Helen walked down the flight of stairs of the well built church, Levi approached her and handed a neatly folded piece of paper, at first, she did not seem willing accept it until he spoke up.
"Stephenie said I should pass it to you"
"Where did you meet her?" She queried.
"I met her this morning on my way to church" He replied.
"What was she doing?"
"Closing thee gate for her aunt, she was driving out in her car; I nearly could not recognise her".
"What do you mean?" Helen queried with a quizical look on her face and snatched the letter out of Levi's grip.
"She seemed like she had been in a prison or something". Levi replied
"How come? How's that possible?"
"I wish i knew"
"It's okay, can you wait and let me read the letter incase i need to drop a response?". Helen pleaded.
"Sure, but please be quick,I'ill be in the chapel waiting". He agreed.
"Thank you" Helen said gratefully as she walked away.
As she completed her journey down the stairs, she unfolded the paper and began to read to her self:
Dear Helen,
Sorry I couldn't make it to church this morning and had to write to communicate to you.
Life has taken a 180 degree turn for me. My nightmares has become part of my reality and my worst fears has materialized before my eyes. Not long after you left yesterday, Chika woke up and i had to carry him and sing one song after anotrher in order to appease his tears. Aunt Nkem came back not quite long after that and kept blarring her horns at the gate contrary to her previous acts of opening the gate herself. By the time i came outside the house while still carrying Chika, she had already come doen from her car and opened the gate. On coming inbto the house, she asked why i had not come to open the gate for her, all my effort to make her see these reasons where not fertile. She cursed me violently and she made a punch bag out of me.
As if this was not enough, she also beat me for eating lunch without prior permission; does this really make a reason for me to be treated like a punch bag? And by the way, was that not our usual Saturday lunch? Tell me Helen, are her reasons justified or justifiable?
To crown it all, she grounded me for a whole week, Helen, i simply won't take any baldsewrdash from her, you remember i told you i had a terruble feeling about this idea, my hunch has finally been proved right I would choose to be anywhere but eith Aunt Nkem, Helen help, my nifghtmare has began to haunt me in reality; pull me out I implore you."
LOVE
STEPH.
As Helen concluded the letter, she came to the realisatiuon that she had been crying. Gently, she wiped her tears and sat down on the stair case and pulled out a pocket jotter and a pen from her purse and began to write.
It did not take long before she finihed writing and wwent to the chapel hoping to meet Levi. As she turned the alley leading towatds the chapel, there was Levi walking towards her in gentle strides.
"Please pass this to Helen" She requested. Levi looked at her eyes crirically andf asked.
"It seems like you cried? Is anything qrong?"
"No, nothing is qwrong, hope you did not open the letter"
"OF course not, i know to respect people's privacy"> Levi responded in defence.
"Ok thanks, please deliver it to her, don't let her aunt see you".
"Yes ma'am." Levi responded with a salute and walked away.
As Levi waalked into the street that lead to Stephenie's house, he sighted aunt Nkem's car driving into the compound, she must have been coming from the church he thought to him self. he walked in increased strides and arrived in time to hand the letter to Stephenie.
I walked into the house behind aunty Nkem, and headed straight for my room, I sat on myt bed and opened the letter and bewghan to read:
Dear Steph.,
Words cannot express heart twitching grief and unassualted remorse, my guilt and saddness over your predicament is quiet immeasurable, from the depth of my heart, i render a thousand and one apology for your unfortunate experiences. I honestly find it difficult to believe this but wht am i to do? I shal;l take a blame for what happened, and regret supporting Uncle Joshua's opinion.
I shall seek for dolutions and try to find means to help you, and until then, please hang in there for mr,, i promise to findd help as soon as i can.
Yours only
Helen.
Just as i concluded the letter, i heard aunt Nkem yell my name from her room, the tone that accompanied it did not have any positive vibe with it, i walked to her room with tension risin g in my heart.
**********************************
On getting home that Sunday, Helen met her dad Seated in the couch in the living room reading the Sunday papers through his glasses. She greeted him religioiusly and walked into here room to make a change of clothes while trying to construct her sentences on how to present Stephenie's case to him.
"Dad, there is something i need to discuss with you" she stated while tryingt to grab his attention.
"What is it?" he queried with his deep voiuce echoing through the living room.
"i think Stephenie does not like staying with aunt Nkem andf besides she always beats here every now and then for flimsy reasons". I said
"What are you inbsinuating? She could be punishiung her as a disciplinary measure..'
"I get dad, but it's not that simple, and bbesides , you know Stephenie never wanted to live with her...
He interrupted her with a slight roar
"Let go of that topic and do not mention it to your mum,don't even ever bring it up ever again, do you understand?
Helen was shocked beyound measure, she had never seem her dad look so infurited. Before her very own eyes, the only possible hope for survival slipped through her fingers and broke to pieces.
"Wow mum, what later became of you? Did you later find help? Did you run away like in one of those movies?"Maria interrupted.
"If you shut up and quit interrupting, perhaps you will find out" robin tackled her.
"Hahaha, Let my story answer your question, Oh curious Maria". I replied as i took a final sip of whatr was left of my cola and continued...