CHAPTER 99

Ruth therefore locked the door and arranged all the clothes in the closet. She was astonished that all the clothes she had been bought for fit her. This made her to wonder what the character of Ryan was like. Ryan was a bit too harsh but a simple man. He never liked to see anybody disrespected and maybe that was the main reason why he defended Ruth earlier. She put on the pink umbrella dress and went to the living room. 

Ryan looked at Ruth as she entered the living room and smiled. This made Ruth to wonder the main reason why Ryan smiled since Ryan could not stop gazing at Ruth. 

" Ryan! Are you alright?" Asked Ruth filled with lots of curiosity. 

" Yes! Mmh! Are you alright?" Ryan asked Ruth. 

This made Ruth to laugh at Ryan. Ryan immediately stood and looked at Ruth angrily which made Ruth to feel ashamed and stop laughing at once. 

" I am sorry Ryan. I didn't mean to laugh at you but I couldn't stop it since you are funny. But let us not focus on that. t am not able to rest thinking about Faith's condition. I still feel guilty and feel that I should be there for her" said Ruth a bit sad. 

" Relax your mind. There is nothing wrong with Faith because I have hired a private nurse to take good care of her. Faith has also been transferred into a private ward. We will go and visit her tomorrow" said Ryan smiling.

" No Ryan! Faith is not just another person but my sister. The private nurse will not take care of her like I could have done" 

" Are you not going to cook? I have already sent Vivian to buy ingredients in the market. Nelly is not around since she went on a traditional vacation. You' ll see her when she comes back home. She is my younger sister" said Ryan. 

" I think you are right. I will just wait for Vivian to come back from the market then cook the meal that I have promised you" said Ruth. 

She therefore wanted to leave but Ryan signalled to her to stay. Ruth went and sat at the furthest end of the living room which was a bit far from Ryan. Ryan immediately went closer to her and sat beside her wondering why Ruth feared him. 

" Do you fear me? Do you think I am like Martin? Anyway,  I want us to discuss of how we are going to save your daughter Purist. This is a big town and if you decide to find her alone then you will never find her. Please allow me to help you" said Ryan in a pellucid voice. 

" I haven't thought of you to be like Martin. You are very different from Martin because you understand how life is and how to value the relationships that are close to you. And I know that by your help then it will be easy to find Purist while Faith continues to recover in the hospital. Thank you so much Ryan and please remember that I do not fear you. I have learnt to trust and treasure you this small time that we have been together" said Ruth smiling. 

Vivian entered at that instant carrying shopping bags in her hands. She had just come back from the market. She went and placed the items on the kitchen as Ruth followed her closely. 

" You can cook in this borrowed kitchen because you just borrowed it from me. You must remember that your days are numbered. I have to go the council square right no since I have cases to handle but I will be right back" said Vivian. 

" You have cases today to handle? Why don't you go ahead and do so? Then you must remember that numbered is just a word and not the reality" said Ruth. 

They both had no idea that Ryan had been listening to them all this while. This made Ruth to be filled with lots of tension. She knew that Ryan would feel angry that she spoke bad at Vivian since she was the guest and had misused her boundaries. 

" Ruth is apsalutely right that numbered is just a word. You go to the council square and handle those cases or else it will put you in big trouble" said Ryan. 

Ruth was astonished that Ryan chose to defend her. She took the vegetables and started cutting the vegetables with the help of Ryan. This astonished Ruth since Ruth had never seen Martin entering the kitchen since Martin married her. 

Martin on the other hand got angry by the way Ryan had beaten him up. Akeshia was still nursing him his wounds the same way that she always did when she was still a maiden. This made Martin angry till she pushed Akeshia's arm away from him. 

" It's all your fault. It's all by the fact that you wanted to save Faith from going to prison that my marriage got destroyed. Now Ruth is in another man's arm and that man seems to be dangerous. I am helpless because I do not know how to get her back" said Martin angrily. 

It was indeed true that Akeshia was the main reason why Martin's marriage to Ruth got scattered. Akeshia convinced Martin and Purist to leave Ruth because Tere had asked her to. Tere had a video as the evidence to prove that Faith tried to kill Ruth. She had taken that video before she went ahead and saved Ruth by rushing her to the hospital. That was when Akeshia pleaded with Martin and Purist to have nothing to do with Ruth or else she would strip herself naked at the meeting square and curse the fate of the closer gates. 

" I did what I had to in order to save my family thinking that when you were back with Tere then things would change. I had no idea that Tere would frame you for Naomi's attempted murdered and sentence you to cell of hell. I had no idea that she had the plan to get Purist married at the age of sixteen. What wrong have I done if not to try and be a good mother to my children? Does saving my children from harm make me a worthless mother?" Asked Akeshia as tears welled down her eyes. 

" Yes! Saving your children from harm makes you a worthless mother. All of this could have not happened if Faith chose to go to prison. No matter what you do, remember that you will always be a worthless mother" shouted Martin at Akeshia.

" Then clean up your wounds by yourself" said Akeshia. 

" Inform me once Haggai and Tere enters the closer gates. I am bringing them back home. I want them to help me get Ruth back from that stingy man" said Martin. 

Akeshia nodded her head in disbelief as she threw the medicines on the floor and left the room. In a few minutes, Lady Nana came to inform Martin that Haggai and Tere had arrived with their luggages. Martin instructed Lady Nana to take their luggages to the guest room and inform both Haggai and Tere to go to the study. 

Martin therefore went to the study and waited for them over there. They arrived immediately and sat as they were offered coffee by Lady Ruby. 

" Thank you for accepting my offer to come back and live at the closer gates. I respect your marriage and therefore I will not do anything to get Tere back. I want to take this time to personally give you my condolences for the loss of your daughter Vela. My condolences to her.  You can go and visit her grave anytime" said Martin smiling. 

" Martin! What do you want in return for bringing us back into the closer gates? I am sure that you have not done this without any valid reason. Am I right?" Asked Tere filled with lots of curiosity. 

Martin had not yet informed of their main mission at the closer gates and yet he felt that it was not the right time to tell them of what they were to do. 

" Just live happy and be cheerful always. May the Almighty bless your marriage" said Martin who left them in the study. 

Tere and Haggai were astonished by Martin's change of behaviour. Martin never let anybody enter his study before. He was afraid that people would go through his documents and pin him down. 

" Can we go and see our daughter Vela? I am sure that she has missed us so much. Why did she have to die? Vela was my only hope and I thought that she would be like me" said Tere as tears welled down her eyes. 

" Quit that sadness of yours. It's your fault that our daughter died. And why should we see her now? Is it because we feel too much guilty? I am sorry Tere but I cannot face my daughter. You can go and see her by yourself or ask the maidens to take you there" said Haggai who left the study. 

Tere immediately ordered Lady Nanabti take her there. Lady Nana had no choice than to take her there even though she hated Tere. 

MARRIED AT SIXTEEN.