CHAPTER 86

Naomi held Ruth till Ruth finally fell asleep like a little child who had just been breastfed. Naomi covered her with a duvet and went back to her room. 

It was a shorter night since Ruth woke up early the next morning and left without taking breakfast. She was not even going to the office since she took the route to the police station. This time she was allowed to have a conversation with Martin. They were both taken into an empty room. Ruth looked at Martin and began to cry. 

" Tell me Martin. How is life in here? Are they treating you well ? I will sue them if they dare try to mistreat you. Purist told me the whole truth about what happened but I really want to hear it from you Martin since I believe that you didn't do it" said Ruth a bit depressed and disappointed. 

" You have never been in jail and I am sure you will not know how it feels no matter how much I try to explain to you. If you really want to help then I am not the person that you should help. I want you to prevent my daughter's wedding because I cannot let my own daughter  get married at the age of sixteen" said Martin in a bit serious tone.

" But you got married to me at the age of sixteen. Why would it hurt you so much if your daughter gets married at the age of sixteen too? I do not see anything wrong with that" said Ruth smiling. 

" There is something wrong with it Ruth. I know I was wrong to marry you at the age of sixteen but yet I cannot let the same thing happen to my daughter even if it means that I will escape from this prison. Then I will do it in order to stop this marriage" said Martin who left Ruth in the visitors room. 

Ruth widened her eyes in disbelief. She could not believe that Martin had actually threatened her. What could she do? She left the prison and decided to go to her office. Ruth was astonished to find out that Purist was waiting for her outside the office. She opened the office and signalled Purist to enter. 

" What do you want Purist? I already told you that there is nothing I can do about the decision your mother has made for you. Why do you feel so bad? Are you not the one who pursuaded Martin to marry me at the age of sixteen?  To be honest, I do not think there is anything wrong with that" said Ruth angrily. 

Purist held Ruth's arm and placed it in her heart. Ruth could feel how Purist's heart was beating faster yet did not understand what Purist wanted to prove. 

" Today you have felt how my heart is beating. Look at me one more time on the face and tell me that you do not care about me anymore" said Purist. 

" Do not tempt me Purist. The last thing I remember is that you accused me of poisoning you and did not want anything to do with me. Will you only need me in your life when you need some help?" 

" How can you remember something that happened many years ago? I was only a child who believed everything that I was told. How can you not be my mama anymore? You cannot deceive me because I know how much you love me mother" said Purist. 

Ruth sat on her chair as tears welled down her eyes. She indeed had not stopped having a good heart but was driven to be inhuman by the experiences that she got in the past. 

" I admit that I still love your father which does not change anything. At the end you both chose Tere and that indeed proved to me that you were all not my truthful family. I had no choice than to go elsewhere and find something else to do with my life. Anyway, just go back to the closer gates and I will think of something to do about the matter" said Ruth who went ahead and opened the door for Purist. 

Purist left as tears welled down her eyes but before she could leave , Ruth suddenly stopped her. Purist turned towards Ruth and smiled. She felt that Ruth might had changed her mind. 

" I knew that you would help me Ruth. That was the main reason why I had not lost hopes in you since I knew that you are my wonderful mother" said Purist. 

" That is not the case. I just want to take you home since I can't let you go home by yourself. I will not forgive myself if anything happens to you on the way . Let's go" said Ruth who held Purist's arm and led her to the car. 

Ruth opened for Purist the glinding door of the car and signalled her to enter. She therefore entered the car and drove off. 

" I knew that you still loved me. You even had a heart to leave work in order to escort me back home. I am very much pleased by this"

" Do not force me to accept how you are taking things the wrong way .What I have done is what anybody else could do.I am taking you back home but first I will take you to my own home. My grandma Magdalene and my mother Naomi might have missed you. It was only yesterday when they saw you and now you are a grown up lady" said Ruth who looked at Purist and smiled. 

Purist started yawning and coughing which astonished Ruth who stopped the car. She immediately checked through her handbag and gave Purist water to drink. Purist gladly took the water and drank . 

" I hope you are feeling well now Purist. I do not know what I could have done if anything wrong had happened to you. I would do anything to protect and defend my daughter" said Ruth as she tightened her seat belt and continued driving. 

She had no idea that Purist had tested her by pretending to be having some weird coughs. Purist just wanted to know if Ruth still cared for her or she would leave her to die. 

" How many other kilometers do we have to go mama?"

"  Why do you ask? Did you never stop being childish? Is that not how you used  to ask when you were a child? Just behave like a grown up daughter of mine" said Ruth smiling. 

' Of course mama. I will always want you to be my mama and nobody else. Now I am apsalutely sure that you will do everything to stop my wedding .I know that you are simply pretending to be harsh on me but that won't work on me. I will do everything to get you to confess that you have indeed forgiven me' Purist thought as they continued with the journey. 

The journey was too silent as Ruth did not want to have any conversation with Purist. Purist used the chance to put Ruth's favourite music who began nodding her head enjoying the music as she continued driving . 

" I know for a fact that you are trying to do everything to know what's on my mind. Switch off that music now and forget about me being your mother. The reason why I am helping you is because I do not want you to get married at the age of sixteen"

" Really! You are going to help since you do not want me to get married at the age of sixteen" 

" What! Did I just say that? I must have slipped my toungue since I meant to tell it to someone else and not you. Just be silent atleast we are about to reach home" said Ruth who drove more faster. 

They arrived at home and found out that Magdalene had prepared Purist's delicious meal . Purist was astonished that Magdalene still remembered her delicious meal which was something that she had not really expected.

" Thanks grandma. I don't know what to say since you still remember my favorite dish yet my mama cannot remember it. All that she has kept telling me throughout the journey is the fact that she hates me so much and she is not going to help me out" said Purist who felt a bit devastated. 

Purist found it hard to understand Ruth. At one point she seemed determined to help her but at another point she wanted to back out from everything. 

Ruth never wanted to go back to the closer gates till she found the person who tried to kill Naomi. That was a promise she had made to her father. She also wanted to send Tere to prison for being the mastermind of killing her father and siblings. 

She felt that she would be able to do all these if only she kept a distance from the closer gates. If Tere knew about this, then she would do everything in order to be able to stop the investigation. That was the main thing that Ruth was trying to avoid all this while yet she found it hard to explain to Purist. 

MARRIED ST SIXTEEN.