Chapter 5: Chapter 5

*Maria's POV*

After a week, I got discharged from the hospital after proper observation. Henry cleared the bills and we hit the road back to my place. It actually felt like my life is like a movie or a book, definitely a tragic one where the script writer or author heartlessly decides my fate.

I wondered what could be the situation now? Everything felt different as though I had been gone for more than six months you know. It was a good thing I could still recall the way to Mrs Sarah's house so it made it easier for us.

After few hours of driving, we finally reached the house. I stepped down from the car and walked into the compound carrying Akeyla in my arms while Henry stood by the car waiting for me. I knocked on the door of the house but no one answered. I knocked again and again but still no answer and so I called out her name several times but still got no response at all.

As I stood there, tired and confused, not knowing what to do, an advanced woman that should be same age with Mrs. Sarah, maybe younger, came out of the house.

"Who are you looking for?" The woman asked with a frown on her face.

"Erm......I'm actually looking for Mrs Sarah, is she not around?" I asked the woman.

"Mrs Sarah no longer lives here, she had moved out about some months ago."

I arched an eyebrow in surprise, "She moved out? To where? Why? What happened?" I asked with a panicked voice.

"Actually....... I'm her coworker at the orphanage home..." The woman starts to explain. " When I came to visit her some months ago, I saw her with an unknown baby. She told me it was her friend's baby and that she was helping her look after the baby. But then, all of a sudden, she disappeared with the baby and ever since then, we haven't seen her again. We thought she was missing or something so the orphanage did their best to announce it on TV but until now, no response."

I stared at her in confusion as she finished. She left? Why? What happened?

"Then, do you think she could be at her children's house?" I asked her remembering Mrs Sarah told me she had a son and a daughter.

She gave me a confused look before answering.

"Her children's house? Mrs Sarah doesn't have any child. She lost her only son who works in the military years ago in a war after which her husband followed, he died of heart attack after hearing the news concerning the death of their son."

Was I hearing properly? Mrs Sarah didn't have children? Then why did she tell me that she has?

"But she told me she does, why would I trust your words?"

The woman shrugged, "It's your choice to believe me or not. She probably lied to you because she doesn't like talking about it. I only told you since you seemed confused and lost, I was just trying to help."

"So you mean I can't find her anywhere?" I asked hoping I get a positive reply.

"I don't know about that because we have also been searching for her for months now and yet nothing, so you can try if you want ." The woman shrugged and walked back inside without waiting to hear any more of my questions.

"Oh God. What will I do?" My eyes became clouded as I staggered backwards. Henry quickly rushed to my side to hold me still.

"Steady Maria, steady. What did she say?" Henry asked me as he held my shoulders.

"She said Mrs Sarah is no where to be found nor Aniyah." I managed to say as tears started flowing down my cheeks. What if something bad had happened to them? What if that man had found them and taken them away?

"Are Mrs Sarah and Aniyah your relatives?"

Henry asked me and turned to him. I quickly realized he doesn't know anything about me nor does does he know anything about Aniyah.

"Aniyah is Akeyla's twin and Mrs Sarah is someone I met sometime ago. How she is with Aniyah, is history." I explained briefly as I sluggishly walked back to the car while Henry followed me.

"Don't worry, I will help you find them." He said to me as he stood behind me.

I bit my bottom lips as I tried to hold back my tears, "How Henry? She......she was even announced on TV but......but still haven't been found. Where will I find her from? She might.....might not even be in this state anymore. I......I have no idea where to search." I stammered as the tears flowed down my cheek. I couldn't help myself but cry like a baby.

Henry pat my head softly, "Shush now. It's fine, do you have anywhere to stay?" He asked me and I turned away ashamed.

"No I don't. I was leaving with her before the accident."

"You can go back with me, I don't mind."

I turned to him and shook my head.

"And how long am I going to keep depending on people?" I asked rhetorically.

"I don't want to be a burden to you Henry. I don't even know what to do with my life yet. What would I do without Mrs Sarah? And the twins? They can't be separated." I stared at the ground as tears streamed down my cheek.

