Hadassah fought with the guards relentlessly as they forcefully brought her to master Ebenezer
"Stop! Let her be!" master Ebenezer commanded.
"Young girl, who are you?". He asked,
Seeming to be amazed at such strength she possessed.
"My name is Hadassah".
She gazed at him. She could tell that this was the great warrior she has always heard about but has never been this close to before.
"I've come to challenge you, the greatest warrior, master Ebenezer to a fight!".
Hadassah is the daughter of Carlos the hunter and Maria the fish seller. She grew up having so much strength and her parents wondered where it came from.
Her father didn't like her, he calls her a cursed child cos she was born the day her both grandparents (maternal) died.
One day, she decided to confront her mother about who killed them both at the same time and why.
"Mummy I want to know who killed them". she cried out.
"Hadassah my darling, sit down, I'll tell you." Maria said, trying to calm her down. "Tell me now!" She demanded.
Just then, Carlos came out
"I'll tell u myself since she doesn't want to speak.
He is master Ebenezer, he's known to be the strongest warrior in Garza land. He killed them in cold blood! He's wicked!" Carlos said.
"That's enough. Why did you have to tell her" Maria groaned in tears.
"Let me talk Maria. Don't interrupt me again. That evil man molested your mother and left her to die, if not for me she wouldn't be alive to this day..." he said
Hadassah raged in anger.
She ran out of the house.
"Garza isn't so far from my town but my parents always discouraged me from going there. But now I know why". She thought to herself.
She didn't stop running, until she approached Garza..
***PRESENT**
Thomas, the kings advisor laughed
"The little girl wants to fight the Almighty master Ebenezer... The strongest... How impossible!" he said.
"I can't fight a child, take her out of here". master Ebenezer ordered and turned back into his chamber.
"No!!!!" Hadassah screamed and struggled with the guards and freed herself.
She rushed towards master Ebenezer and grabbed is robe tightly.
She was like a tigress, ready to devour her prey. Ebenezer felt her strength as that of 5 men, although he was stronger. He could see pain and hatred in her eyes as he managed to grab her both hands. She tore his robe fast enough before the guards came to stop her.
"Abomination! This has never happened before. "Who dares to tear the robe of the master? She must be put to death!" Thomas shouted.
Hadassah was panting heavily.
Master Ebenezer brought a new robe immediately.
"Seize her!! and lock her up" he ordered....
Maria was troubled.
"Why will you tell her such kind of thing? She's still a child". She raged at Carlos
"A 14 years old you call a child?? she's not a child anymore. She deserves to know." he replied.
"Not like this! Not like this!" she said.
"Calm down my love, calm down, I'll think of something okay?" he said, and kept her calm for 12hours.
Maria tried to settle down but her mind was not in one pace.
"I'm going to look for my child" She said as she stepped out.
Carlos stopped her.
"You do not have the energy as she does, you might get hurt. My love stop this madness pls. I don't want to lose you " he said as he held her.
"Leave my way, she's our daughter, my daughter! and I don't want to lose her as much as you don't want to lose me."
Master Ebenezer was seated restless, while Thomas observed him for sometime
"master, you seemed troubled, after what happened today. Is everything alright?" he asked.
"Thomas there's something strange about that girl. Did you not see it? I just can't tell what it is but..."
he was interrupted by one of his guard.
Master, the little girl is running out of breathe, I think she is asthmatic.
She was shouting and laying curses on you and it struck her" he said.
"Hmmm... Take me to her immediately.." he said
Master Ebenezer ordered them to release her and called for the herbalist.
Hadassah woke up and saw herself laying on a furnished bed with white bedsheets.
"You are awake?" he asked.
She tried to attack him and he grabbed her both hands firmly, forcing her to stay calm."
"Get your hands off me" she said as she calmed down a bit.
"I want to know why u are here and what exactly u want" he asked.
"I'm here for your head. I want your head off". She yelled.
"I've never seen such courage before, i like that though. So you want my head off? That's to say you want me to die. Wow! That's a mission impossible." he chuckled.
"But why would you want my head off?" he asked.
"Because you are evil! Release me now! I want to go home" she replied.
"Hahaha... You just told me that you wanted my head and you expect me to let you walk out of here just like that? No, you have to tell me why you want my head off or better still, cut my head off" he said. shrugging his shoulders.
"Go to hell!" she replied.
"You're such a disrespectful little girl". he said
"I'm not a little girl, my name is Hadassah" she retorted.
"Okay Hadassah, whatever you're called, you're lucky... very lucky.. No one comes thifar with me and goes free." he said "Lucky my foot! Why am I here? Instead of a prison!? Why did u bring me here?" she asked.
