CHAPTER 88

Ruth just wanted to have a conversation with the people of the closer gates. She knew that they would listen to her since they did have utmost trust in her. 

She therefore left Purist's room and went to the meeting square of the closer gates. She rang the bell as was the usual behavior. Everybody converged at the meeting square once they found out that it was Ruth. They were all astonished on seeing her. They immediately sat down and remained silent.

" Good evening people of the closer gates" said Ruth but everyone was silent. Nobody bothered to answer her. 

Tere and Haggai who were watching from the balcony nodded their head in disbelief. They could not believe that Ruth had come back to challenge them on taking back the closer gates. 

" I hope you are having a wonderful evening. Are you all aware that my whole family was murdered and the ruler of  the closer gates is the real murderer? Are you people going to sit there and see your lives being ruined like this? Look at them! They are standing there at the balcony. That was where they stood when they shot my mother Naomi. And now she want her daughter to get married at sixteen. Are you people going to allow that?" Said Ruth who remained silent. 

Everybody in the closer gates were silent as they looked at her. Ruth noticed that they could not stop looking at the balcony. She decided to look at the balcony and was astonished to find out that there were many heavy built men holding guns in their hands. It was as if the people of the closer gates were being threatened not to listen to Ruth or else they would all be shot dead..

Tere therefore came closer to Ruth accompanied by Purist who went to Ruth's side. 

" Come back to me Purist or else I will blow Ruth' s head. What did you say? That I killed your family? Is that how bad you can speak about a leader like me? One more word from you and......." Said Tere but Ruth interrupted. 

" And then what........you will kill the people of the closer gates so that they will have me to blame for the rest of their lives. I am past all those threats and if you want to kill them then you can kill them. Because today I will have to speak everything that is in my heart which will leave them with no choice than to listen to me" said Ruth angrily. 

" Will you be able to speak out after all that is about to happen? Then let's get ready to watch the show" said Tere laughing annoyingly. 

The closer gates opened and Ruth was surprised to see Naomi and Magdalene entering the closer gates tied all over their body. There were many heavily built men closer to them. 

" What's this? Is this the show you are talking about? I guess I was wrong to get married to your husband"

" The husband whom you divorced without him having any idea about it. Purist sees you as her life but she has no idea that you are no longer family. Why are you fighting for something that had already ended six years ago with all your misfortunes?" Said Tere. 

Ruth turned towards Purist who moved away from her. She did not want anything to with Ruth any longer. Purist immediately went and stood beside Tere. She looked at Ruth angrily who began to cry. 

" That isn't the case Purist. I was angry because you chose Tere over me. Am I supposed to be blamed for what happened? She killed my whole family. Are you going to leave me because you choose to believe her and stand by her? I thought you are way smarter than this" said Ruth as she came closer to Purist who pushed her away. 

Purist then went closer to her and slapped. She therefore held her arm and led her out of the closer gates followed by Tere and Magdalene and Naomi who were still being held captives. The people followed closer but at a distance. 

" That's where you belong. You don't have the rights to be in the closer gates and call me your daughter. You have already made up your mind and I will stick by it. There is no need for you to prevent my marriage because I do not want to see you any longer" said Purist angrily. 

 Ruth was astonished as Purist had never spoken to her like that except for the hospital incident. She immediately wiped her tears. 

" Alright! There is no need for me to be here but I will come if my family is still being held captive to get them back to me" said Ruth a bit calm. 

" What's that? Your own beloved daughter whom you did not give birth to has chased you out of the closer gates. This simply means that there is no blood relation and sincere love that could make her to trust you. People fail as mothers and daughters but they never fear to trust those they love. You heavily goons! Let those two old women go or we will never find peace at the closer gates" said Tere. 

Naomi and Magdalene were released immediately. They went towards Ruth who opened for them the glinding door of the car to enter. She therefore went towards Tere and Purist. 

" A person does not have to give birth to someone in order to become their mother. If indeed what you say is true, then explain why your love for Martin faded away. A mother who loves her daughter would want her daughter to be educated and get good grades but not get married at a young age and live like a beggar. As for you Purist, everybody has a room for a second chance but not a third chance. I wish you a happy marriage" said Ruth who entered her car and drove off. 

She arrived at her home and silently sat at the couch at the parlor. She wondered how Tere heard the idea of where she was living. She had tried as much as possible to hide her identity in order to protect her family and herself from the claws of Tere.

" Mama! Grandma! I want you all to pack your things because we are leaving this place" said Ruth in a pellucid voice. 

" Why Ruth? We built this house on our own. This is where we have lived since we left the closer gates. What will happen to this house once we leave?" Said Naomi a bit worried. 

" We will sell. I wonder why  you worry so much and yet we can design another house and build it. We have to do this for the sake of our safety. We do not know how many people Tere will turn against me. I have to tell Faith to be more careful now" said Ruth. 

" Why do you have to tell her? Tere has no idea where she is because she is careful. She is not like you who feel overconfident towards everything. I value this house so much and I do not want you to sell this house" said Naomi who left to her room. 

Ruth followed her but Naomi had already locked the door. She wiped her tears. She did not understand the main reason why Naomi did not want them to leave that house. She did not really understand the main reason why Naomi treasured the house too much. Magdalene who had been watching her from a distance decide to approach her. 

" Do you know why you do not understand all these things? It' s because you truly love your family but you have never bothered to know where they came from. That is the main reason why you will never understand some things. That is why you will never understand why Naomi insisted that we should buy this house and renovated it" said Magdalene. 

" Yes grandma. I admit that I do not understand everything. Please explain to me better about what you are trying to tell me" said Ruth filled with lots of curiosity. 

" You will  not understand and that is the main reason why you are telling to explain to you much better about it. This is where we used to live with your grandfather before we moved to the closer gates which I had bought and bought even the people who live there. It was there that I saw a helpless girl crying since she had lost all her parents. That helpless girl was lady Akeshia whom I decided to take her in and raise her as my own child. Just go think about it........then you will come to a conclusion. Or at the end you will hurt your mother" said Magdalene who left. 

Magdalene knew that Ruth needed sometime to be alone and think about things out. Ruth left to her room and locked it up. She felt that Magdalene was right and what she needed was to know about her origin. She resoluted that they will not leave the house since her mother treasured it the most. 

MRRIED AT SIXTEEN.