Sold (Christian Romance)

Chapter Twenty Four

After so many years in bondage, Sisi felt like her cage was finally being broken. She no longer feared Chief or what he was capable of doing. He had taken everything away from her, she had nothing left to lose. She stared into his eyes, anger filling her. Oh, she was angry. All those years wasted, all those children that died, her childhood stolen, her life deprived of joy, her peace snatched, her very sanity taken away. She had been deprived of so much, she had lost so much. She had lost the chance to go to college and be something, anything. She had lost the chance to meet a man she actually loved and get married. And, as if playing a twisted game on her, life had brought Remi her way in the midst of her chaos and had made her fall in love with a man she could never be with.

A tear ran down her cheek. She turned from Chief and went to sit beside Abigail on the floor. She was weak, too weak to continue, too weak to fight.

Aby reached out and gave her hand a firm squeeze.

“You are going to get through this. God has not left us alone” Aby whispered, her voice weak.

Sisi gave a weak smile. God. Here she sat with a dying woman who insisted on holding on to God in spite of all she had gone through in the hands of Chief. What gave Aby the confidence she had in a God who was absent in their suffering?

“Sisi” Aby managed. She grabbed her hand and looked her square in the face. “I want you to know that life is not free of troubles or sufferings, that is the world we live in. But God is the only light we have in our dark world. Problems, they can do two things; drive you away from God or drive you to him for comfort.” She placed her hand over her mouth and coughed; a long and agonizing sound escaping her lips. She pulled her hand away and Sisi could see blood particles on her palm.

Angry, Sisi turned to Chief.

“She needs a doctor. Let her go, Ade, you already have me.”

“You do not have my permission to call me anything but Chief. And no, I would rather she dies an agonizing death. She isn't leaving this room” He said firmly.

“Why are you so evil?!” She cried. She turned to Abigail. “I won't let you die, I promise”

Aby smiled, tears filling her eyes. “I'm so tired, Sisi. I need to go home. I just need you to promise me that you will fight this battle and you will win.”

Sisi cried. She was losing Abigail. Hadn't she lost so much already, hadn't God taken everything away from her already?!

“Aby, please” She whispered, her energy drained. “I don't know how to win, I'm so tired of fighting.”

“Fight with God” She said. Then, Her body relaxed and her eyes closed.

Sisi placed her hand over her chest as if to still the thundering of her heart. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't see and she couldn't think. She could not deal with Abigail's death; another death on her. It was all her fault. This woman had literally died because of her.

She took Aby's head and placed it on her laps. Leaning over, she wept. She held on to Aby, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and hugging her. This woman gave up her life for her. This woman, who wasn't even related to her was willing to risk everything for her sake. Sisi felt like a coward. She had let Aby die. It was all her fault.

“What is going on out there?” Chief sounded frightened. She ignored him, her own heart beat drowning out his voice. She closed her eyes and leaned her head on Aby's chest.

“Where are you?” She whispered. “Where are you in this darkness? Where are you in all of this pain? I'm so lost and confused and tired. I'm so tired. God, I'm tired”

She was tired. She couldn't go on anymore. She hated her life and wanted to be free of it. She turned around and saw Chief looking around frantically, his revolver dangling from his right hand.

Placing Aby's head slowly on the ground, she crawled with what was left of her energy, slowly and made her way to where Chief stood. He was distracted, yelling at a guard about something. She got to where he stood and reached for his gun. In split seconds, she had succeeded in taking it away from him. He turned around sharply but it was too late. She held the handle firmly and pointed it at him.

“Sisi!” He yelled. “Stop this madness!” He commanded, his right hand in front of him as if to act as a shield. The guard pointed a gun at her.

She shook her head. This madness ends today. She reached for the trigger.

“Fight with God” Aby's last words vibrated in her ears.

How was she going to fight with a God who wasn't on her side? She would deal with her problems herself, God had abandoned her years ago.

“Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our lord” She heard Remi's voice. He had read the Bible to her that night she laid beside him. He had said something about God's love.

A tear slipped down her cheek. Even if God existed and he was capable of loving, he had chosen everyone else to love besides her. He had abandoned her. He had given her over to a life of abuse.

Her hands shook. She was destined for this; to die alone and miserable.

“For God is with you, Sisi” No, God is not with her, God has never been with her. God despised her.

The gun fell from her hands and she crashed to the floor and wept. She heard a soft click but she didn't bother to look up. Something struck her chest. She placed her palm over her chest and felt something warm. She glanced down. Blood. She was bleeding, she was dying. Finally. She smiled