TORTURE (A struggle Between Deities And Humans)

SECOND PAGE.

Grandma Sali, had been the only family kemi had after the death of her parents, her uncle "Onen," had refused to take responsibility for the child after the tragic lose of her parents.

"Grandma why are you making this look like I am wicked?, he asked the old woman when she had come to beg him to take custody of the child; eh Grandma I have three mouths to feed, "three." he gustered with his fingers :I can't add kemi to it I don't have enough resources to take care of that child, he added frowning.

"Besides who knows how much karma she carries she could be a witch for all I care, bringing her here might endanger my family" he added.

Grandma could not hold back the tears that threatened to fall "Onen omi' she called with a pet name in the native dialect ' Why have you chosen to be wicked, remember all kemi father did for you, how he stressed himself out to lend support to you and the three mouths you feed; and now that he is gone you have decided to neglect his only surviving child and add insult to the blood of your brother in the grave by calling his daughter a witch." grandma could not contain it eyes widened in shock and red from the tears.

" Mama it's not that deep, eh it's not that deep it hasn't even gotten to that extent, the unrepentant brother continued; I have not insulted my brothers blood nor have I spoken profanities either, mama I just can't carry another burden the load I have with me is heavy already"

he defended himself.

Grandma sighed and stood up shaking her head as tears rolled down her cheeks sighing she took her leave.

Since kemi had no other relative grandma decided to take care of her, the work was tedious but being a woman of steel grandma didn't let pain subdue her. She took on manual jobs, weeding people's farmland in order to get paid, she also had to work tirelessly on the pieces of land that kemi parents had left behind.

Most of the times she took kemi along since the was no money to send her to school, the little girl adapted to the life fate had thrown at her, before she turned ten she could weed and till ridges.

Grandma Sali was always there to cheer her on, most times they will competes on who finishes first, the prize was a big portion of roasted yam.

Grandma Sali will always best kemi though the young girl pushed in all her strength but she never stopped competing.

Luckily for her she won, seasons came and went and she grew into a beautiful girl her beauty was the envy of her peers natural as it should be.

With no education, she felt empty and desired to learn how to read but she had no one to teach her the only thing she knew how to do well was farmwork, she was sixteen (16), just started seeing her blood the changes around her body were confusing to her, she had left that morning to get water for cooking.

Grandma Sali was growing older each passing day and now moved about with a stick selling vegetables and goats.

Kemi had filled her earthen pot already and was about to lift it when she slipped and fell. The pot hit the hard ground and shattered, her face widen in shock as other teenagers laughed at her, she had always helped herself why must it be today she had broken grandma Sali last pot.

It was the only pot left since She had succeeded in breaking all of the others this one had really lasted and since there was not enough money to get another one she could do nothing than helplessly pick up the peices, her eyes warm with tears.

She was crying not because of the pot but because of the people around her that cared less but where laughing at her, she had never gotten a friend right from childhood they had All kept thier distances, whispers around said she killed her parents, many times she had ran home in tears to grandma Sali who always assured her that all will be well that they where just jealous people that will never be as strong and beautiful as her.

Many of the village girls envied her for her beauty, saying only a witch or a water child could be that beautiful so staying away from her was the only way they won't get possessed and grow as beautiful as her.

Still weeping her eyes out she felt a presence a looming shadow, she turned to see a boy standing close to her his outstretched hand offering her a new pot, her eyes widened in shock no one has ever offered her anything in her entire life and yet here he was giving her a pot she wanted to decline but he held her hand and handed the pot to her,"Use this to get water" he spoke and turned to leave "Wait" she finally found her voice 'what is your name?" she asked he smiled calmly "Emeka" he answered and left hurriedly.

Wondering if he won't get beaten If asked for the pot by his parents, she sighed lifted the water jar to her head and began the long trip back home.

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Grandma Sali noticed that the pot kemi had returned with was different from the one she left with, she had to ask the girl who gave her the new pot.

Unable to lie to her grandmother, she told her she only knew the boy to be emeka and nothing else, she carefully explained all what had taken place at the stream. Grandma noded with a smile and told her to thank the young soul if they ever crossed path.

Weeks later Kemi ran into Emeka again, being too shy she tried to cover her face, but still wished he could recognize her, To her utmost dismay the boy walked past her without saying a word.

She stopped dead in her tracks tracing him with her eyes as he walked away, she decided to follow him, from the path she had found him to the main road she kept following closely behind, if he made to turn or stopped abruptly she will hid behind trees barks and bush shrubs, twice she tumbled and fell and had to ask herself why she was following the young man but she kept following.

When she fell she thought she had been discovered but Emeka did not turn still surprised she tagged him to either be deaf, or cared less of his surrounding.

She saw him walk into a compound and followed only to come face to face with him, her instincts kicked in and she tried pretending doing a showoff to cover for her shame, she kept moving towards one of the houses pretending like she knew her way around and was just passing through the compound, on getting to the backyard the was a fence. Cold sweat broke from her forehead wishing the ground will swallow her she walked back to the compound shyly trying to exit "you could help me with the rake there!" emeka voice thundered he did not raise a brow instead he continued with the removal of cobwebs with his broom.

Kemi face turned blue knowing too well she had been discovered, so he knew all this while he just pretended to be deaf; she picked up the rake from the frontage of the first hut and handed it over to him.

He smiled at her before muttering a "thank you" she turned away from looking him in the eye, smiling shyly "so you knew you were being followed and pretended huh?" he shrugged yeah "I knew I was being followed, I also loved the fact you put in so much work and had to fall twice" he added jokingly and laughed, she deepen her frown "what if I wanted to kidnap you?" she added and listened to herself if she had sounded stupid; the boy laughed it off, "kidnap me?" he asked her again she tried to nod, he sighed " Aside from the fact that, I will overpower you in a fight you can't even carry me if I passed out so it a futile attempt."

He said it in such a way that kemi couldn't hold it in she burst into laughter, laughing alongside Emeka who found his joke amusing too.

Later that evening they discussed a lot about themselves, kemi found out they where not too different from each other, he was an orphan just like her he had no one to take care of him, no relative except for uncle Gbenga who travelled to the big city in search of ways to make wealth, no one had heard from him since then.

It was doubted upon that he was alive.

Kemi grew to cherish his friendship, life had brought them into adulthood at an early age and hanging out together was comforting.

Emeka who knew a little about reading started teaching kemi, he only dropped out when his parents died from the same ailments that killed kemi parents.

Not long the little girl could read, Grandma also noticed that she would sneak away at every given chance, she understood the girl was lonely and now that she had find a friend she only needed to be careful yes very, very careful.

++++++++±++++++++++±++++++++++++ When kemi got back from the farm it was late already, feeling very tired she had made food for grandma Sali and laid down on the mat to rest her head on the old woman's lap as was her routine right from childhood.

Emeka had offered to take her to see the chief cabinets members the next day, to know the way forward towards the newly discovered mineral resources, she had high hope in him, clearing her throat with a deep cough she spoke "Grandma I have something to tell you" it came as a whisper, the woman was renewing her braids, "speak am listening" grandma affirmed her ears keen to hear what troubled her grand daughter, her hand on Kemi hair renewing the last braid.

Thank you unique readers, hope you enjoy the next chapter, comments will really help me to do better.

t.b.c.