(1) Book1:born with a gift

WARNING: THE STORY YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ HAS SOME DISTURBING SCENES THAT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR SOME READERS. ALSO PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS IN THIS STORY ARE ALL FICTIONAL.

It's a stormy night, the rain falls heavily, the strong wind blew around destroying everything that came in its path, it's almost impossible for anyone to be outside by this time, No one has ever seen a storm like this, it was different, ice fell from the sky, but yet there wasn't a single cold, the weather was pretty warm, strange right?

In an old-story building, there's screaming, they're people going up and down each holding bowls and towels. in a room with a cracked door, there's a woman in labor, the more she screamed the more the lightning struck, the poor dark-skinned woman is in serious pain, A middle-aged man wearing glasses stood beside her, in his worn-out suit his dark skin more of brown, his hands on top of his head and sweat dripping all over his body.

An old woman with rich grey hair looks at the woman in pain and tries her best to calm her down." Everything's going to be alright my child, something tells me that this baby is no ordinary one" she stretches her hands towards the lady's open legs " I know it's been a long time you and your husband have been waiting for a child, but everything's going to be fine, now you have to be strong don't give up, Push!! "

She nods and starts pushing with everything she got, she screams her lungs out because of the terrible pain, then finally, she hears a baby cry, she starts panting, fighting the urge to faint she shakes her head continuously 

"It's a girl!" she smiles with tears rolling down her face hearing those words. The storm gradually goes away

" But wait something's not right," the old woman said looking at the baby who was already wrapped in white clothing  in her arms "she's white " the man steps in

"What do you mean by that, is she sick?"

The old woman shakes her head "No, I mean she's white, your baby skin isn't dark like you or the mother, she's white like that of a white man"

"How is that possible?" The man approaches the child in anger, he gasps "it's true, she's white!" he looks at the woman "Deborah!! Why is our child white?" She tries to catch her breath

"I don't know" the man's eyes began to turn red, yells at the top of his voice " Deborah!, why is our child Godforsaken white!! " The old lady jumps in

" Daniel, don't raise your voice at her, she just came out from serious labor, most women wouldn't survive" he glares at the old woman, looks at the child who was still crying, then he looks at his wife, without saying another word, he leaves and aggressively shuts the door.

"Mama" Deborah calls "can I see my child? " the old lady nods and hands over the crying baby gently to her mother "Oh my sweet child, look at your beautiful skin, your pretty hair, you're so beautiful " the old lady smiles looking at Deborah ''So, what are you going to call her?''

"I'm going to call her precious''

"That's a beautiful name for a unique child" Deborah smiles. The clouds became clear and the rain stops, it was exactly 3 am.

**Few months passed and Deborah's husband is nowhere to be found, it's a small village and yet she never sighted him or bumped into him.

"Mother please you have to believe me" Deborah pleads with tears on her face

A woman in her 60s wearing a simple orange dress, with a disgusted look on her face responds "Don't you dare call me mother, I am not your mother, you have succeeded in sleeping with another man, a white man for that matter! and you are here asking of my son? what does he owe you? please leave my house and look for the man that owns that thing you carry in your arms"

Deborah replies with a bit of anger in the tone of her voice "Don't call my baby a thing!, and no I am not leaving here until I see her father''

"This woman, don't you hear a word? or are you deaf? my son has nothing to do with you or that thing! so please get up and leave here and go and disturb the bastard that owns that child for the last time"

"Mother please!" Debbie begs on her knees with the baby in her arms "please I have to see Daniel, he has a family to take care of and..."

The woman interrupts "What did I just hear, family?, what family?, my son has no family with you, so leave this house now before I lose my temper"

She quietly stands up, she bows a little as a sign of respect, she leaves the house, the woman immediately shuts the door, Deborah looks up, she sees Daniel who quickly closes the curtains, she began to scream his name

"Daniel!!, Daniel... Come out please, Daniel you have to believe me, the child is ours, Daniel please don't leave me, Daniel!!!" All of a sudden water began to pour on her, her mother in law was with a hose, pouring water on her body

"This is how prostitutes like you need to be treated, now get out!" she cries as she leaves their premises, people on her way home insult her and even spit on her, the word in the village that she committed adultery had gone around.