"You will find them. I don't know when but I believe you will so have a faith. For now, stay with me, I can help you find a job so you can save some money for yourself, you will need it." He said wiping my tears with his thumb. Did such nice people still existed? Even if they did, in this country? It was hard to believe.

"I'm just a stranger to you Henry, aren't you being too nice to me?" I asked looking into his eyes.

He smiled at me, "I know. You are the stranger but do i only have to be nice to the people I know? Would that still be classified as being nice? I also want to get to know you."

I stared at him speechlessly, "I don't know what to say....."

He cut me off, "You don't have to say anything." He pat my shoulders with a smile. "Should we go now? Or do you want to ask someone else about Mrs Sarah?"

I nodded, "Yes, I want to confirm from other sources, I can't just go back like this."

He nodded and we continued moving from one place to another asking for Mrs Sarah's whereabouts but the response were all the same.

After several hours of moving around, I decided to stop. Akeyla had already started crying and I was stressing Henry a lot. We entered the car and Henry started driving and we head back to Ibadan. Akeyla laid fast asleep on my shoulder while I looked through the glass in silence.

My life with ken wasn't exactly perfect. I got pregnant for him at the age of 18 and when I told my family about it, they kicked me out. My mother told me that she would never accept the child because ken was an orphan who had nothing. Ken told my family that he would marry me but that only made matters worse My family never supported our marriage and they even cut me off when I was adamant on marrying him. We got married at a court and we moved into a self contain apartment. Well, one day, I just started bleeding and lost the baby. The doctor told me it would not be easy for me to give birth again and that if it were to happen, it would be only be once.

At first I wanted to divorce him and go back to my family but he begged me not to leave and I stayed. Things changed after I lost my baby and we started to drift apart but despite that, we still remained with each other, hoping that one day, things would change for the better. We both continued to struggle for daily means, while he worked as a vulcanizer, I worked as a primary school teacher since I did not further my studies to higher institutions. My family never bothered to take my education seriously and didn't give me the care every girl child needed.

We drove in silence as I remained in deep thought about my life while Henry didn't say anything to disturb me but I knew he stared at me from time to time until we arrived. We reached Henry's house at night, mainly because of the holdup and we also didn't leave on time. The house was a beautiful blue bungalow with a black gate. As he horned, someone came to open the gate and he drove in.

The compound wasn't too spacious but it's enough to park at least two cars in the compound. There were flowers planted around which added to the beauty of the house. As he parked, I came down and viewed the compound in awe. It looked so peaceful.

"You live alone?" I asked him as he came out of the car as well.

"Currently, yes." He nodded before gesturing to the door. "Let's go in."

I nodded and followed him from behind.

"Your house is nice." I complimented with a smile.

"Thanks." He smiled as he opened the door for me.

"Musa!" He called out and the young man had opened the door answered. He continued, " Please don't allow anyone in without telling me, okay?"

"Yes, sir!" Musa replied.

As I walked in, I stared at the sitting room in awe. The inside was way more beautiful than the outside. The sitting room had a small bar at a corner which was decorated with different lights and designs.

"You can put Akeyla to sleep in the room." I heard him say behind me.

"Where is the room?" I asked turning to him.

"Second room by the left." He said pointing to the door entrance at the left.

"Okay." I went through the entrance and after moving for a bit, I found the bedroom.

I laid Akeyla on the bed and placed a pillow in front of her so she wouldn't roll out of the bed to the ground. I decreased the speed of the fan so she wouldn't be cold before going back to the sitting room where I met Henry sitting on the sofa, he seemed tired.

I sighed and went to sit next to him, "I'm sorry for the stress I put you through today."

He turned his head to me and smiled, "It's nothing Maria, you didn't stress me." He stared at me for a while before asking, "Should I get you a drink?"

"Let me get it, just show me where it is." I said standing up. He already looked tired enough.

He chuckled and stood up as well, "You aren't familiar with the house yet so just let me." He started walking to the dining but I followed him anyways.

"Juice or soft drink?" He asked me as he opened the fridge.

"Cold water." I replied biting my lips.

He turned to me and chuckled.

"Water? That wasn't in the option I gave you, maria."

I smiled, "That's all I need right now."

