Wow, thank God, kudos to you for this update, thanks�

Wow... Thanks for the wonderful update dear

Wow ....
That's all I can say for now !!!


(Truly speechless tho)

Rosemary, this story needs a movie with the best actors interpreting the script.

Your storytelling is outstanding.

Well done...and thank you for sharing your world of fiction with us...

Wow , thank you for the update

So Mezie can fear like this.
Nke a ato m pieces
Nice one my dear

Wow......Rosie, you are too much, you always keep me edge, This last update is everything. Please save Morgan ��

Now that Akwa is back, I don't want to lose Morgan

Thanks for the update ma'am

Rosemary33, one plate of ukwa and a chilled bottle of malt for you, weldone.

Keep it up Rosemary kudo���

Mezie is the selfish one that should be punished not Akwa or sweet Morgan ....Thanks for the update. Keep up the good work.

Wow! this is epic. your write up is really intriguing and I m short of words right now. It obvious you have a beautiful heart because your writeup reflects it. Thanks for the update.


Thank you Morgan for coming to her life. I know Mezie will loose everything someday.

Wow! Our Akwa is backkkkk........
Somborri play Testimoni by Jaga , let grovvvvve to our Akwa return

Rosemary33 chop kissssss..... Mua.......

Oya everybody goan like the update, let Appreciate her with our likes

Thank goodness for Morgan.. This is truely a master piece

OMG � this suspense ��

you write so well Rosemary. I have read all your stories. Keep up this good work.

The soilder who loved me had me teary eyed for the better part of it.

This one is stirring all kinds of emotions in me.

As for Victims, I have no words. Just complete the story & be more careful with your spellings.

When it comes to writing, you are Nairaland's heavy weight champion. No cap!

Wow.

BrownCookie:
you write so well Rosemary. I have read all your stories. Keep up this good work.

The soilder who loved me had me teary eyed for the better part of it.

This one is stirring all kinds of emotions in me.

As for Victims, I have no words. Just complete the story & be more careful with your spellings.

When it comes to writing, you are Nairaland's heavy weight champion. No cap!

thank you so much. And thanks for the observation on spellings

These works are first drafts, not edited and rewritten yet. However, I will be more careful with spellings, hope it didn't stopyour flow? I am so sorry for that

I hope it was Morgan holding Akwa's hand

Chapter 16

Grateful! That was how Morgan felt. Alive. Well. With a bold ugly mark, a little above his breast.

“What now?” he had asked the old priest two days later. He had returned from his death trip- a dreamless slumber.

“Edo would not take her own…you are a good soul my son, even the spirits recognized that”

“what of her?” he had accepted a cup of herbal concoction handed to him by the priest, hesitated. The priest nudged him and he had sipped, wrinkled his face in detested

“It will help with the wound on your chest” the priest assured. He had drained the mixture, flinched “It will take some time but the wound will heal eventually”

“I have to go back to work and I don’t want to do that carrying green leaves on my chest” voice hoarse.

“You are free to use whatever you civilized people use now for treatment, but herbs work better and faster”

“So, what of her? I mean Akwaugo” he felt the soreness of his chest and winced

“She lives”

“and the oath?”

“Broken…she is free”

A knowing silence, stretched. Unbroken.

The priest had coughed “I wish she was yours” he said. Making him more miserable than he already was “the gods spared you…I don’t know why…maybe they have a plan bigger than all of us”

Three days later and he stood at the entrance to her hospital room, it could be the last time he would see her- beg for her love. He was tired of wishing she could at least admit she felt the same way, tired of her throwing his feelings to his face.

She was alone when he entered.

