouted Martin from the furniture window as he immediately left the furniture room and went towards Ruth. 

Martin gripped Ruth’s hand as he escorted her to the ambulance as soon as he arrived. Everybody was astonished by how he grieved in pain as he embraced Ruth. Even minor injuries caused by loved ones brought love and pain. On arrival to the infirmary, Ruth was taken to the operating theatre. Her lesion was stitched. Since it was a minor injury, she was discharged within two days. Ruth was surprised to find the house full of flowers and her pictures. Lady Akeshia was assigned as her assistant and part time designer.

“When he becomes tired of me, he will break my pictures into pieces and have nothing more to do with me” said Ruth as she tried to remove them.

Lady Akeshia stopped her and put back the pictures. She served her pineapple juice. She therefore washed her legs and wiped them with fine linens. Lady Akeshia soothed her to sleep but Ruth’s sudden pain in her lesion did not allow her to sleep. She requested Lady Akeshia to remove the flowers but Lady Akeshia refused. She wondered why it was hard for Lady Akeshia to defile Martin’s orders. Purist entered the room dressed in school uniform and school bag on her back. Her sweater had a tag on the left side written best in mathematics. Purist accolled Ruth and gave her a piece of sweet.

“Mama ……. you are back!” said Purist.

“I am not……” replied Ruth.

“Please go and change Purist”Lady Akeshia interrupted in a pellucid voice. 

Purist left a bit dissapointed because she wanted so much to embrace Ruth. 

" Please ask her to come back after she has changed" Ruth said as  she cried in pain. 

Her wounds were so much painful that all she needed was someone to make her smile. Before, her mother would comfort her when she was in pain and agony. She would tell her memorable stories that would make her laugh so loudly.

“I miss you mama” Ruth said as she suddenly fell asleep but would still groan in pain. 

She had only slept for ten minutes but she felt like she had slept for over ten years. She woke up and was astonished to see Purist seated beside her on top of the bed. 

“Do you like my song?” Ruth didn’t even realise that Purist was singing for her the whole time she was sleeping. Maybe that was the reason why she suddenly fell asleep.

" Please sing for me again" Ruth pleaded.

MARRIED AT SIXTEEN.