FOREVER MINE.

Chapter Twenty

The atmosphere inside the mansion crackled with an aura of tension and was as cold as if there was a vigil. Downstairs was so quiet that one would have heard a pin drop. There was sorrow on everyone's face as they sulked on their seats fretting over the circumstances.

"I hope they won't take it far. I am worried that something awful might emanate from such a minor spark."Said Mr Wabua briskly with a sickly gesture on his face.

"Um, my dear, I don't visualise a near end sight of this crisis."  Retorted his wife and sat Esther on a comfy chair near the kitchen foyer. Esther clenched her rosary that dangled from her neck and was in a state of dubiety. 

"I am to blame for everything!  I caused this. I pray that Auntie and Uncle don't fight." She thought and kept deflecting the criticisms towards Jina by blaming herself. 

Richard deliberately trotted towards Jina. She was still swelling with anger. 

"I hope she can forgive me. He wished but his hopes were dim. "How do I begin?" He muttered nervously and halted. Jina's steady gasps and silence enfeebled him and his feet shook beneath the ground.

 "You must do this, Richard, to redeem the situation." He told himself and with determination shuttled towards her. Her body was shaking with anger. Richard stood tremulously close behind her and hesitantly stretched his hand to tap on her shoulder.

She could distinctly feel him close as though she had anticipated it.

 "You dare not touch me, Rich or else…" she thought and made an eyesore face as anger simmered in her heart.

Thereupon her phone rang.

Richard sighed,  and retracted. This was a great opportunity to make Jina talk to him. "She must pick the call." He supposed, stooped to reach for the phone and then flicked a finger on it. It was Immy; her sister, Esther's mum. As soon as he saw the caller, fear seized him.

"What if Esther tells her mother about Jina's behaviour? She won't hesitate to take her right away. No, I won't allow that." He thought and placed back the phone. It wouldn't stop ringing and the owner seemed the least interested in looking at it.

Richard musters confidence and speaks to Jina,

 "Don't you want to talk to Immy?" He speaks in a neutral tone of voice after flicking a nervous glance at her.

Jina immediately turns and scowls at him and then twists her face away in disgust.

"I will give the phone to Esther. Hearing her mother's voice might pacify her." He thought and went downstairs. He was welcomed with gaunt faces. 

Richard advances in an appealing gesture and walks straight to Esther. She looked at him with startled eyes and slouched.  

"Um here," he hesitated looking at her fondly and pursuing, "your mother wants to talk to you."

Esther's face brightened as she stretched up. This is what she yearned for; to listen to her mom's voice. She blushed the tears that lingered in her eyes and wandered her eyes from face to face and then Mrs Wabua Implored her, "go on dear, talk to your mom." Esther hesitantly stretches her hand and gets hold of the phone. Her hand visibly trembled. She didn't suss that she had placed it wrongly on her ear until Richard interrupted her

"Wait," he said, putting it rightly," You can go on now. Take all the time you want." He said and moved further to the rear end. Though he had brought the phone unasked, he had an instinct that it was the right thing to do.  But he could hardly predict the outcome of his action. 

As such, the poor girl might speak out on her current situation. Who else would be able to understand her but her mom? Thinking about it gave him some discomfort and he decided to lean against the wall and keep his fingers crossed.

"Mom!" Esther started as her voice shook.

"Yes dear, how are you?" Esther smiled. She was thrilled. She could tell that her mother was too.

"I am fine, mom." She said and fleeted a glance at Mrs Wabua who kept stroking her hair fondly as she implored her with her eyes.

"Are sure you are alright, child because you... you don't sound Ok. Is everything alright?" Asked Immy sounding worried. Esther hesitated and two drops of tears stole from her eyes.  Richard peeked at her and stared in space in thought. He looked furtive as if he was the cause of Esther's suffering.

Mrs Wabua, seeing that her nearness might limit the girl's freedom, decided to shift position and went and sat beside his husband and leaned against his shoulder. The latter glimpsed at her and smiled and naturally passed his arm along her shoulders and was in contemplation. Esther was reluctant to speak and then, after thoughtful thinking,  gulped the saliva down her throat, crinkled up a smile and pursued, 

"Yes mom, everything is perfectly fine. Aunt Jina and uncle Richard treat me with kindness. They are good people mom, everyone treats me well. I am happy." She said and clamped her trembling lips tightly together to force the tears back to their source.

She had just laid a lie but knew the right answer. It was obvious she didn't wish to disclose anything to her, not because she feared the people around but because she felt it was the wisest thing to do. As such, she didn't want to create a rift between her mother and Jina. 

Mrs Wabua was shocked just like everyone else. They all looked at one another baffled.

"What a child!" Mr Wabua exclaimed, breaking the silence. Esther had challenged everyone with her utterances trying to cover up her aunt's guilt. Mrs Wabua stared at her in admiration. 

"I wish she was our daughter."

"You can say that again, honey." He said and turned and kissed her pale cheek and then resumed shifting his gaze to Esther. 

"Who wouldn't wish to have a daughter like her? She's a jewel that needs to be handled with much care. She is an angel."

"Hmm!"

  Richard stood tongue-tied, filled with guilt. He loathed thinking that Esther lied for Jina's sake but the latter wasn't there to see the kind of girl she treated like trash. 

On the contrary, Jina had been hiding close to the staircase and as soon as Esther finished speaking the latter stealth headed back her thoughts concealed in her cluttered heart.

Esther sprang up and strode to Richard. She curtsied and proffered him the phone. He instead of lunging for the phone drew her closer and embraced her. 

"Sorry, my child. I promise you nothing of the sort will happen again." He thought and his eyes were misty. Esther felt thrilled. She always felt strange every time he embraced her; as if the two had a strong attachment that couldn't easily be crushed by any force. It was something she couldn't fathom.

" I love you so much uncle just as I would, my pa." She thought and her heart warmed with delight and her face brightened.

 He strenuously held back the tears and then released his grip.

"I will do anything to fight for you my dear, anything!" He muttered and sat down making her sit on his lap. He knew it would be a big ask to be able to fulfil his wish but the inclination was too solid in his heart.