“I didn’t know you are still around…Nwamaka said she called you” she flashed him a weak smile that stilled his breath

He clamped and unclamped his hands. sat at the edge of the bed and took her hand “Come away with me Akwam”

She snatched her hands from his as if burnt “Morgan” he sensed the tension in her voice “it’s difficult”

“we will find a way my love” he was willing to take anything- any condition given by their kinsmen, to face the consequences of this abomination as long as she agreed to be by his side “Please beautiful one…come with me” heart racing faster, pleading gaze casted on her face “I have never wanted anything as bad as I want you” he shifted closer so his body brushed against hers. He felt her stiffened

She bit her lips, struggling with little success to suppress the sob welling inside her “I would love nothing more than to spend my life with you…I am afraid to admit what I feel for you” she turned to face him “Its shameful…dirty” she sniffed “You don’t know how many times I desired to have your arms around me” the tears dropped “I hate it…but I like it also…I don’t understand…”

“Then you don’t need to understand” he wanted to crush her against his hurting chest. To kiss her until she was breathless. To make love to her…he guided her flat palm to his heart “It beats for you Akwaugo…this is where you belong”

She shook her head withdrew her hands from him and looked away

He thought as much, she wouldn’t want to be with him. It was his last chance of convincing her…he would have made sure she wasn’t shamed, and nobody in the village would mock her for it. He would have bought the Umunna with some cash and force Mezie to take back the bride price he paid earlier- triple all the money he had spent on her, if that was what he would want. But she had turned him down one more time.

“I will not ask you again, I will not turn back if I walk out of this place without you and our child and I promise you I will fight you and your husband for that child with everything I got” he was suppressing the urge to raise his voice at her “Both of you don’t deserve her”

He saw her lips quivered “Morgan please…”

“I am not finished!” he cut in “I admit that I started off with lusting after you, but I have grown…there is a connection between us that even the gods recognized! When I decided to sacrifice myself for you…a sacrifice that would have taken my life to save yours! It wasn’t because I was tired of living, but because I felt I would rather go than leave without you!” he sprang to his feet, slapped his fist on his palm “It was either you, me or your f*cking husband! I chose me! Me!! Akwaugo. But by some miracle I survived…do you wonder why? There is something about the both of us…”

Why was she not seeing that she had a destiny with him not her husband? Why was she scared of walking out of the man? What kind of commitment was it that held her bound?

She spun and brought her legs to the floor “Wait…you…you…what sacrifice are you talking about?”

Eyes cold and hard, he wanted to hate this woman but couldn’t “It doesn’t matter now. But so you know…your oath has been broken” he walked towards the door

“Morgan…please” he felt her hand on his shoulder “what sacrifice?”

He shrugged her hand away and faced her “I pray you will one day realize what this is you feel” he heaved a sigh and walked out.

*
“Sir…sir…” Nwamaka ran after him.

Today was her lucky day. She had spent four days now in the hospital, another futile day here would get her sick. She mentally thanked her god for prompting her into choosing the tight fitted mini gown that left her thighs bare and her hips screaming. Her mother had almost shouted when she saw her walking into her car this morning, Local woman, what did she know?

She was hopeful, this would be the opportunity she had waited for, if only she would play her cards

“Sir…I am so sorry” she panted as she caught up with him “I am the lady that called you” laughed nervously, hands swung back and forth. She was never one to be nervous before men, had gone out with big men and had them do her bidden. But this is Morgan! The so much heard of but rarely seen wealthy son of Ochudo, the man under whose mere presence the earth revolves “I am pleased to meet you finally” thrusting her hip out, she brushed her fingers on her breast that threatened to pop out on the tight cloth covering it. “you are a kind man sir… the way you have been helping my friend…even though her husband is there” conspicuously wetting her lips “I can do anything to help the situation…since you will not always be around, just count on me”

“Oh…it is my pleasure meeting you also, and I want to thank you for your help so far”

She blushed. Brush-like eyelashes fluttered like the wings of a butterfly “Oh is nothing” she dismissed with a wave “Just rendering a little help”

The man gave her a nod and stepped into the opened car. Not the reaction she expected, the man was a snoot! Not even a softened demeanour towards her. But she had watched him go soft before Akwaugo- another man’s wife!

“I will call you when the need arises!” she shouted after the car that was already driving out. Needs would arise for sure…she fixed her gaze on the empty space where the man had stood earlier

*
Akwaugo let the window blind go. Her hands flung on her mouth and her shoulder rocked in a quiet yet heart wrenching sob. Pain shoot from the wound on her stomach to the whole of her body, the sutured skin dragged against the thread, yet she couldn’t stop the anguish she felt.

