006

INSTANTLY Sophia wished again that the ground should just open up and swallow her, she felt like running away, back into the room and lock herself up, or just run out of the house, she was so scared.

This was one of the last persons she ever wished to set her eyes on, not this morning, not any other day ever.

She was sitting on the dining seat and glaring wickedly at her. Sophia felt her stomach tightened, as fear gripped her the more.

She couldn't even talk, she couldn't even stutter, she just looked on with fear.

"Mannerless girl! You can't even greet", that was her, Lady Frances to Sophia.

Sophia cringed.

"Wasteful child! Just look what you have done to what I am sure your miserable dead parents which you killed wouldn't have been able to afford if they were to be alive", she blurted out, pointing at the beverage cans messed on the floor and stood up.

Sophia moved backwards, as Lady Frances proceeded forward, walking up to her.

"Stupid!", she spat out, "trying to reap from where you didn't sow at all. How…", she paused and then continued, "how do you even think you gonna succeed? In this family? Never!", she shouted.

Sophia was still tongue-tied, she just couldn't utter a word. Fear filled her eyes, it was visible.

"Look, I didn't even know you are also dumb. You can't talk anymore?", she asked and waved her right hand at her. 

"Jeez! I wonder what that stubborn son of mine saw in you for goodness sake, jeez!", she exclaimed disgustingly.

"Bad luck child, cursed child, from a cursed family, low life, too low for an expensive family. Look here girl, even if Oswald accepts you, the Escobar family would never accept you", she said and shook her head.

Finally, she got to her and stopped, looking straight into her eyes.

She shook in fear, with tears already welling up in her eyes, when she couldn't hold it anymore, she let it flow.

Lady Frances nodded satisfactorily, this was one of the things she wanted to see.

"Ma'am pl… please I… your son and I love each other", she muttered and a defeaning slap landed on her right cheek instantly, and she winced.

"How dare you?", came the growling voice, "how dare you talk when I am talking? And who the hell told you about love? What do you know about love you silly thing?", she cussed angrily.

Sophia did nothing order than cry and cry, she whimpered so painfully, she felt heartbroken.

"If you really know what love is, you should have left my son long ago. It is clearly not love happening between you two but hatred, yeah, you so much hate him and that's why you do not want to tell him the truth. You are not good for him, he deserves better, sickler!", she berated her.

"Bad luck! You have literally turned my once obeying son into a stubborn mule. He never listens to me, he never listens to his mother nor father anymore. All he listens to is you. 

"Tell me, what are you doing here this morning with beverages? Aren't your mates out there at their working places, working out their asses? But here you are, solely depending on my son for everything, everything", she blurted.

Sophia was still whimpering, and holding onto her slapped cheek.

Lady Frances then calmed down a bit and exhaled deeply.

"Look here, I do not want to see you or a part of you in this house again. By evening, I am bringing in a well befitting wife for my son, so I need you to leave immediately, as soon as possible", she said and Sophia's eyes widened in shock.

What! A befitting wife for her Oswald? God!

"I said now, as soon as possible", Lady Frances shouted, jolting her back into reality.

Immediately she turned, took to her heels, and ran straight to the bedroom.

She began packing her few things in the room into the small box she had brought them with, clothes, shoes, some personal belongings, etcetera. 

As she did, she cried, cried like never before.

She was still packing up when Lady Frances sauntered in, and began watching her pack, smiling and nodding as she did.

Few minutes later, she was done and she picked up her phone and dashed out of the bedroom with the box, straight outside and into her car, crying as she went.

She got into the car and drove off, out of the compound, and back to her house.

The maids in the kitchen heard everything that just went on and instantly felt sad.

Ma'am Sophia was really a loving and kind hearted person, she never likes making trouble. She was just cool and easy going.

"I'm so sad, I don't even feel like to continue with this cooking anymore. Who gonna come compliment us that our cooking is the most delicious? Who gonna tell us thank you for making such a wonderful meal? Who?", one of the maids cried and the others shook their head.

"Oh my! I don't like this either. I feel so sad for ma'am Sophia", another spoke.

They were still talking about it when Lady Frances quietly entered the kitchen. At the minute they found out, everyone kept calm, and everywhere became silent.

Lady Frances looked at them all one after the other, with degrading looks.

"Don't mind your cooking you fellas, keep meddling in matters that doesn't concern you", she said to them and they cringed.

"None of you should relay what happened here to my son", she said, "if you do and I find out, consider yourself as good as dead", she said and a hush fell on them.

"Have I made myself clear?", she asked and they nodded.

"Talk to me and stop nodding heads like agama lizards", she blurted.

"Yes My Lady, yes", they replied.

She nodded.

"Good. Finish up with that and come serve me, I'm waiting", she said and left the kitchen.

The now fear gripped maids rushed up with the cooking.

***

Sophia got home demoralized, traumatized and heartbroken. If she was demoralized before, then she was more than demoralized now.

She was like what was life again to her? What does it mean to her? No parents, no siblings, no family, and now, no love.

Crying hysterically, she fell atop the bed. Immediately, a particular exact words of Lady Frances played in her memory.

"By evening, I am bringing in a well befitting wife for my son", she remembered the words.

For her son, for Oswald, her Oswald. God! She cried all the more.

Nobody loves her, everyone is just rejecting her. The people, the society, Oswald's parents, they are even making the matter worse for her.

She can't stand Oswald in the arms of another woman, she can't. She was just gonna give it all up, she was done, done with life, done with love.

***

Oswald drove like mad into Sophia's compound, driving in through the driveway.

Few minutes ago he had returned home from work expecting to be welcomed by Sophia, but he was shocked he didn't meet her at home.

He hadn't only met her absence, he had also met her whole belongings gone!

He became shocked.

He called, so many times but she didn't pick up.

Wondering why she had left without informing him, he began making enquiries.

The maids denied they knew nothing about it, it was the guards who told him what transpired in the morning, the little they could tell.

What! His mother was around? Immediately, he jumped into his car and drove off straight to her house.

Now, he was there, standing by the door and knocking, pleading with her to open up, but he heard nothing in reply.

Immediately, he became alarmed and with all his might, kicked at the door and it bursted open.

He rushed in, to meet a dead silence. What! 

"Sophia?", he called, and looked around, there was no response, "Sophia?", he shouted this time yet, a dead silence greeted him.

Then he rushed into her room, and that was when he saw the unexpected, the unthinkable, the unfathomable.

Her body laid motionlessly on the floor, beside her was a very small bottle, a note, and a pen used to wage the note.

He picked up the bottle and tried to know it's content, but he couldn't. He dropped it, then turned to her.

"Sophia?", he called again and vigorously shook her, then picked up the note, and his eyes ran through the lines with speed. 

Hot tears streamed down his face instantly, he flung the paper away and turned to her.

"No ooooooo", he shouted and fell down beside her. 

She was dead!