CHAPTER 77
Ruth hugged both of the tightly as tears welled down her eyes. Ruth felt so bad at the way she spoke to Martin due to the fact that she loved Purist as her own daughter. She never meant to deny her in front of Martin but it was simply because she was filled with lots of anger.
" Let's rest please. All of us need to rest and forget all the troubles that have been happening in our lives. Grandma can sleep on the couch whereas I will sleep with Mama on the bed" said Ruth who wiped her tears.
She did not want to shed any tears any longer. They both lay down to rest .
Faith and Akeshia on the other hand had called for a meeting at the closer gates .They wanted to inform everyone of the news about the poisoning of Purist which Martin had ordered them not to do so . They wanted everyone to hate Ruth and her family before they came back to the closer gates.
" Now listen everyone before you make weak judgements out there. You all know of the situation at the mansion and the fact that Purist had been poisoned. We are also afraid of our lives that we might be poisoned too. Anyone might feel bad about us and kill us. They even lied that my daughter Faith tried to kill Ruth which is not the case but the fact that Ruth stabbed herself inorder to blame my own daughter Faith for everything" said Akeshia crying.
Akeshia wanted everyone at the closer gates to sympathize with her. She was already tired of the war and she knew that the war would end if Ruth's family were chased away from the closer gates.
" I do not trust you Madam Akeshia. Your daughter Faith Tupfer stabbed Ruth on purpose. If Tere would have not taken her to the hospital then Ruth would have died" said one of the women from the crowd.
" What! Are you all trying to say that I am lying? That I am trying to hide the fact that my daughter Faith is a criminal. You are all bunch of stupid people . Idiots! That's what all of you are" said Akeshia angrily.
Faith dismissed everybody since Akeshia was getting more angrier and it was not good for the public to see her in such kind of state. Faith and Akeshia went back to the mansion. They both went to the garden and seemed to be pissed of by the situation.
" I told you that they won't believe us mama. This people love Ruth blindly in such a way that they would never believe us mama . This drama of ours is not going anywhere. We need to do something. I don't want Ruth back into the closer gates or else she will send me to jail .She will send your only daughter to jail" Faith said to Akeshia.
Akeshia felt as if it was a threat from Faith. Akeshia had known the people of the closer gates for such a long time and changing their minds was a very difficult thing to do. They all loved Ruth ever since she came to the closer gates.
" Do not threaten me Faith. You did something wrong and as a mother instead of siding with you then I should punish you for it. I want to punish you but I can't since you are my daughter and I gave birth to you. Why did you turn out to be this way?" Said Akeshia crying.
" Do you want to know why I turned to be this way? Because my mother was right in front of me when I needed her the most. Where were you all those years when Papa punished me and took me out of this place? You were right there serving as a servant and had no shame in yourself. When I knew you were my mama, I did not ask you this questions because I loved you and I thought that you would love me too but I was wrong. I was wrong to......" Said Faith but Akeshia suddenly interrupted.
" Enough! Do you know what makes me different from other mothers? I would not let my daughter get married to an old man at the age of sixteen like Naomi did. I would not stay away from my daughter. I would like to know what she eats, what she wears and how she looks like every single day. But why do I feel that my efforts bore no fruits"
" Because you do not know what it feels like to grow up without a mother" shouted Faith at Akeshia who left the garden.
Faith ran upstairs to her room and locked the door. She started parking her clothes. She still felt that Ruth would do everything to send her to prison as soon as she came back with Naomi to the closer gates. Faith wanted to go back to where her father Mr. Tupfer had taken her from the beginning. As soon as she finished parking, she opened the door and rode her suitcase downstairs. She passed by the garden and saw how Akeshia kept crying. Faith did not want to witness that anymore nor bid her goodbye. Unfortunately, Akeshia turned behind her and saw Faith leaving. She ran immediately towards her and stopped her.
" Please do not go. I was wrong to say everything that I said to you. I will try everything within my power so that Ruth will not send you to prison only if you promise me that you won't leave" said Akeshia who kept pleading with Faith.
" No mama. I am done playing this game that you and I could ever be together as mother daughter. I have waited for that day but now I think that that day will never come. I am leaving the closer gates and I think that it is the right thing for me. I will just be watching you all from a distance and I pray everything goes on well with Tere as we planned. Good bye Mama" said Faith who hugged Akeshia and left.
Luckily, Haggai was not at the gate therefore it made it easier for Faith to leave the closer gates. She boardered a taxi and left.
Since then, nobody ever heard of her whereabouts. Martin punished Haggai for the mistake but he later on felt it useless since it would never return. All they did was to pray that whenever she went to, she never died since her existence was never know again even after her pictures were placed everywhere at the closer gates and outside the closer gates .
As soon as Naomi got discharged, Ruth decided to go back to school . She moved out of her matrimonial room to her Magdalene's room since Naomi left back to her hometown. Naomi did not want any wars any longer. She felt that her children back in her hometown needed her too.
On the other hand, Tere felt luck on her side since her family became complete again. Although they had lost the power of the closer gates. Magdalene was now the ruler and everybody was pleased by that fact.
Back in school, everybody still saw Ruth as Martin's wife. They feared her but it was different since Ruth never spoke to Martin not until one day Martin came to pick up Ruth from school.
" What do you want Martin? Why has my grandma not come to pick me up?" Said Ruth angrily.
" I begged your Grandma Magdalene to let me do this since today is your birthday. I would feel better if I did something good for you at least to prove to you that I am sorry and I still love you Ruth" said Martin in a pellucid voice.
" Listen Martin. You already made your choice when you accepted Tere back into your life. I will not celebrate my birthday if my mother and grandmother are not around. I want to go back to the closer gates and I will use a taxi" said Ruth who pushed Martin away and left.
Ruth did not want anything to do with Martin again. All she wanted was to seek justice to the person who tried to kill her mother and to Faith who tried to kill her. She no longer wanted to fight for her family since Magdalene had already taken over the power of the closer gates.
She ran as fast as she could and boarded a taxi since she knew Martin the fact that Martin would forcefully take her into the car. She had no idea that the taxi which she had boardered had also been hired by Martin. Martin had paid for her to be taken to the special place.
" This is not the way to the closer gates. Are you knew here?" Asked Ruth who was filled with lots of fear.
" It's Martin's orders that you be taken to that special place where you will be celebrating your birthday. Happy birthday Ruth. Do you recognize my voice Ruth? " Said Tere smiling.
How could Ruth not recognize her voice?
" Tere! " Said Ruth surprised.
" I wouldn't dare let my husband celebrate your birthday with you. Today I am going to finish what Faith started" said Tere laughing annoyingly.
Ruth widened her eyes in disbelief. She could not believe that it was happening all over again.
MARRIED AT SIXTEEN.