"When I was a child, i suffered from asthma. I saved you and I brought you here where you could feel better. You should be thankful" he said.
"Why did you save me?" Hadassah asked...
Master Ebenezer paused for some seconds.
"Why i saved you?" he rephrased her question
"I mean why haven't you killed me yet?" She asked
"I should be asking you that question, why haven't you taken my head off already?" he replied
"I thought you are a killer?" she asked.
"I'm a warrior. I'm not a killer. I don't kill people, I save people. I only kill people who do evil" he replied.
"You killed my grandparents!" she said.
"What!? What are you talking about?". he asked.
They were interrupted by the knock on the door. It was Thomas. He came in and called master Ebenezer aside.
"master you brought her into your abode? For goodness sake, she might be a spy, she's dangerous!..." Thomas said.
"She could be dangerous, but I'm going to find out how much of a danger she is." Ebenezer replied.
"But I'm worried about you..." he replied.
"Worry less about me, her omen isn't as bad as it seems. I think you talk too much Thomas.." he said.
He left Thomas and went back to Hadassah "Well I want to have lunch, so I'm inviting you to come dine with me" he said finally. "I'm not hungry and I'm not coming with you" she retorted.
"Okay then, suit yourself." he said and walked away.
Thomas whispered to her
"You do not know what honor it is for one to dine with the great master Ebenezer.
I don't know why he gives you such privilege" he whispered to her
She hurriedly ran after him.
Master Ebenezer was already seated at the large dining table.
Hadassah was astonished at the varieties of food, fruits and veggies on the table with her mouth wide open. "Wow! All this for just one man?" she asked, staring at all the things on the table.
"Now for two. Sit" he gestured her a seat while eating and she sat down.
The man in front of her didn't seem to be a devil as she was told.
"He looks like someone in his late 30s or early 40s, but still looks handsome... He's kind and nice too." she thought to herself.
She had never felt such relaxation and comfort.
"Hadassah! Hadassah! where's your mind?" he asked.
"I'm right here.. I'm here. where do I start from? can I have these bananas? oh, and these apples? and that one... I've always wanted to taste some of this" she asked pointing at the huge piece of meat in the bowl.
"You can have everything," he laughed a bit.
Master Ebenezer watched as Hadassah consumed a lot on the table....
"Your dreadlocks..." he said and she cut him.
"Yes, I was born with them.
Some people say it's the source of my strength, but I think it's a gift" she said.
Master Ebenezer was listening keenly.
"Hmmmm... beautiful dreadlocks... just like mine...."
Hadassah looked round and asked.
"Why did you choose to leave this life alone? No wife, no children. Is it satisfying?" she asked.
"You won't understand." he chuckled..
"Hadassah, you have great skills, talents and potentials" he said.
"I do??" she asked. "Of course yes. You are the most adorable creature I've ever met..." He said, and she frowned.
"Why are you like that?" he asked.
"No one has ever told me such encouraging words before, except my mother.
My father never showed me love. It's like he hates me, although my mom always say the opposite.
He always talks me down, he calls me a cursed child." she said.
"Hmmm.. Why will a father say such to his own daughter..? You are beautiful, courageous, and strong, never let anyone make you feel less of yourself." he said
"My mom loves me. You said u kill the bad ones but u killed her parents, my grandparents! Were they bad too?" she asked.
"You keep saying this! I don't know what you are talking about? Who are your grandparents? Who told you all this?" he asked.
"Stop pretending! My father told me! He said you are a monster! wicked and heartless." she said.
"Who is your father? Where are you from?" he asked.
"I'm from Wamba" She said
"Wamba... Wamba... Okay" He replied
"My father's name is Carlos, he has been hunting all his life" she said.
"Carlos the hunter???" he asked.
"Yes, how do you know?" she asked.
"Could it be the Carlos I know?" He thought to himself
"Carlos is Maria's best friend, I haven't heard from him for over 13years. He should know what happened to Maria." he stood up in surprise, now talking to himself.
"What are you saying? That's my mother's name." Hadassah said.
"I haven't mentioned her to you yet" She added
"Maria is alive???" he muttered
A guard walked in just immediately
"master, there's a woman at the gate. She says she seeks her daughter Hadassah..." he said..
"That's my mother..." Hadassah shouted and ran out to meet her.
Master Ebenezer froze for a while...
"Maria!" I exclaimed
Hadassah embraced her mother, while Master Ebenezer still stood in surprise and called her name, "Maria"?.
"Don't Maria me" She said "Maria I thought you were dead?." he said.
"Dead?? You thought I would die? Oh well I'm not..." she replied.
"Maria, I don't know what happened. I could remember that there was a coax that day, I was in the battle field, I didn't know what happened..." he said and she cut him.
