Episode 25.
Lara caressed her bulging stomach absent-mindedly, she could percieve the aroma of the food her mother-in-law was cooking. Amara had taken over the kitchen ever since she moved in weeks ago, Tony had invited his mother over since she-Lara was close to delivery.
She wondered what she could have done without her mother-in-law, she was all alone in the family. No relations, no mother, no friends-it’s just her and her husbands people.
“here, make sure you eat it up!” Amara placed a small bowl of steaming peppersoup beside Lara.
“Wow! Only me?” Lara asked.
“how many people are pregnant in this house?
Oya eat o!” Amara replied.
“I’m not hungry yet!” Lara pouted, she wanted some pettings.
“Please now, Lara, my one and only daughter, the mother of my unborn grandchild, the…”
Amara began.
“Hey! Enough mum! ” Lara laughed scooping some of the delicacy into her mouth.
“Tastes great” she rolled her eyes.
“mm, I’ve heard.” Amara sat beside her.
“The back pain? How’s it now?”
“not better at all” Lara made a face.
“Sorry” Amara rubbed her back gently.
“I think I need to take a walk.” Lara said quitely.
“Okay, let me get ready now, I’ll accompany you.”
Amara rose to her feet.
“Follow? No! I prefer to walk alone” Lara protested
“But…”
“Don’t worry mum, I’ll be fine, just a few metres and I’d be back” Lara assured her.
Lara dragged her feet lazily as she walked, her hand holding her waist and the other hand caressing her stomach.
She got to the end of the street, traffic was heavy. She listened to the hooting sounds and watched some aggressive drivers for a while before deciding to go back.
She took a shortcut route, instead of the previous route she followed.
She walked slowly down a deserted alley, she was used to the alley, though Tony’d warn her several times to quit taking the route.
She was halfway into the alley when she saw a car waiting at the end, she looked behind her; a car was at the other end too.
Somehow she felt nervous. She said some silent prayers and walked on.
Few yards to the end of the alley she felt a hand grab her from behind, she shrieked in fear.
She saw two men trying to take her to the car she saw earlier.
Were they going to kidnap her?
She screamed with all her might.
“Let me go!” she struggled but she was overpowered.
She felt something wet cover her face and…everything blacked out.
::::::*****:::::
Lara gazed wearily in space, she wished a million times she would wake up from such a night mare.
She gazed at her tied hands and legs, she would never escape. She felt her baby flutter about in her tummy; that means she need to eat. Food was the last thing on her mind.
Who would want to kidnap a pregnant woman?
She thought.
Maybe they want to use her for rituals.
But the people who kidnapped her looked like renowned assassins, not ritualists..
Her eyes moved around the dirty room, littered with beer bottled and cigrattes, she suddenly felt the desire to throw up.
She tried her best not to vomit, she feared her baby might come out through her mouth.
“Uhhhhn…uhhhhhn, gbooo.” she vomited.
“Wetin dey happen there?” a male voice said from outside.
“So you vomit?” he asked walking in.
“You do well! Na so you go siddon inside the vomit till the people wey go kill you go come!” he told her angrily.
“Kill?” Lara’s eyes widened.
“Siddon there dey ask me!”
“Please don’t kill me…” she pleaded
“If you need money, my…my..my….husband would pay any amount you need.” she was crying profusely.
“you dey form pesin wey get rich husband, we no need una money. That pikin wey dey your belle go give us money wey we no fit count!” he sneered at her before leaving the room
Lara wailed, she wondered why she had to go through all these.
She looked around her, no means of escape.
Her baby moved again.
She used her teeth to loosen the ropes around her hands after 30 minutes of trying. She caressed her stomach with her bruised hands.
“Baby…are you there? Can you hear me?” she wept.
The baby continued to move.
“I’d advice you stay still for now!” she tapped her tummy.
The baby moved faster.
She felt its love surge through her once more, she remembered how Tony become excited each time the baby moves. She wondered what was going on at her home; maybe they were looking for her.
They might never find her- she was deep in an unknown forest.
To Be Continued…. . . .
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