The truth that has been hidden from Reuben has come to light. Brianna left for school this morning,so did Daniel and Vanessa, while Grace left to her business routine. Reuben, trying to find a nail cutter in their bedroom drawer when he came across a folded white paper. He knew for sure it belonged not to him, definitely it belonged to Grace his wife. Though not comfortable to read it content, curiousity took the best of him until he went back to check what was on it.
Panic and fear overwhelmed him after seeing reading it. He begin struggling to get out from the chair, to his feet, but couldn't keep balance. His heart could not take the pressure then he fell to the ground, battling for oxgen until finally lost conscious, in the room he was alone.
Lucky enough, a work mate came to check on him, he was out of town when his accident happen, as Soon has he heard the news, he rushed to his house to check up on him, only to find Reuben lying cold on the ground. After feeling his pause, he discovered that the Man was still alive, so he rushed him to the hospital where he was taken to ICU and the oxygen was plugged on him immediately.
Grace on the other hand cut her finger while trying to cut tomato, she rushed and deep it in water, take a clothe and tie her bleeding finger. She realized that a pot of vegetable she left on the cooker is burning up, she hurried to get it down but everything drop out from the pot. Now she's afraid of what was happening. Her heart beat change the way of beating to faster rate, at that moment, her phone ring, unknown caller. With trembling fingers, she picked the call and a make voice speaks in a panic tone.
After hearing the news of her husband's attack, she didn't think about closing the shop, than she run into a taxi without money and ordered the driver to take her to Mulobezi teaching Hospital. in no time, Grace was at the ICU where she met Mr Mutale.
"I found him lying on the ground with this paper in his hand." Hand it over to her.
She grab it from him, immediately. At a sight of it, she knew that he has known the truth about Brianna's school and a reason behind her engagement to Manoah. She lost strength and almost falling, But he got hold of her, "Madam, calm down. Nurse help us." Nurses came running for help, but she gathered her strength once again.
"Here, please call my daughter, Brianna." Pass over the phone, behaving very confused.
Mr Mutale only opened the phone book when Brianna shows up, looking all worn out from tears. She arrived home from school and told about this news by the neighbors who saw him being taken to the hospital. Upon reaching her mother, she handed over a paper to her in tears. "He knows the truth." sobbed.
Brianna felt at fault, hopelessly, dragging her self towards the ICU, watching him at a distance. Tears kept falling down in silent.
"Come in, he needs you all." Said doctor Marcos.
Walking towards him, Brianna lost balance and almost falling, luckily Marcos was close to hold her up, giving her balance until she was there. Mr Mutale doing the same with her mother.
Reuben has now gained conscious after seeing his beloved daughter and wife. He extend his hand, over e her cheek, feeling it gently as tears rolling down. "Forgive me my child. I have failed you as a father." Stuttered.
"No papa, you have never failed." Tearfully spoke.
"Please keep away from him, he is only using you, taking advantage of your situation. please."
"I'm so sorry, I pushed her." Confessed Grace.
Manoah over head Reuben's request of her daughter and he is provoked. Very angry, he dialed his nurse's number and gave orders to finish him off. "I want that man dead. He is playing in my way."
"But that is a huge step to take." A female's voice is speaks.
"Do as I said, I don't care how you will do it, stop acting as though you haven't done this severally. Do it an do a clean job." He hung up on her. Walk away.
"I'm sorry, you have to leave now. He needs to rest, come on Brianna, let father rest, Ma'am." He get hold of Brianna as he helped her out. Again Mr Mutale helping Mrs Kumwenda. Outside the ward, Brianna needed a shoulder to cry on, without shame, she fell on the doctor's arms and wept as much as she could. Manoah's watch men already captured the scene and sent the picture to their boss.
"Come with me, he took them to his office, just to help them calm down. As soon as they moved away, the female doctor enters the room with a covered face, making sure no one was watching, from there he disconnected every tube that was taking oxgen to him and he breathed his last, as she was watching him. She made sure to connect him back after he was dead. Horizontal lins displayed on the Electro Cardial Gram, with a noise sound coming from it, indicating that there was no life left in him. She hurried out thinking no one saw her, but one nurse saw her coming out, though not by face to be recognized. She run to check on the patient as soon as she her leaving, only to find him dead. Very surprised, she run to call the doctor who came running with Brianna and her mum, Mr Mutale run after him to Check on what she just said.
The proof from the ECG told him that he was dead, but just to be certain, he examine him once more and he it was confirmed that he died 20 minutes ago. With no better explanation to his lovely daughter and wife, the doctor only begin to fold the sethoscope, with a sigh of disappointment.
"What happened doctor? What is wrong with my Dad?" Shooking him.
"Doctor, will you say something, please!" asked Mrs Kumwenda.
"He is gone." Sadly spoke.
As soon as Mrs Kumwenda past out, Brianna begin to laugh uncontrollably. The nurses rushed Mrs Kumwenda to a ward. Doctor Marcos helping Brianna out as the nurse covers his corpse. All the way she laughed on top of her voice, "He said he is dead. He is dead." spoke to herself like someone who has lost sanity. By the door, they meet Doctor Christine who helped taking her to Marcos' office. She pushed doctor Christine away suddenly with force, "Stop touching me, didn't you heard him? He is dead, dead,dead!!" She burst into laughing.
Doctor Christine hit her arm against the wall, "ouch."
"Sorry, my dear. He apologized.
"Doc, she needs to be given a sedactive injection to help her, after which she will get out of shock. Let's take her to the ward."