“he should have stayed a little longer, more time was all I asked” no, you sent his away. She knew it was no use, there was no need pampering hearts that would end up broken. I will not turn back if I walk out of here without you and our daughter the words had torn her apart. What she felt for him was stronger than anything she had ever felt before. Not even Mezie- before his madness started, had ever stirred such feeling in her- strong, breath stopping, legs wobbling.

Propping her stomach, she walked back to the bed and sank her butt at the edge where he had sat earlier. Exhaled through her mouth, eyes darted around, she sniffled and wiped her face. At least she had something to remind her of him- a daughter, a gift he had given to her and Mezie.

*

“Nwokem what are you doing on top of the roof when you are supposed to be with your wife and your new child in the hospital or sharing Nkwu enu with Umunna”

Shoulder hunched under the scorching sun, Mezie hammered furiously, ignoring his friend.

“Mezie what is it? At least come down and offer me a chair and a snuff, God has remembered you and your wife” engrossed in the task he had given himself, Mezie didn’t respond and his friend continued “I heard the child is a girl…born preterm”

Mezie stilled, poised in a squat as if to pounce on his friend or vanish. Slowly he picked the cup of nails and climbed down the ladder, cracked his back bone and drew a bench for both of them.

“ThankGod” he clapped dust off his hands “I wasn’t expecting anyone”

“You are a strange man Mezie, the birth of a child is a merry thing no matter the difficulty in birthing the child”

Mezie snorted. Balanced his elbows on his knees and looked away. He had almost lost his mind when he was told she would die with the baby- his baby! A son! He had though. But when he walked into that hospital after that man left and set his eyes on the child…

“it would have been in vain” his sacrifice, giving his life for a mere girl?

“My friend, what problem heavies your heart?” ThankGod probed “They said you have refused to see the child and the mother, why?”

Mezie threw his head backward and laughed so hard until tears rolled down from his eyes “Ewo!” he shouted

“This is unlike you my friend, this is your Asa we are talking about, and a child you had sort for many years”

Mezie hissed “At the meeting of our kinsmen, Anekwe told me one day to keep quiet when men are talking until, I have a son who would keep my father’s linage alive” he regarded ThankGod “Imagine Anekwe! That drunk!” he shook his head “I have waited these months- endured so much, hoping that I would finally get a son like my mates. And she gave me a daughter? hasn’t she spite me enough?”

“Don’t say that my friend” ThankGod patted him on the shoulder “There is nothing wrong with a female child…”

“What will I do with a female child?” Mezie cut in “Can a female child mend this my roof when it starts leaking again, or can she till the ground? Or even help me out in my business?”

“You still have many chances to have a male child, you and your wife are not dying this night…she will get pregnant again and this time you will have a male child”

“You will not understand my friend” he swished his hand to shoo a fly off his face “I worry about my life; I think I am cursed…she brought that curse with her to my house”

“Mezie! Kpuchie onu gi! Close your mouth before another ear hears this…”

“I shouldn’t have married her”

Mezie is such a fool��

Mezie deserves every bad thing that will come his way later n

Thanks for the update dear

This Mezie is a bascard

I think the Deity was moved and touched by Morgan's selflessness that's why they decided not to take his life and Akwa Just feels indebted for her husband despite her feelings for morgan, and mezie is nothing but an idiot.

Vulcanheph:
I think the Deity was moved and touched by Morgan's selflessness that's why they decided not to take his life and Akwa Just feels indebted for her husband despite her feelings for morgan, and mezie is nothing but an idiot.

Not only is Mezie an idiot, he's a fool, animal and stupid man

why is this Mezie still alive?

Mezie is soooo entitled. He's definitely not worth the love of a chicken in my opinion

This Mezie or what's he called is mentally unstable. Very selfish man, what an ignorant fool he is. Thanks for the update ma'am

No it didn't. Thanks once again

Rosemary33:
thank you so much. And thanks for the observation on spellings

These works are first drafts, not edited and rewritten yet. However, I will be more careful with spellings, hope it didn't stopyour flow? I am so sorry for that

Yes u shouldn't have married her, badluck of a man... Thanks a lot op

I have been gone for only how many days and all these drama have happened
Aunty rose welldone