She was losing much blood already.
They took her to the hospital, the journey to the hospital was tedious- Jide's father had to strap her to his back cos she couldn't walk.
At the hospital, she was taken to the intensive care unit.
"Where's her husband?" the doctor asked the family.
"we don't know o! We just saw her this morning." Baba Jide explained.
"She've lost much blood...it's going to be hard for her..." the doctor shook his head.
"please doctor help her." Mama Jide pleaded.
"We'll try our best, just pray." the doctor assured, before proceeding to the room where Lara was.
.........
"Nurseeeee....Idon't have strength again oooo!" Lara screamed as she struggled.
"Please dearie....I understand, just a little push...please."the nurse attending to her soothed her.
Lara wished a million times Tony was with her, she craved so much for soothing words. Here she was, struggling to give birth.
"Yes...we're progressing, put in more effort...." the nurse urged her on.
"she's going to have twins..." the doctor whispered to the nurse.
Lara heard them
"Twins? Haaaaa! noooo! God won't be so wicked to me!" she screamed in terror.
"The baby's head is out." the nurse announced.
"Push harder!" the doctor ordered.
Successfully, she gave birth to twins, she soon forgot her pains.
The nurse gave her a baby wrapped in some clothes.
"Its a girl!" the nurse told her.
"the other one?" Lara asked.
"It was a boy." the nurse said sadly
"Was?" Lara queried.
"I'm sorry...he died few minutes after delivery..." the nurse explained
"Take heart." patted her back.
Lara smiled, she couldn't cry, why would she?
She hugged her baby.
"I'm happy to have just her." she whispered to the nurse.
"Your family are here to see you." the nurse told her.
"Family?" Lara looked confused.
Just then the door opened...
"Congratulations." they chorused
Lara smiled. Family? Yes they were her new family! They brought her to the hospital, they saved her life!
"Thank you sir, Madam."
"o ga oo! This baby big gan!" Jide's mother peeped at the baby.
"We didn't have enough time to introduce ourselves earlier." Jide's Father smiled.
"My name is Shina, this is my wife Ronke, and my son Jide." he said quitely.
"we're from this village, kokotoro" he explained.
"My name is Omolara Popoola," Lara began.
"I don't know where I am, but I used to stay in Lagos with my husband... Before...I was kidnapped" Lara explained in a tired voice.
"Kidnaped? Haaa! When? how?" Ronke shrilled.
"Its a long story..." Lara shook her head.
:::::::::***u**::::
Lara shut her eyes in pain, as her baby's mouth took hold of her nip-ple.
"Kpele." Ronke said gently.
Lara nodded, they were indeed a family. The family could be termed kindness itself. The food she ate, her baby's clothing had been free, she enjoyed her stay with them for the past two weeks.
"You don't want to name your daughter ehn? You're just calling her baby." Ronke complained.
"uhn" Lara grunted, as she rocked her baby.
"That's not how to do it." Ronke collected the child from her, and began rocking it till it burped.
"Baba Jide and I, had a discussion this morning..." Ronke shifted closer to Lara.
"We've decided to take you back to your family."
"I suppose, you still remember your address."
"Thank you, but I don't know my way out of here." Lara explained.
"Baba Jide's friend has a car, we'll take you when ever you are ready." Ronke said again.
"Thank you very much." Lara was elated. The thought of going back home was enticing.
"Thank you ma." she hugged Ronke.
She imagined what it would be like to be with Tony again.
Tony sat on a couch, his palms supporting his forehead. Things were difficult. His house was filled with police men, SSS and what have yoy, they were brought by Deji to search the house.
They still believed he had a hand in Lara's disappearance. Perhaps because of what he did to her in the past. He's full of regret.
Tears clouded his eyes as remembered Lara's word back then. She once told him 'the law of karma still reigns'.
That law was hunting him down.
Now she disappeared when he needed her most, when he loved her with all his heart, when he...
"hey! Mr Ritualist, come and open the door to your study!" Deji squealed at him.
He glared at her, and she returned the look. He bit his lower lip.
"Abi ko gbo ni? Didn't you hear what she said?" Funke hissed.
"Tony open the door for them." Ifiora said quitely. He was looking frail.
"Please don't tamper with my documents, they are vital." Tony told them as he opened the door.
"Vital ko, bournvita ni! You people should search every thing jare! Who knows maybe he has some document for her kidnap." Deji ordered the policemen.
"Well, we didn't see, and couldn't find anything suspicious." the policemen emerged.
"Tony, where did you keep Lara's remains?" Deji taunted him.
"We'll take you with us, till we're done with our investigations." one of the SSS's said.
"But officer..." Ifiora protested
"Shut up! Gbe enu re soun jare!" Funke screamed at him.
"please take this ritualist out of here jor! If possible arrest his parents too." Deji told the police men.
Tears streaked down Tony's cheeks, as they handcuffed his wrists. They were about to lead him out, when the door bell rang.
"I sorry oga! Oga make I come see something."Adamu- Tony's gateman walked in excitedly
"See what?" Deji eyed him in disdain.
