CHAPTER 123

It made Faith to be filled with lots of anger which made Ruth to feel weird. Ruth never understood why a woman would never want to hold a communion with a man and form a family. 

" Faith! Why don't we go to Mambo market and find out how business is done over there? It's been long since you visited such kinds of places. After all, Purist might happen to pass over there which might give us a chance to have a conversation with her" said Ruth smiling. 

" Why are you suddenly asking me to go to Mambo market? I have always wanted to be a teacher but not a business lady. Oh I see! You are trying to convince me to go with you to market so that we can find a suitable suitor for me. I have told you that I am not interested in such kind of things" shouted Faith at Ruth. 

It's true that she had never thought of getting married after what happened to Ruth in her marriage. It made her to believe that all men were the same and had the same type of behavior of hurting women whenever they wanted to. 

" Is it because of your harsh Dad who used to beat up your Mama Akeshia when you were a little child?" Asked Ruth filled with lots of curiosity.

Faith looked at Ruth astonished. She wondered how Ruth had an idea about her past yet she had never spoken to Ruth about it. 

" What else do you know about my Papa?" Asked Faith.

" You haven't even answered my question and yet you are already asking me about your father. I know that he is the one who made your mother a servant and sent my grandma and grandpa to the cell of hell. Your father is not dead. He is alive and he is the main judge at the cell of hell. That was the punishment he got after all the harm he caused to the people of the closer gates" said Ruth a bit sad. 

Ruth knew that everything she said would hurt Faith yet she felt that Faith had the right to know the whole truth. 

" What?...my...Papa...is at the cell of hell? Why can't my family ever be perfect? Why is mine like this? Please tell me Ruth" said Faith as tears welled down her eyes. 

Ruth moved closer to her and wiped her tears. She regretted for telling Faith the truth about her father. 

" You are a good person Faith and that's why I have never left you and you have never left me too. You and I will be able to overcome all the challenges. Would you like to visit your father at the cell of hell? I can take you there if you want to" said Ruth feeling a little bit hesitant.

" No! I cannot never want to see the man who ruined my life. He made me leave the closer gates for so many years without even being closer to my family. Ever since I was born I never knew who my mother was and the fact that she was always beside me and taking good care of me. What about Martin? How comes he had no any idea about this?" Asked  Faith in a deep state of confusion.

" I think that Martin is the one who is in a better condition to tell you about this. I think this is a family matter that I am not supposed to be involved. I am sorry Faith" said Ruth who left the room as tears welled down her eyes. 

She absent mindedly went to the living room and hit Vivian on her head by a mistake. This made Vivian to turn towards her and slap her. Ruth silently left without having a conversation with Vivian but Vivian ran towards her and stopped her by stepping forward and raising her hands towards her. 

" Why are you leaving trouble and yet you have brought trouble? You always look for trouble Ruth and that is the main reason why our town and our community is going to be in danger all because of you. Why couldn't you just sacrifice your love and tell Ryan that you do not love him for the sake of bloodshed? You are just a selfish woman" shouted Vivian at Ruth. 

" Am I a selfish woman? What about the many times that you have hurt people of this town? Now listen to me. I have made up my mind that I am going a chance to Ryan to love me and I am not backing out of this no matter how hotter the war will become" shouted Ruth at Vivian angrily. 

" And why not?" Asked Vivian.

" Because I love Ryan too and I want him to be my husband for the rest of my life. I want him to be the father of my children and I think you should solve any problem you with me before it's too late. Unless .....you are in love with Ryan too" said Ruth in a pellucid voice. 

Vivian moved more closer to Ruth and slapped her twice on her cheeks. This made Ruth to be angry who slapped Vivian back.

" You really don't know how to quit Ruth. Now I will shows you who deserves to be in this house and who deserves not to be in this house. This is my husband's house" shouted Vivian at Ruth. 

" And this is my lover's house.  Why should I even feel belittled?  You think too high of yourself but then you have nothing to be proud of. You forcefully told Lawrence that he should marry you because there were some traditional rights which someone should follow in this community. You felt bad by the fact that Lawrence and you had been together for a long period of time but he still chose to marry another girl instead of you. That's the main reason why that you lied to the case square that Lawrence wanted to forcefully be Ina relationship with you" shouted Ruth which astonished Vivian. 

Vivian wondered how Ruth knew about all of that yet she was not there when the whole incident happened. 

" Please spare me by keeping my secret. I don't want my marriage to end. I will do everything that you tell me from now on because of that secret" said Vivian as she knelt down and held Ruth at her feet.

" How will I ever rest knowing very well that I destroyed your marriage? I knew the whole truth yet I did not tell anyone and I am never going to tell anyone. Just be nice if you want to keep your marriage and know how to relate with others. Understand that jealousy would lead to nothing than people  killing one another. From now on then you will have to do everything that I tell you to do. You will have to retire as the case manager and forcefully say that you have surrendered that sit for me. You will therefore work for me and get your salary from me. I have only done this to prove to you that nothing comes easy for those who try to destroy lives and good relations. My name is  Ruth Bora and I was boryn in a certain hospital at Olam town" said Ruth smiling who left. 

Vivian angrily watched her leave filled with lots of anger. She wondered the kind of courage that Ruth had to show up in front of the people who were capable of dangerously hurting her. Vivian felt that Ruth was going to backstab at her back and that was the msin reason why she decided to look for Lawrence who was nowhere to be found. It was unusual for him since it was rest day and not working hours .

She went outside the house and searches for Lawrence all over the compound but Lawrence was nowhere to be found. She therefore decided to look for him outside home and was astonished to find him outside the house indeed hugging Ruth filled with lots of sadness. 

" What are you doing here hugging Ruth so passionately like this? Have you forgotten that it is wrong for a married man to hug another woman in public so passionately like that? What are you two up to? Do you both love each other and are just playing tricks on me and Ryan?" Shouted Vivian angrily as tears welled down her eyes. 

" Shut up Vivian. I was just consoling my brother-in-law because he just lost his power of the mambo town. Is there anything wrong with that?" Asked Ruth. 

" No! There is nothing wrong with that. I will be inside the house. Once you both are done bonding then you will find me inside the house preparing our meal" said Vivian in a pellucid voice so left.

Ruth and Lawrence followed her closely because they felt there was nothing more that they needed to discuss about. That small misunderstanding was termed as the beginning of many sorrows. The likes of Olam town . 

MARRIED AT SIXTEEN