CHAPTER 178

The whole situation made Ruth and Nelly to regret telling Naomi the truth but there was nothing they could do about it. Naomi had already made her decision and she was not somebody who could be easily pursuaded to change her plans.

Although Martin was happy as a lark to be back home with his mother, he was still filled with lots of sadness in his heart. He still did not accomplish the task of bringing his daughter Purist and the love of his life Ruth back home.  He was just pretending to be happy but yet Akeshia realized everything because Martin never left the study. 

He seemed to be disturbed by a particular thing. This made Akeshia to go into the study and have a conversation with Martin even though she knew that it was not what Martin wanted. 

" My son. A long journey that is succesful usually takes a few dissapointments. That is why sometimes people fall into an accident, the petroleum in a car end without the driver's notice or the tyre suddenly breaks in a car where there is no any garage near or kiosks but your car and yourself. Why then do you worry too much my son? You did well by bringing Tere back home. Now it will be hard for her to do anything behind our backs. That is better son. They usually say bring your friends close but your enemies closer'" Said Akeshia as she knowingly decided to massage Martin's backbone. 

Although she was aged, it was difficult to understand where exactly Akeshia gained all of her strength from. At normal times, a woman of her age was supposed to be limping or cannot be able to walk again. This would make her to be taken to an elder' s home where she would be able to connect with her fellow old fellows and start forming wiser words day by day.

" Mama! Till now erasing the love that I have for Ruth in my heart has not been able to be erased. Everytime I close my eyes, the only thing I see is the dark face of my lovely Ruth trying to ask for my help to be able to release her from a cage. What do I do mama? What if the visions I have do mean anything? Don't you think that I should go back to Mambo town and try to find out what is really happening to Ruth?" asked Martin as he turned towards her mother and held her arm wanting to hear a little piece of her advice from her mother. 

" I would like to help you there son but I can't. You know very well that Ruth and I cannot even stay in the same kitchen and cook the same type of food in one cooker. The shadows of her name and her face usually makes me feel shattered. You saw everything back in mambo town my son. You saw how much she ignored you and still got engaged to Ryan in front of your face. What about your self respect? Did she dare try to atlest uphold that? How about we do this son? Let's give her three days to come back to you and confess to you how she feels about you. If that does not happen, I hope that you will be able to cut ties with everything that involves her including her name. Should this be a deal my son? Why don't you soft touch my toes as a result that deal that you have accepted this deal together with it's condition?" Said Akeshia who stood beside Martin and held his arm wanting to put it on her legs.

Unluckily, all her plans failed. They immediately heard noises from outside the study. It was as if the vase of flowers had dropped down. This meant that someone was listening to their conversation. 

Akeshia decided to go outside the study to confirm if her suspicions were right or not. She widened her eyes in disbelief as soon as she saw Tere gathering the broken pieces of the vase of flowers. Akeshia immediately went towards Tere and slapped her which astonished Tere.

" How dare you listen to my conversation with my son? Do you see what you have done now? You have destroyed the closer gates ancestral flower. The flower that has always been here ever since this mansion was built at the closer gates. How dare you Tere?" Asked Akeshia filled with lots of fury.

 Tere widened her eyes in disbelief. She had always seen the flowers there ever since she got married but never knew that the flowers would have so much insignificance. 

" Mama! I am deeply sorry for destroying this vase of flowers. How could I have known about it? We've never been taught about the ancestral vase of flowers. The only thing that has always been sang ever since I was a little child was the cell of hell. I am seeking for your forgiveness now that I know the truth" Said Tere in a pellucid voice.

 " I know that it is usually hard to forgive but it is easy to slap someone" said Akeshia as she slapped Tere on her cheeks making her whole body to tremble.

It had been long since Tere got slapped. This made Tere to stand in deep state of confusion. She felt that there was nothing wrong that she did. Anybody else could have thrown the vase of flowers down by accident while ears dropping at the study.

" Sorry! I will make sure that I bring another vase of flowers before two days end" said Tere as tears welled down her eyes.

" No! I don't need a new one. I just need the broken pieces that are looking at me on the floor to be mended by you. You have to bring the broken pieces back together. Now listen to me very carefully Tere. If you want me to make my Martin crawl at your feet, then you have to bring the broken pieces back together. Or else I will make Martin move further away from you and not even a scent of your perfume would delight him. He will chase you out of his matrimonial room and this house.  With this, I will make sure that no one accommodates you in this town and other towns as well" said Akeshia smiling.

" And how will you be able to do that Akeshia , my dearest loving mother-in-law?" Asked Tere smiling.

" Because I am an evil witch. I will cast out spell of rejection on you using your blood without you even realizing that I have just done that" said Akeshia.

" Well then. How about I say that I am the Satan herself? All of us here at the closer gates are witches Akeshia. For how long will you keep hiding such kind of secret from the people of the closer gates? You know very well that there are witches of higher ranks here who can reverse a spell and yet I am one of them. Go ahead Akeshia. Cast a spell of rejection on me. I will make sure that I reverse it back to you. I will make sure that you are the one who will be rejected by everyone on this Earth. Do you understand me?" Asked Tere laughing annoyingly.

" How about you try and understand me Tere? Who exactly give you the right to threaten my mama like that? We all know that the only powerful witch at the closer gates is Ruth. She is the only one whose spell cannot be reversed and I can make her cast a rejection spell on you. We might be separated here on earth but our souls are not separated as well" said Martin as she went towards Akeshia and Tere and held Akeshia's arm assuring her that everything she said was the right thing.

" Fine! I will try my best to mend the broken pieces" said Tere a bit hesitant. 

" No! Why don't you start by apologizing to my mother Tere? How do I share my room with a woman whom my mother will cast a spell of rejection on her? Please apologize to my mother Tere" said Martin smiling.

Tere nodded her head in agreement as she decided to go closer to Akeshia and knelt infront of her touching Akeshia's feet using her left arm as tears welled down her eyes. She therefore held Akeshia dress using her right arm.

" I am sorry mama. I am sorry at how I have disrespected you. I promise to do everything as you have said" said Tere in a pellucid voice. 

" Stand up! You do not really need to be sorry my dear. Listening to me and doing what I say is enough for me. After all, my son needs a woman so just do what I have said because such a great thing as forgiveness is not easily earned" said Akeshia.

" What do you really want me to do to earn your forgiveness?" Asked Tere.

" I want you to wash the entire house with your tears as water and your hair as the mopper" said Akeshia who immediately left causing imbalance on Tere and making Tere to fall on the ground. 

Martin immediately assisted Tere to stand and wiped her tears for her. 

" Do as mother has said my love. I will be waiting for you in my matrimonial room" said Martin smiling who left too. 

Tere immediately went to the study and took the witches spell book which was kept in one of the shelves at the study. She knew that she wouldn't made the case if she did not use her witches powers. It was therefore important for her to do so if she wanted to prolong her stay at the closer gates. 

MARRIED AT SIXTEEN.