"Of cos you do. I hate you! You killed my parents, for your own selfish interest..." she said, weeping
"What are you talking about? I did not kill your parents!" he replied.
"Yes you did! If you didn't how come your white dagger was found pierced in my father's stomach... I saw it. I saw my parents dead in front of me. You never cared to look for me, I suffered!
You sent messages threatening my life and that of my unborn child." she said.
"My white dagger??? What! How?
On that same day, Carlos pleaded with me to have it, and I gave it to him. I searched for you everywhere, but I couldn't find you.
Carlos brought me a message you wrote with blood stains all over it. He told me you were dead." he said.
"What!! Carlos?? He convinced me to ran for my life..." she replied.
"Something is not right here master" Thomas whispered to him"
"This is making a whole lot of sense now.. So Carlos is behind this!" he said.
****
Carlos was Maria's best friend. They both lived in Garza land.
After hunting, he joins her to sell fish, just to keep her company.
One fateful day, master Ebenezer passed by to buy fish and was captivated by Maria's beauty.
He professed love to her and she accepted.
They both fell in love deeply, and soon enough Maria took in.
Master Ebenezer was over joyed. He went to see her parents and they joyfully accepted him.
On the day he went to legally take her home as his wife, a fight broke out. It started very minor but soon became serious.
Men where coming out from hiding places to attack master Ebenezer, he was distracted, fighting them.
Some houses were set ablaze, Smoke covered everywhere..
Maria was confused, she was scared, she saw blood from every angle
As she was looking left and right, a man came to attack her and there was Carlos fast enough to defend her by hitting the man with his gun.
He took her hands and showed her the dead bodies of her parents.
"He killed them! Master Ebenezer is and alwayswill be the hero. He does whatever pleases him" Carlos said.
"Let's run before he comes for us" he advised Maria.
It was hard to believe that her loving Ebenezer would turn a monster all of a sudden. She doubted at first but later believed Carlos, cause she knew him better than she knew master Ebenezer.
He was her best friend right from when they were teenagers, he has always been her supporter.
So they ran to Carlos mother's village, Wamba, and settled down there.
After a long time of tears, and pain, Maria moved on, and he married her and hoped for his own children through her.
But Hadassah was the first and last up till now.
****
Master Ebenezer was heartbroken. He called one of his guards
"Get some men, go to Wamba, search everywhere, and bring me Carlos the hunter!..."
The guards went in search of Carlos and soon found him and brought him to master Ebenezer.
"master, he tried to run, but we caught him" one of the guards said.
Carlos stood in front of master Ebenezer and Maria, with his head faced to the ground.
"Carlos, look at me, I trusted you but you betrayed me. Maria trusted you, but you betrayed her. For 13 years, you deprived me of having access to the only thing that I longed wished for.
Now I have just one question for you. Why did you do all of this?" master Ebenezer asked?
"I was angry and jealous. I loved Maria for a very long time even before you met her, I was intending to tell her how I felt not until you came into the picture and stole her from me.
Of cos you are the warrior, strong and powerful, while I was weak, and powerless.
I made a mistake, I should have told her my feelings but I delayed, so I wanted to correct my mistakes.
I tried to talk her out from being with you, and I told her how I felt for her, but she opened up to me that she was already pregnant for your child and you were ready to marry her.
That day I wept so hard, and vowed to make her mine by all costs.
I went to speak with her parents, I tried to let them understand that I've been Maria's friend for a long time, and that they could trust me better than you, the outsider.
But they refused to listen to me. They said their daughter has made her choice and nothing can change it, not even me.
They called me a common hunter. So I made up my my mind to show them what a common hunter can do.
Yes! I killed Maria's parents, cause they were on my way to victory.
I caused the coax that happened that day. I paid men handsomely to scatter the ceremony. My target was you Ebenezer! I wanted to make sure they kill you.
But you were indeed stronger, and could not be killed easily
I knew Maria would believe me.
I also knew that I have your trust because of Maria. So I lied to you both.
You trusted me because I was Maria's best friend, I knew that was why you gave me your dagger
I wanted to have my own children with Maria, but it never happened.
I kept Hadassah because of the love I had for Maria.
I watched her grow knowing that she wasn't my blood.
She grew in strength just like you, her father. I thought of killing her, but I didn't.
So I grew hatred for her." he explained.
After all those words Maria screamed bitterly.
Hadassah wanted to hit him but master Ebenezer stopped her.
"It's madness beating a dead dog" He said
"All along you hated me for nothing!" He lamented
"I thank the gods for the gift of Hadassah, no wonder I felt different when you came.
As for you Carlos, you stole from me, but I'll claim it back. I am going to take my daughter and marry Maria again, an