CHAPTER 216

Ruth widened her eyes in disbelief as she looked at Nelly from head to toe. There was absolutely a big difference between her and Nelly who had hurt her feelings by breaking her family picture and the glasses inside her kitchen. 

" What are you doing here?" Asked Ruth filled with lots of anger.

" I am here to seek for your help. Won't you at least let me in?" Asked Nelly smiling.

It was indeed true that there was some big difference between this new Nelly and the Nelly who left a while ago.

" Why would you need help from me after what you have done to me? What do you think about me and my life? Do you think that my life does not have value? Goodness! I thought we were sisters but turns out that I was the foolish one here. I had no meaning in anybody's life except my mama. I was just being a burden to all of you. Please get out. I want to eat" shouted Ruth at Nelly who wanted to lock the door but Nelly stopped her by holding her arm.

" I have just arrived now here. I had gone to the closer gates but the guards there told me that you both had left to Magdalene's. So I tried to figure out where you told me that Magdalene's house was located. After all this, I can't believe that you are throwing me away just like that" said Nelly as she held Ruth's arm preventing her from leaving.

" What are you trying to tell me? I have nothing to do with you saying I have come here twice and pretending to be with two different kinds of characters. Why do you have to do that Ruth? If you didn't wanna help me, you could have just told me that you didn't want to and I could have just understood. I am totally pissed off by everything honestly. I would rather go back to Mambo town and deal with all my problems rather than staying here with a person who is forming different stories about me" said Nelly who seemed to be a little bit devastated. 

" Sure! I think you should leave since that will be sill be that's what best between my family and your family. That is what's best for all of us" said Ruth who seemed to be satisfied by her decision and happy at the same time.

" Let her stay here with us. Maybe that's what best for both families" said Naomi who suddenly pushed Ruth aside and held Nelly's arm directing her into the dining room. 

Ruth looked at Naomi in deep state of confusion. She felt that there was some kind of energy in Naomi that she had never seen before. Maybe she felt that Nelly was really saying the truth and decided to help her. 

" Thank you Aunt Naomi. I am glad that I have someone who trusts me and that person is you" said Nelly as she hugged Naomi.

" Have you eaten anything?" Naomi asked Nelly smiling.

" I haven't eaten anything ever since I started my journey Aunt Naomi. I am really hungry. Let me serve myself" said Nelly who wanted to pick Ruth's plate as Ruth watched them from a bit distance as she had not yet come to terms with what had just happened.

" Please don't use that plate Nelly. That is my daughter's plate and I like it when she eats in that or else she won't eat at all and I will be devastated and depressed. Let me bring you your plate right away" said Naomi who went to the kitchen. 

Ruth decided to follow Naomi. She knew that following Naomi to the kitchen was a good plan for her to have a conversation with Naomi privately.

" Why is she in our house mama?" Ruth asked filled with lots of curiosity as soon as she entered the kitchen after Naomi.

" There is someone disguising herself as Nelly and we really need to find out who that person is. I hope you carried the ancestral vase along with you. We need to help Nelly get her identity back" Said Naomi in a pellucid voice.

" Why mother? I thought that we decided to come back into this house in order to have a peaceful life. Why then do we have to bring the ancestral vase up here again?" Asked Ruth a bit confused. 

" If we do not help Nelly to get her identity back. We will be the ones who will be messed up. We need to do that right away because disguising as her is out there to destroy us. I hope you understand" said Naomi who left the kitchen carrying Nelly's plate and spoon in her arms. 

Ruth stood in the kitchen aghast for a while wondering what was really happening. She had the power to see visions but kept wondering how she did not see the thing about Nelly. This meant that the person who was disguising herself as her seemed to had blocked her from seeing what was happening.

Ruth decided to go to the dining table and sat on the opposite side of Nelly. She wanted to examine Nelly and find out if whether what Naomi was telling her was the truth or not. 

Ruth find out that it was the truth. The biological Nelly usually had a birthmark on the left side of her neck whereas the fake Nelly did not have the birthmark. That is what made Ruth to start realizing that what Nelly was telling her was the truth.

" Nelly! What did do at the balcony that was to uptedictable and crazy after we got drunk two nights after my engagement ceremony to Ryan?" Said Ruth who checked her third finger in her left arm and finally realized that she was still wearing Ryan's wedding ring.

Ruth began touching the ring as if she was removing the ring from her finger filled with lots of hesitant.

" You know what Ruth? You shouldn't think about that too much or how I would feel if you remove that wedding ring from your finger. I understand how you feel and if upu were , I would have been worse than you are. I would have already killed Ryan for killing my grandma Magdalene" said Nelly.

" Do not worry about that at all. Just eat you food then I will show you your room to rest. I understand that it's been a long journey" said Ruth as she served herself some extra food too and began to eat. 

It took them less than an hour to eat their meal. As soon as they finished, Naomi immediately went to her room and rested since she was tired. Ruth and Nelly on the other hand assisted each other to clear the dining table and cleaned up all the utensils. As soon as they had finished cleaning up the utensils and the kitchen, Ruth decided to show Nelly where to rest. She took Nelly to Magdalene's room. 

" This used to be my grandma's room and when she was alive, she couldn't let anybody sleep in her room but I believe you will be lucky if she lets you sleep here with no nightmares" said Ruth who had now started teasing Nelly. 

" There will be no nightmares my dear. I promise you fton the bottom of my heart. I am really tired Ruth and I want to sleep" said Nelly smiling.

" Fine! I hope you enjoy your sleep my sister" said Ruth who embraced Nelly and left

She therefore went to her room and rested. Unluckily, Naomi, Ruth and Nelly began to experience strong waves which made all of their room windows to open. 

The three of them woke up and went towards the window and attempted to lock it. It was then that they saw almost thousands of people who looked like Nelly standing outside their mansion looking at them. 

This made Nelly, Ruth and Naomi to be filled with lots of fear who locked their rooms window right away. They therefore left their rooms filled with lots of fear at the same time and got astonished to see each other as their hearts kept breathing heavily. 

They therefore came close to each other holding each other's arm tightly.

" There is a time where we have to come together. Join forces in all our fears. Stand by one another no matter what. Gain strength even if all strength seems to be gone away. Somebody needs to do something and inorder for that to be done, somebody will need to be invisible from this earth. Her identity will be hidden. The worst has finally come. The Spirit of comparison has awoken and the spirit is only bent on destroying this family " said Naomi who was closing her eyes but suddenly opened her eyes as soon as she finished her speech.

Nelly and Ruth looked at Naomi as they widened their eyes in disbelief. They seemed to be pretending that they had not heard what Naomi was saying.

To listen was always easy but to believe was always hard task to accomplish. 

MARRIED AT SIXTEEN.