CHAPTER 10

Ruth was dressed into finer clothes. Lady Akeshia therefore led her to the parlour. She saw a woman seated there and only her hair made her to determine who the woman really was yet she was not sure if her insticts were correct. When she moved a little bit closer , she was surprised  to find out that it was her mother Naomi Bora.

" How are you doing Ruth Bora? Your father is quite worried about you. He asked me to come and visit you after your husband informed us that you could not stop mentioning me in this household. I was told that you had a leg leison. I hope you are doing fine. What did the doctors at the infirmary told you the reason really was?" Asked Naomi out of curiosity. 

" It was just a minor wound mother. My health has not deteriorated and I am quite fine and healthy. Tell me, why did you really come? I thought that you had already forgotten about me" said Ruth a bit sad.

What was she even asking?

She was now a mother and was supposed to understand what it really meant to be motherly.

" I was just hooked up with work. My tomatoes were not being bought as often as they used to be which decreased my business profits. I did not really understand what really happened. But all in all now they are at a sale and my consumers are increasing day by day" said Naomi smiling.

" That's wonderful news mama. There are tragic times where I felt that I needed you so much in my life. Those times when no one was around to guide me. It's not very easy to be a mother and a wife and now a student too. This journey is a long journey that I wish to survive yet I am not sure mama" said Ruth a bit sad. 

" You wished to survive or you are really going to survive? Ruth Bora, I have trained you well and how you should improve your ethics as the wife to Martin Tupfer" said Naomi smiling. 

" And I usually follow your steps mama. It is not really easy to manage suck kinds of tasks. Especially when there is this thing known as the cell of hell. They are all difficult to manage. I just have to do everything I could to ensure that I never commit a....." Ruth said as Martin suddenly interrupted.

" A mistake.! Let's go to the dining mama. The Ladies have prepared a delicious meal for the family. Purist will be joining us in a short while" said Martin as he led them to the dining. 

Ruth could not help but wonder what he was trying to do. He just came out from the cell of hell with wounds all over his body but now he seemed fine as usual. Maybe he was just hiding his pain since Ruth's mother was around.

" How long have you both met since I married Ruth?" Martin asked Naomi not out of curiosity as they sat at the dining table and began to take their meal.

It was a question that he very well knew the answer but  he was asking again especially in front of Purist who had not seen her mother for quite a long time. 

Ruth was already astonished when she realized that Martin found it hard to feed himself. She took his plate and spoon and started feeding him. Everybody present at the dining including Lady Akeshia shook their head in disbelief.

" Eat my love. I understand what it means not to want to be really you because you can never want anybody to know how you feel" said Ruth as she continued feeding him filled with lots of sadness. 

Even Martin was astonished but he did not want to refuse her offer. He did not really want Naomi to realize Ruth's pain in her eyes. 

" Wow! My daughter is just a romantic wife. But I did not really teach you this way. I wonder where exactly you got the tactics to treat your husband like that . You should really go to that person to teach you more" said Naomi smiling. 

Ruth kept looking at Lady Akeshia smiling. It was Lady Akeshia who taught her to be such kind of a responsible wife. She wiped his mouth thoroughly after taking many spoonfuls of meal . When she was done, Martin excused himself and left. 

It was hard to understand if he was rely angry or he needed sometime by himself. Ruth wanted to follow him but felt it was wiser to leave him alone. 

" Is your husband always that serious? He seems very brave and a no nonsense man. Tell me if he keeps scolding you everyday for no reason. I will come myself and get you out of this house" said Naomi who seemed serious.

Oh no!

Why was Naomi saying this especially in front of Purist? 

Ruth felt that she needed find a way to dismiss Purist in order to have such private conversations with her mother. 

" Lady Akeshia, Purist seems to be done with her food. Please consider my request of taking Purist back to her room" said Ruth as Lady Akeshia held Purist's arm and left the dining accompanied by Purist.

What were you really saying are? I could not just let Purist hear how much you detest her father. I know that you still detest him and it's all because you did not really want this marriage but yet father insisted. Mama! Can you please tell me the truth? Do you still detest my husband?" Asked Ruth out of curiosity since she was not sure if her statement was correct about Naomi detesting Martin.

" You know the right answer to that question. I really detest Martin Tupfer. I told you that my mother used to work for him before where she met her untimely death. Till now am still investigating what really happened to her. We did not even find her body . And till now she still keeps haunting me in her dreams" said Naomi feeling sad.

" But I thought you said that this was all over mama. There is nothing we can do about that mama. Please forgive my husband if he rely had anything to do with it" said Ruth in a pellucid voice.

" There is nothing that you still understand. You are still a child Ruth. The only way I can forgive your husband is if he tells me what really happened to my mother" said Naomi angrily.

" Then I guess it's this kind of life. I now have to deal with what will please both my mama and my husband in my grandma's death issue" said Ruth a bit serious.

Ruth felt that her grandmother's death issue was something else that needed to be dealt with.

MARRIED AT SIXTEEN.