"How about sprite?" He brought out a can of sprite and waved it at me.

I stared at the sprite in his hand and sighed. " Well..... Okay." I went closer to him and collected it from him.

We both walked back to the sitting room and he went to the bar side. I watched him pour out a Red Label whiskey into a glass before coming back to sit beside me holding the glass in his hands. I stared at him as he sipped from the glass. Is it okay to drink alcohol at this time of the night? Won't he get a headache?

As he turned to my side, he caught me staring and stopped drinking.

"You want wine too?" He raised the glass up.

"What? No no. I was just wondering........Erm if it's okay for you to have wine at this time?"

He smiled and placed the glass on the table.

"That means my health will be in great danger now because I have been doing the same thing for months." He shrugged.

My eyes widened in surprise, "You have been drinking alcohol to bed? Why?"

He smiled, "Well, just reasons. It makes me.......well......I just like it."

I could tell he was hiding something but who was I to ask him?

"If.....if you like it then it's fine." I took a sip from the sprite and turned away.

"I can stop if you want." He said and I turned to him puzzled.

"What?"

He chuckled and sighed, "Just joking, drink up and go take a shower before going to bed."

I nodded and continued drinking. I heard what he said correctly, why would he stop drinking because I said so? That's weird.

After I finished my drink, I went to have my bath. I entered the room I placed Akeyla and cleaned my body with the towel I found in the wardrobe.

As I tied the towel around my chest, I heard a knock on the door and turned to it. "Yeah?"

"I brought you something to wear for the night." I heard Henry's voice from outside the door.

"Oh" I said and quickly walked towards the door, I opened it slightly and stretched my right hand out to him.

"Thanks." I said as I collected it from him and closed the door. I took a good look at the night gown he gave me, it was very pretty and doesn't look old at all. Did he buy it? If not, where did he get a female night gown to give me? Could he be living with a female before now?

I sighed loudly and put the gown on. It fitted me so perfectly as if it was made for me but it turned out too short though. I walked out of the room and went over to the sitting room where I met Henry laying on the sofa resting on his elbow.

"Are.....are you going to sleep here?" I asked him as I moved closer to the sofa.

He turned his head to me, "Nah.....just......Erm.....just chilling for a while, will sleep soon. You go ahead, you should rest."

"Okay then, thanks for the night gown."

He shook his head, "It's no big deal."

I continued, " By the way, where did you get a female's night wear from?" Why in the world did i ask that? It wouldn't sound too nosy right?

He sighed and gulped. I saw a flash of sadness in his eyes but it disappeared quickly before I could put a finger to it as he turned to me with a smile.

"It belonged to my sister." Looking at me from head to toe, he grinned. "Looks better on you."

I cleared my throat and nervously bit my bottom lips. "I'm going now, please try to get some sleep."

He nodded and I turned away disappearing into the room.

***********

("It's your fault, if you didn't leave me there, I wouldn't have died." He stood in front of me tears streaming down his cheeks as he spoke.

"No, no. It's not like that I swear. I came back, but you were gone. I love you Ken, you know I do." Tears flowed down my cheeks as I cried as well trying to explain to him. I took a step forward to hold him but he moved backward, away from me.

"Don't come close, you don't love me, it seems you have moved on already."

I shook my head abruptly as I heard him.

"Of course not Ken! It's not as easy for me as you think! My life is a mess!" I screamed at him in tears but he shook his head and turned away.

As I moved to chase after him, I saw a man in black pointing a gun at him. Before I could get to Ken, the man pulled the trigger and Ken slumped to the ground covered in his own blood.

**********

"No! No don't shoot him! Please!" I screamed out loud as I sprung up from the bed but someone grabbed me tight.

Alarmed, I struggled hard to get away from the strong hold.

"Shush now..." I heard a calm soothing voice. " It was just a dream Maria, you're fine, calm down." Recognizing the voice, I turned to see Henry holding me in his arms as he stroked my hair. I calm down and relaxed into his arms, gripping his waist tighter with my head against his chest as I cried.

"It's okay, I'm here, You're alright now." He continued to say as he kept stroking my hair until I cried myself back to sleep.

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