CHAPTER 69

Maybe Martin was only greedy. 

Akeshia, Naomi and Magdalene decided to rest. They did not want to take any meal as much as Lady Ruby and Lady Nana tried to convince. Even Purist who had been waiting for them did not get a chance to have any conversation with them. 

As much as they tried to sleep, they couldn't sleep. The commotion there was much stronger than they thought it would be. 

" Ask them to leave. I am sick and fed up of their noises here. Tell Haggai to dismiss them or if he can't do his job properly, then I will have no choice than to send them out of the closer gates. They can go and wait for Ruth outside the hospital" shouted Magdalene at Lady Ruby who had not yet left the mansion. 

Lady Ruby obidiently went to the gate to inform Haggai. Haggai tried to dismiss them but this time he found it hard to dismiss. 

The people of the closer gates kept throwing stones at him. He quickly ran inside the mansion and found Magdalene seated at her old chair swinging on it liked she had been crowned the queen of England. 

" I do not think that I have to give you instructions twice. I want to know why you can't dismiss them. They are throwing stones at you is that how weak you are. No wonder you were never able to keep your family intact" said Magdalene Angrily. 

" What are you talking about Mrs. Magdalene? What family are you talking about?"

" I am talking about the affair that you had with Tere which made Martin to marry my poor Ruth. Now listen to me carefully. If you don't dismiss that crowd out there then Martin will know the whole truth. Martin will know that you were actually the one who Tere loved. I will be amazed to find out that even Purist is your daughter. Then it will be good for my daughter since if she gives birth to a child then the family will be original and typically complete" said Magdalene. 

Haggai left the mansion and left the closer gates as well. There was no one guarding the closer gates anymore. He felt that he had to tell Martin the whole truth before he could from anyone else. The bond between Martin and him was stronger than anyone could think. 

They were childhood friends and Martin often defended him not to go to the cell of hell whenever he did anything wrong which seemed to be evilish. He therefore had to tell the truth inorder not to break that bond. Luckily, he knew the hospital where Ruth and Faith had been admitted in. He went straight to the waiting room and found Martin seated there. He urged Martin to give him a few minutes and listen to him. 

Fear gripped Martin's heart. How could a strong guard like him leave the people of the closer gates all on their own? How could he do that yet he knew everybody who did not come from the closer gates gates those who had not come from the closer gates? 

" Martin! There is a truth that I must tell you. It might destroy our friendship. But you must listen to me thoroughly and believe everything that I tell you" said Haggai in a calm manner. 

Haggai did not want to create any tension yet he had not said what he wanted to say. 

" Tell me then but you must be quick since I have left two patients in the hospital who are in a critical condition. You have to hurry up childhood friend" said Martin. 

" Look here, Tere is not to blame for her unfaithfulness. You put them in the cell of hell yet I was supposed to be the one to put there. I know this is not the right time to tell you all these" he heaved a sigh if relief then continued    " Yet I feel this is the right time to tell you before you hear it from anyone else. The child thay Tere has, the son belongs to me. I am the one who fathered that child and therefore when you come back to the closer gates you should take me to the cell of hell. I have done nothing that hurt you and destroy our friendship" said Haggai kneeling down. 

His actions proved that he regretted all the wrong things that he had done. 

" Haggai! I know the whole truth. I was just waiting fir you to tell me. Tere already told me before I sent her to the cell of hell and I believe that it was my anger that did all those. Go back home and take care of my people at the closer gates. I already forgave you for your sins the day I sent Tere to the cell of hell" said Martin who signalled to Haggai to leave. 

Haggai left confused. How could Martin not take any action on him? Did he love his childhood friend that much? Was his hatred for Tere that intense? He really had to do something to change all the thoughts that Martin had unless there was something else that he had no idea about. 

Martin went back to the hospital. He remembered Tere after a long time. What did he punish her for? Of course he did not punish her for infidelity otherwise he could have punished Haggai too. 

Martin punished Tere for being a bad mother. She would always only look at negatives sides of Purist as if she hated her own child. 

He remembered how Ruth almost stabbed Purist to death out of anger . The same thing that Faith that Faith did to Ruth. Martin could not understand the main reason why he hated Tere very much. 

In his middle of thinking, he heard sirens on Faith's room . He went and checked on her and found out that Tere was almost out of breathe. The nurses had forgotten to examine and change her oxygen every hours . He called on the doctors who rushed to the room. 

Ruth who was not deep asleep heard the doctors and the commotion at the hospital and knew the commotion was happening on Faith's room.

" She doesn't have to die . She has to live and pay for what she did to me. May she get healed faster" Ruth whispered on Martin's ear then left back to her room. 

She say on the hospital chair and smiled. She was not smiling because she was happy by what was happening to Faith, she was happy because Naomi had informed her that the people at the closer gates hardly slept and kept waiting for her. 

Faith got better after some several examining but still could not open her eyes once again. This made Martin to be more devastated.

****

Haggai arrived at the closer gates and went straight to the mansion. He found Magdalene still seated in her old couch. 

" I have told Martin the whole truth. I guess that there is nothing more to be worried about. I don't need to pay for that fault" said Haggai with lots of confidence. 

" Are you crazy? You left the closer gates just to tell Martin that. How could you? He's going through a lot after what happened to his sister and his wife. How can you be so thoughtless? You are and old narrow minded big headed man. You are a fool Haggai" said Magdalene who laughed annoyingly. 

" It makes us the same old woman. You don't even have enough courage to dismiss your people. Are you really a powerful leader? Are you really a witch?" Said Haggai. 

" I just don't want to be more powerful I might loose the strength that I need for this old age. I hope Martin will get rid of you as soon as he comes back"

" What he doesn't get rid of me? What if he is on my side? What will you do?"

" Then I will send you out of the close gates myself unless you marry Tere and live with her at the gate. That will be too bad. The atmosphere will not be welcoming for the little baby. It's too bad that we will not be in a position to help you since none of us can stand your baby at the mansion" said Magdlene laughing annoyingly and more louder than before. 

Haggai left out of frustruation. He would have beat her up but decided to hold it back. It could have given a chance for Martin to hate him for good. 

That's not what Haggai wanted. Haggai wanted to do everything to return the trust and the childhood friendship that he had with Martin. 

Haggai did not dismiss the crowd. He wanted Ruth and Martin to find out how the crowd loved them when they came back. Haggai joined them from a little while then went to the gate to ensure that everybody was safe at the closer gates. 

What would he do with his friendship? Martin's attitude was weird at that matter.

MARRIED AT SIXTEEN .