THE BROODER

35

THE BROODER

35.

***ASHLEY***

I heard the cries of a child and my mother instincts led me upstairs to a nursery. It's very beautiful and spacious.

I walked to the two cribs and I saw the crying baby...they were two babies. I can feel the connection so I picked the crying one and she's a beauty. she's on a pink dress and has pierced ears. She stops crying immediately I carried her. I can tell they're my twins but I needed to confirm..I checked for the mark and I see it!

Woman :"What are you doing here? " A female voice startled me.

Woman:"I am asking you, who are you?"

"I..."

Woman:"I'm calling security, security? Come here, there's a thief in the house, probably a kidnapper too" she reports to the panic button in the room.

She snatches my baby girl from me making her crying.

"Give her back please. She needs me. My baby wants me to hold her." I cry too. Astra wants me to hold her, I can feel that.

Woman:"You must be delusional. She only knows me, her nanny. Now get out of here this instant. I don't even know what's delaying the security"

She keeps my baby back to her crib while she's still crying. Her cries were so loud that my heart breaks each time. Her brother wakes up and joins in the crying. I rush to hold him but the nanny was so full of herself. She dragged me out of the room.

Voice:"Leave her, Maria."

Nanny:" but sir, she's an intruder. She came to kidnap the twins."

Richard:"She's their mother"

I saw the shock in her eyes as she sets me free. I run back to the room and I grabbed Astra first before I carried Aster, placing the both of them in my embrace. I cried with a joyful heart.

"My babies, my babies, my Stars"

They were both calm and quiet as I cried. I am happy to unite with my last children.

Richard:"Why are you guys here?" I guess those are the security.

Security:"we got a report that an intruder is here and we ran as fast as we could"

Richard:"It is a misunderstanding. You can return to your duty posts"

They leaves the room leaving only my baby daddy in the room. I don't see the nanny anywhere.

Richard:"I searched everywhere for you. I thought you ran off."

To where? How? With those large number of security all over the place?

"I'm sorry. I heard the cries..."

Richard:"No need for that. I know you are not sorry. You wanted to hold them and you got your wish. It is understandable. I actually want you here, to mother the children. You get to be in their lives. And listen, I am not gonna hold you captive. You can leave if you want. Anytime, anyday, I don't mind"

I don't feel like leaving.I know he won't let me leave with the kids.

"Thank you so much...for this. I want to be with my children. I want to raise them myself, be part of all their lives. I know you won't let me leave with them so I'll stay where they are. My life is only meaningful with my children."

Richard:"And remember, I'm not holding you captive here. You can go out, do whatever you want and come back when you want too. But I'd advise you stay put for now, like stay hidden from your captors. I don't want you captured again. I am still working on getting the organisation myself. I want to teach them a basic lesson and I promise to do that for you"

I feel at peace knowing he's going to be there for me and my children. I know he paid a fortune for my freedom and I will be forever grateful. I don't have it in me to run away either. I can't return home yet. Not without uniting with all my fourteen heavenly bodies.

AT A DISTANT HOSPITAL

voice:" Doctor, the intensive care unit (ICU) patient has been up since last night."

Doctor:"Good, have you contacted the young man that brought her here?"

Nurse:"yes I have."

###

Doctor:"What is your name?"

"Thintiwe, my... name is Thintiwe"

Doctor:"The cops were contacted over your situation and they're ready to ask some questions if you are ready to talk. Should I let them in? Do you feel comfortable enough to talk to them?"

"Y-ye-yes"

Doctor:"Good. I'll let them in. But I want you to know that if you feel uncomfortable you can always tell them so as to leave you be"

"Thank you doctor "

The doctor leaves the room after all medical customs. The two detective enters after a short while.

Detective Jackson:"Hello Thintiwe, how are you feeling today?"

"I'm alive "

Detective Jackson:"I am detective Jackson and my colleague is detective Ellie. We are from the Jo'burg station 2. Can you please tell us what happened to you? Like what led to you being left behind at a dumpsite. We want to help you get Justice."

Detective Ellie:"you're safe here Thintiwe. The cops are going to protect you and will help you get Justice for the unjustly act done to you, my dear"

"I was held captive for twenty years. I don't know the people that kidnapped me. One minute I was free and the next day, my freedom was restricted. I stayed in the baby making factory all these twenty years producing children upon children. Before I woke up here at the hospital, I had a tough labour and they chose to save the child and operated on me. The doctor is a quack. He's known for saving only the precious children and not the mothers. They had no regards for us. We're called brooders and we are not allowed to wear our kids. They take them from us immediately they're born. We're the illegal surrogate. We're forced to brood for reasons best known to our owners. I know Mr Savannah, he's the boss."