**A few days later there was a knock on the door, Deborah opens it with her child in her arms, "What are you doing here?" she asked when she sees village soldiers standing in front of her

"We were asked to bring you to the chiefs"

"Chiefs? I don't understand "

"Please just kindly come with us" they instantly grab her by the arms, and she starts struggling trying to resist their arrest.

Village trial

In the village square where everyone is gathered including the chiefs, Deborah's fate lies in the hands of their Judgment.

*** One of the chiefs with a big pot belly stands on i=his feet and speaks "So the situation in front of us, is that you committed adultery, which is a very punishable offense in the village"

Deborah pleads "Please elders, my friends, you all know that I can't do something like that, I've known Daniel for a long time and I can't dare do something to hurt him, I love him, despite the age gap, and my parent's refusal, I still married him, plus, where would I have seen a white man sleep with?"

One of the villagers stands up "Lies! how else can you explain the skin color of your child?"

"It was a gift from God" they all laughed, one of the villagers who was Deborah's closest friend stands up

"My elders, the child may be for Mr. John stones, the white man that owns the secret company that Deborah works for"

she doesn't make eye contact with Deborah, she just sat back down, hearing this, people began to shout saying different things. Deborah falls to her knees

"You have to believe me, I swear the child isn't for him, the only reason why I kept it a secret is because I know how our customs is against woman working to earn a living, and I-'

"Lies!!" One of the elders exclaimed, he points at her,"Your friend has exposed you, on hearing this you are banned from the village "

"Ah.... please think about it" Deborah's family begins to cry

Another elder speaks up "We have, we would have sentenced you to death"

"Please, where would I go? what of my child?" she turns to daniel "Daniel, please help me " he looks away

An elder yells "Guards, please, take this lady out of here"

They forcefully grab her, dragging her away as she constantly pleads with them, they carry her child from the old woman, who cries and begs them not to take them away. They escorted Deborah out of the village leaving her in the forest, alone with her child. She walks to the next village where the company she secretly worked for 3 months was located.

Village 2:

It took her 2 hours to walk there, but she finally reaches the company that says "Johnny stones milky way" she was already really dirty she looks at her reflection in a car next to her, she lets out a disappointed sigh and walks inside.

"Excuse me, may I help you?" a secretary asks

"Yes actually am hoping to speak with Mr. John"

The secretary eyes her "Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but please just tell him, Debbie is asking of him

"Debbie who? "

" Just Debbie please " the slightly fair-skinned secretary just eyed her and nodded, She grabs a phone and punches numbers  "excuse me, sir, sorry to bother you, but a homeless lady with a white baby that goes with the name Debbie, who I think is your babySitter oR Nani... Oh OK sir, I will watch how I speak, ok sir. she ends the call, "he's in his office"

"Okay thanks " Debbie goes in, Mr. John stands up to embrace her

"oh Debbie, it's been so long, what happened to you? you're a mess", he looks at the child and said sarcastically "That isn't mine, is it? "she nodes no "What's wrong?" she suddenly burst into tears catching Mr. John off guard "oh no don't cry, here, have a seat and tell me all about it"

________ Mr. John gasps "oh mine, that must be so hard, have you done a DNA test?"

Debbie shakes her head"No, you have to believe me"

"I do, I do, tell you what, I am leaving for the states in 2 weeks why don't you tag along with me, and you can start afresh, I'll have my people do your paperwork and everything"

Debbies' eyes widen "No no that's far too generous "

"You've gone through a lot already, it's the least I can do, I am partly responsible for what happened, you need to focus on just you and your child, and she can grow up with people of the same color, she won't feel left out" People of the same color? arent we all human beings? Debbie thought to herself.

She gets on her  knees "thank you, thank you, I can't thank you enough"

"It's okay, stand up already, it's no big deal, so you'd follow me home, you'd shower I'd get my secretary to buy you things you'd need, and boom"He claps his hands 

"Oh mine, I really can't thank you enough "

"It's alright," he responds smiling at herself and her baby