With the help from nurses, they took her to a ward and an injection was administered to her. Daniel and Vanessa reached the restaurant a long time ago, but didn't find their mother, they asked neighbours who narrated how sudden she left, leaving the shop open. Daniel is now worried of what might happen to her. At last she closed the shop to go and check her home, maybe his father isn't well, "Come on Vanny, let's go home, mum is there.
At the hospital, Grace wake up in pain she continued weeping. Like a good and responsible boyfriend and a future son in-law, Manoah came rushing, asking about what happened. The truth that he already know is told to him. With a fake sympathizing look on his face he took helped Mrs Kumwenda to get into his car after checking on Brianna who was lying unconscious and drive them home.
A minute after Dan reached the house, her sorrowful mother also is brought home, grieving terribly. Some neighbouring women took over from Mr Mutale, helping getting her in the house. Daniel stood back wondering what is going on. He denied putting an idea in his head that it is his father whom the mother was weeping for. His fingers begin shaking when Manoah approached him and told him this, "he is dead." Taping on his shoulder, comforting him.
Without saying a word, he run into the house, straight to his room like a mad person. Stopping by the entrance to the room, he saw his wheelchair lying on the floor empty, he slowly fell on his knees and groan. Mr Mutale came running to him and so did Manoah. Daniel clinging to his chair and weep deeply. Mr Mutale squat with him, his hand around him, he as well wip tears from his eyes, crying in silent. "Come, son, put yourself together. You need to be strong for your mother and sisters." Comforting him.
"Why my father, uncle, what him?" He sobbed leaning in his arms.
"It's ok, everything will be fine. God knows why he took him." Hold him tight.
Little Vanessa, she is free and unaware of all these tears, playing Innocent in a neighbour's house where she was taken. Though she knew not much about what was happening, she noticed that everyone was crying and had questions about it. "Why is everyone crying in my house, aunty?" Put down a doll she was playing with. Mrs nkweto didn't know what to answer, so she stayed quiet, but when she looked away, tears rolled down her cheeks sadly. Reuben was a hero for everyone. His presence made everyone feel arrive. He was so one of the kind men, jovial and with a helping hand.
"Nothing my princess, come on, let me feed you, I'm sure you are hungry. You just come from school." Put the bowl of rice down on the table and draw her close to put a spoon in her mouth. She pushed a spoon away looking very sad, "I wanna go home." Breath out deeply, "I want Brianna. Please take me to her, I need her." A tear drop out as she speak in a tearful tone.
Mrs Nkweto didn't know what to do anymore. "Vanny, my princess, look at Caren, she's eating. Eat as well then I'll take you both, right Caren?"
Caren is her daughter, same age as Vanessa.
"Eat, Vanny, mum will take us."
After that, she sit on Madam Nkweto's laps and she was fed.
News about Reuben Kumwenda's death I'd no longer a secret, every Mulobezi community member is grieving. The news also reached the king's ear who passed his condolences to the deceased family by words and also send his men with donations of food staffs and money to helped out with the funeral process, though he didn't go there due to the king's conference he is attending. Kings from all over kingdoms are gathered in his Castle for a week conference and he can not just leave them alone to attend the funeral.
Prince Lawrence and prince Gabriel also left the kingdom to Prince's conferences. No one bothered Lawrence with this funeral message as the king instructed.
The body has been taken back to Mukango kingdom, which is his mother land, where all his ancestors where buried. On a family land, where they buried his father and grandparents, he will be buried.
It is a sorrowful moment for everyone to pay their last respect to the man they called a friend, the hero of Mulobezi town a husband and a father. His old mother could not believe, she is burying the only son today. She sits helplessly on the floor at the front of the church, next to her daughter in law, her two grandchildren and her daughter's mother, Mrs Sosala. She lost her voice in crying and was only staring now, while shedding tears. The Same is happening to Grace. A husband she loved, who took the responsibility of her illegitimate child and gave her his surname.
The preacher did the preaching, body viewing is done while a sorrowful violin was playing from the back ground. Now it is time to close the coffin and head to the cemetery, when Brianna Showed up accompanied by doctor Marcos and she shout, "Hold on, please!" tearfully spoke. In a hospital gown, she walk the aisle in an controllable tears and when she saw his portrait, right by his white coffin, she is overwhelmed by sorrow and suddenly courage of grieve took over. She walked to the preacher and took a mic as everyone watched, she closed her eyes that constantly producing tears and begin a farewell song for him: "YOU RAISE ME UP" by Josh Groban. From the grieving spirit, she sung the first stanza and the chorus so passionate, including all her sad emotions, penetrating in to the mourners deeper souls and they all begin to weep. As the violin plays, she turned to look at his wonderful face, that lie so innocent in the casket, a tear dropped from her eyes on to the top of his nose after which she turned to the church and continued the chorus, louder, but sweetly and modified.
Daniel couldn't hold back anymore than he joins her in singing and the two sung in such coordination like they never done before. Afterwards, they fell on their knees, embracing each other and continued weeping. Their mother couldn't sit back, she crewl and reached out to them l, so did their grandmothers. The whole church including the pastor, weep and weep until after a while, the coffin was closed and they headed to the burial site where they buried him next to his father who died many years go.
Mulobezi citizens went back to their respective homes, some stayed back days to be with the Kumwenda's during this sad times and then left later with Grace with her children, leaving the grannies behind in their house. Mrs Kumwenda senior didn't want to leave his family behind by moving in with her daughter in-law with her grandchildren. To keep her company, Mrs Sosala, also decide to stay back with her as a company letting her daughter and grandchildren go by themselves and start a new life with the help of neighbours.
They bid them a farewell and left. The house seemed do empty without him. For a month they mourned him especially Brianna. Her school friends could come time after time to check up on her, but every time they find her in unstable state.