Sold (Christian Romance)

Chapter Eighteen

Compelled by the coolness of the weather that afternoon, they all sat outside in the garden. It was a weekend. The weather in Lagos was either extremely hot or the city would be flooded by rain. Getting a stable weather like today was unusual hence, Remi suggested they sit outside. Jesse didn't complain, she packed her toys and made her way outside with Sisi in tow. They all sat in the garden, Remi had his nose buried in the newspaper, Jesse was busy with her dolls and Sisi sat with nothing to do but think of Remi.

She tried not to watch him but she couldn't help herself. He hadn't said much to her since Mrs Joke killed Jummy and they argued about it. Remi was a strange man. Whenever they had an argument, he would back down, withdraw even, and she hated it. She hated thinking that he didn't love her anymore, that he would wake up one day and decide that he had had enough of her; just as her parents had done.

They had chosen her to give away. They had chosen her to stop loving. She thought of her little sister. She had been barely six when Sisi was given away. She wondered if her sister ever thought of her, if she even remembered her. She would be about twenty one years by now, it had been fifteen years already. She hadn't seen her sister since the day her parents gave her to Chief, the day he showed up in her house, the day her life ended.

No, don't think. She raised her gaze in an effort to redirect her thought. Remi was staring at her. She raised one brow in question and he smiled. Oh how she missed his smile. It seemed like ages since she saw him smile and if she was correct, she thought she caught a glimpse of his dimples. She gave a half smile. What was she doing loving a man as amazing as Remi, a man with a good heart, a forgiving heart? She didn't deserve him, why did he love her?

Her gaze moved to Jesse who sat on the grass with a red haired doll in her hands. She was in a heated monologue with her doll and seemed completely out of this world. Sisi smiled. Precious child. Jesse got the chance to grow up in a secure home with a good father. She had nothing to worry about and it afforded her the opportunity to just be a child. An opportunity Sisi never got.

"Jesse" Remi said, newspaper in hand.

"Hmm... " She answered, her gaze moving momentarily to him before going back to her doll.

"You were right Sweetheart" He said. Sisi was afraid to look at him so she focused her gaze on her toes.

"I was?" Jesse inquired.

Confused at that point, Sisi glanced up at him and caught his eyes. In them, she saw plain as day, his love for her and her heart skipped a beat. She held his gaze.

"You were." He said, not taking his eyes off of her for a second. "I love Sisi" He finished.

Her heart melted. She thought she was going to pass out in that moment. Oh thank God she was seated for her feet would definitely not have been able to support her weight any longer. She stared at him.

"Okay" Jesse smiled then turned to give her full attention to her doll. She gathered a hand full of roses and began sticking it in the doll's hair.

Sisi's hands trembled in her laps. What was wrong with Remi anyway; one minute he was so in love with her, the next, he was withdrawn.

She felt someone touch her face and glanced up. Remi.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" He held out his hand to her. She took it and he led her inside, through the back door. She sat on the kitchen stool. "Sisi" He sat beside her and held her hand. "I just admitted to my daughter how I feel about you. I think she took it well enough" He grinned. "I want to court you" He said, more seriously. "But there is so much in my way"

She nodded. He was referring to her cursed marriage to Chief. Why, why oh why was she doomed to suffer so much in life? She fought against tears.

"I need to know about your marriage to your husband. I heard what you said to Jummy, about being forced to get married at the age of ten"

Her eyes widened in horror. She had laid bare herself that day to Jummy and Remi had over heard? She was embarrassed.

"I'm sorry I listened" He touched her hand. "Sisi, did your husband ever take you to court to get married legally?" He asked.

She shook her head. Not that she could think of, no.

"I thought so too. No court in the country would wed a ten year old. I think one of the most important element, other than consent of both parties, is age. I doubt your husband had any" He touched her face, running his finger done her scar. "My love, I know this is hard for you but I need all the information I can get if you are ever to be free from that man."

A tear slipped down her cheek as she stared at him. Freedom from Chief was impossible and she owed Remi the truth.

"I can never be free from Chief" Her voice shook as she stared at him. "Sweetheart" She touched his lips and he kissed her palm. "Chief will never let me go and he is powerful enough to keep me. He will never divorce me. I don't know what I'll do without you or Jesse but I know, sooner or later, he'll come for me" Her voice broke. "It is for your own good that you stop loving me and get rid of every notion of setting me free from Chief"

"Did your parents conduct a marriage, a traditional marriage that is?" He asked.

"Not that I know of" Her parents had just handed her to Chief that night and she had lived with him ever since.

"Sisi..." He rose to his feet and pulled her up with him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and looked into her eyes. "My love" He leaned close. "I'm sorry to say this, but you were wrong" He gave her a light kiss. "My love for you is not a sin" He whispered against her lips and kissed her again. "You can be free from Chief" He kissed her once more then pulled away. He had a big smile on his face. He looked her in the eyes. "For you were never married in the first place." He took her in his arms and kissed her like she belonged to him.