Sold (Christian Romance)

Chapter Fifteen

The entire house felt empty especially in the day time when Remi would go to work and take Jesse to school. Not only did Sisi feel lonely emotionally but Jummy's absence now gave the entire house a feeling of vacuum. She missed sitting and chatting with Jummy for hours. She wondered how she was faring, if her mother had finally accepted the child she was carrying. Something about Mrs Joke frightened Sisi. Her attitude bore a striking resemblance to Sisi's own parents and their desire for money, the same desire that landed her in Chief's house as his slave. Why couldn't parents make their own money, why did they need to sacrifice their Children for their own selfish gain? She shook her head and focused her mind on the meal she was preparing.

“Smells good”

She turned at the sound of his voice. Remi stood behind her, hands in his pocket. He had on a white long sleeve shirt and black slacks. Once more, she couldn't help but notice how handsome he was.

“You are early” She shook her head, as if to shake the thought away. “I wasn't expecting you”

“No?” He smiled. “I brought Jesse home from school. Her teacher called, she was running a fever” Sisi's eyes widened in concern and he held up his hands. “Nothing serious.”

Sisi could feel her heart racing. She dropped the spoon she had been using to stir the meal she was cooking and walked towards him.

“Nothing serious? I highly doubt that, Remi. Where is she?” She asked, standing in front of him. He towered over her with a smile on his face and she wanted to smack that smile off. “What is so funny, Remi?!” She frowned.

“Oh nothing. She's upstairs, sleeping”

She made for the door and he grabbed her arm, pulling her back. She stood inches from his face and she stared at his lips. This man would be the death of her if she wasn't careful. She averted her eyes and pulled away but he held on firmly.

“I took her to see a Doctor before we came home. He ran some tests, prescribed some drugs and now she's asleep. It's malaria. If you go running into her room, you'll wake her up and she really needs to sleep” He tilted her chin up and she thought he was going to kiss her. “Sisi...” He breathed. Her heart began to pound. She leaned forward slightly in anticipation of his kiss. “I think your food is burning” He said, a smile on his face.

She stared at him in disbelief and pulled away, too embarrassed to say anything. She rushed over to the stove and turned it off. She turned around and Remi was standing right in front of her. Why did he choose today of all days to torment her and why did his closeness make her heart pound? She frowned.

“Moments ago, you looked like you wanted me to kiss you” He finally said. “I just want to know if the offer still stands”

He wanted to know if he could kiss her? Well, duh! Of course she wanted that kiss more than anything else in the world. What was wrong with her? No, she couldn't say yes. Chief could hurt Remi or Jesse. What would she do then? She was being tortured. She couldn't afford to love Remi but she couldn't afford not to love him. She needed him. She needed his love and no matter how much common sense tried to keep her away, her own heart was at war with her mind.

..........
Seeing the confusion in her eyes, he stepped back. What was wrong with him, why did he have to be such a bully all the time? She obviously didn't want anything to do with him.

“I'm sorry, I shouldn't even have said that.” He apologized. “Do you need help with anything?”

She covered the distance between them and came to a stop in front of him. He couldn't stand it when she played with his emotions like this. He watched her for a while.

“Yes Remi, the offer still stands”

His hands shook nervously. Had he heard her right, did she just ask him to kiss her? He stared at her, confused. She stood on tiptoe and touched his face tenderly; a touch that sent shivers down his spine. He pulled her into his embrace and captured her lips. She didn't pull away, instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned forward. If he had any doubt in his heart about her love for him in the past, they were all gone with that one kiss. How was he supposed to live without this beautiful, feisty, tender, loving, stubborn, woman?

He ended the kiss and stared at her in affection. Tears stained her cheeks. He frowned. Why was she crying, did she feel harassed and threatened into kissing him? He was confused.

“Sisi” He reached out to wipe her tears. “I can't stand to see you cry. I'm sorry I kissed you. You don't have to do anything” He said but she shook her head.

“I've just never... I've never felt this way for any one. I never got the chance. ” She said and his mind went back to the conversation he over heard between her and Jummy.

He had been sitting in the living room with Mrs Joke when he heard someone yell. He excused himself and went to investigate when he heard her tell Jummy that she was given away in marriage at the age of ten. He was so stunned, he had been too weak to walk away from the conversation until he heard everything.

He reached for her and hugged her. She leaned against his chest.

“My love” He touched her hair. “You know, you should get this hair done. I'll take you to a beauty parlor tomorrow” He said, wanting to redirect the conversation. She glanced up at him and smiled.

“Is that your way of telling me my hair stinks?” She teased.

He leaned down and kissed her again. “I love you” He whispered against her lips.

“I love you too” She returned his kiss.

..........
Mrs Joke watched Jummy as she laid sleeping peacefully on the bed of their one room apartment. Her gaze travelled down to her daughter's protruding stomach and she smiled. Today is the day, the day she gets rid of this intrusion finally. A few hours ago, she had slipped the abortion pill she got from the Chemist months ago, the same one Jummy had refused to swallow, into Jummy's food and she had watched to make sure the girl ate that food. And right now, she was waiting patiently for the drugs to take effect.

..........
Jummy stirred. A sharp pain shot up her abdomen and she jerked out of bed. What was happening? She placed her hand on her stomach as if to calm what ever it was. She laid back down but a worse pain raced through her abdomen. She let out a loud cry and tried to stand up but she couldn't. Some thing warm and sticky ran down in between her legs. No, no. Her mind raced for what to do. She was too afraid to reach down and touch whatever it was that ran down her legs even if everything in her told her it was blood.

“Ah! Mama!” She cried. Her abdomen felt like it was being twisted and some one was squeezing the baby out of her.

Her eyes searched frantically around the room. She spotted her mother sitting on a couch across from the bed, watching her.

“Mama, my baby!” She cried but her mother maintained her position. Why wouldn't Mama help me, she thought.

She pushed herself off of the bed but she was too weak to stand. She fell to the ground with a loud cry and began to crawl towards the door. Mama stood up and bolted the door.

“Mama, please!” She cried. She knew she was losing a lot of blood. “Please, I need a Doctor. ”

“No, what you need is to get rid of that child” Mama pointed at her stomach, the look of death in her eyes.

“Mama!” Jummy yelled, pains surging through her entire body. “Please! I'm having a miscarriage” She cried.

“Abortion” Mama corrected.

At the mention of the word, Jummy felt the blood drain from her face. What had Mama done to her, why would her own mother do this to her and her grandchild? An abortion at this stage of her pregnancy, she was seven months for God's sake! Tears slipped down her eyes. She laid still for a few minutes, blood gushing out of her. Oh God, she was dying. She could feel life leaving her body as she laid in her own pool of blood. She was weak, too weak to move.

“Mama, I'm dying” She whispered but her mother said nothing. “God... God...” She heard herself say as she breathed her last. 

Author's note:
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