"Hellooo..." Lara cooed as she walked in holding her baby. Jide and his parents followed her in.
Everybody gaped at her in utter shock, nobody could speak or move.
"Lara?" Tony's lips quivered.
"Lara, you!" Deji screamed in horror.
"Yes me!" Lara said handing over her baby to Amara who was weeping.
"What's going on here? Why's everywhere in a mess?" she looked around her.
"What's the meaning of that handcuff?" she asked again, gesturing towards Tony.
"I'm back home baby! Well and alive." she kissed him as she removed the hand cuff.
"ah mad! How comes!" Deji couldn't believe her eyes yet.
"Not how comes, but how it went." Lara turned to face her.
"Officer, you came to arrest my husband? No no! You are wrong. Let me tell you who my kidnapper is." Lara smiled at a police man.
Deji was already making her way towards the exit...
"Hold her!" Lara shouted, just as Deji opened the door.
Deji ran out of the room, with the police men following, they shot her leg.
"Haaaa! Don't kill me oo" Deji screamed as she held her wounded leg
"She was my kidnapper." Lara announced.
"Its not my fault o! I was paid o!" Deji kept screaming.
"Its funke o, its funke! Its your mother."
"My mother?" Lara's jaw dropped.
She looked around for her mother
"Mummy?"
Funke shivered, as everybody gaped at her.
"wonderful!" Ifiora exclaimed.
"Did you say wonderful? This is just unbelievable". A policeman said, as they shoved Funke and Deji into a van.
"Don't take my mother away." Lara protested.
"I'm sorry madam, your mother isn't above the law. See you in court." the police man told her, before they drove away.
"But she is my mother!" Lara screamed.
"she....she can't harm me!
Tony held her gently as she wept. His Lara was back, alive and well, with his child
He collected the baby from his mother, he hugged and kissed her.
"Thank you" he whispered to Lara
"Thank you for making Baby Ngozi a reality." he hugged her.
Lara wept as her mother was led into the dock, alongside Deji. Deji had to use crutches because of her leg. Lara looked around the court room, Tony was sitting beside her holding baby Ngozi, Tony's parents were present, her father's relatives-Baba Lagbaja and co were there for her. Even her rescuers, Shina and his wife Ronke were present.
"stop crying" Tony held her.
She pushed him away, he expected her to stop crying, when her mother was about to be prosecuted?
"COUURRT"
Everybody rose when the Judge walked in except Lara, she was too weak to stand.
The judge was a female, Lara watched with keen interest as she spoke. Her father had wanted her to become a lawyer, but there she was without even a secondary school certificate -courtesy of her mother.
She was deep in her thoughts when she heard the call to the first witness, she was to go and witness against her friend and mother, she felt reluctant. Tony nudged her.
She stood before the court, she told them her ordeal, carefully skipping every part that involved her mother.
Tony gave her an unsatisfied look as she sat down.
She looked away, what does he expect, she still loved her mum.
The next witness was called, Lara looked up sharply she heard a familiar voice.
"My name is Bayo Olayemi"
Bayo? Lara gasped. She hadn't seen nor heard from him ever since he raided her home.
"I was paid by Funke to rob OmoLara's home, and To Molest her." Bayo concluded.
"Next witness.."
Tony nudged Lara the fifteenth time, she glared at him.
"Look" he whispered.
She looked up
"Sophia!" she said in a fierce whisper.
Lara wept all through Sophia's statement, she hardly heard a word.
"Please listen," Tony told her when the Judge was to give the sentence.
Bayo was sentenced three years, for attempted rape and robbery.
Sophia twelve months, for arranging Lara's kidnap.
Deji was sentenced for life, with hard labour.
Funke too was sentenced life imprisonment with HARD labour.
"No no no!" Lara jumped up.
"My mother is innocent!" she wailed
Tony held unto her firmly.
"Leave me!" she pushed him away, rushing towards her mother.
"Don't take my mother away, she's innocent o!" she screamed as the police barred her way.
She passed out as her mother was led into the black maria.
::::::*****::::::
"Sorry sweerie" Tony wiped Lara's tears with a hankerchief.
He sat beside her on the bed.
"You have to stop crying, you should be happy now, all will be fine."
"It won't be fine!...life won't be the same again without my mother...she is all I have." she sobbed.
"Its alright" tony patted her.
"Remember, I'm here for you, our baby is here...my parents are here...we're gonna be one big family, " he said in a cool voice..
"Big happy family?" she searched his eyes.
" yea baby! A big happy family, with little or no enemies." Tony smiled at her.
"Sure!" Lara managed a smile as she hugged him.
He was right, she'll have a happy life after all, no more selfish mother, Sophia out of the way, Deji cleared; there's nothing more to fear.
Her FAITH in God made her dream a reality. She had faith that her husband would turn to good, that she would have a child despite his impotency, that she would not die when she was kidnapped.
She couldn't help but to thank God for his love, her faith in God turned her once meaningless life into a meaningful one.
God's love and grace was unquantifiable.
::::::*******::::::::
***THE END***
learn to have faith in God and God alone, in every moment of your life.
God is able.
Remain blessed.
