Better days ahead (series book1) Chapter 18

....Be Back Home In Five Minutes

My step father and I entered Mrs Amira's compound. We were welcomed by two women that I am sure I should know, everyone here leaves in the neighbourhood.

We were sent to the backyard where the get together was, I must say Mrs Amira put in a lot of effort. The decorations were very pretty and there were chairs in the backyard, not long a couple came up to us and my step father immediately stiffened.

"Mr Dario long time." The man greeted my step father.

"Good evening Mr Agida." My step father greeted back.

"How are you enjoying the party? Everyone in this neighbourhood contributed into it and the women helped in the catering,except you and your daughter,I personally came to tell you about the get together so why did you not help in organizing it?"

Before my step father could reply Mrs Agida jumped in to say her part. "My husband is quite right Mr Dario."

"I am sorry about that,it is just that we do not enjoy this type of things." My step father apologized.

"Speak for yourself, why will your daughter not enjoy it? when she has never even been to any of the events we plan You never allow her out of the house, since you moved into this neighbourhood you made sure that no one knows you have a daughter and sometimes we hear screaming and shouting coming from inside your house, I am sure that you did not agree to come until Mrs Amira threatened you with the permission she got, and guess what?"

"What?" My Step father asked.

"We told her to get the permission because we knew you will never agree to come and if you did you will not bring your daughter."

By now my step father was fuming, if this woman does not shut up she will get it, he is not one to take insults likely and he is being insulted because of me, he will not let me off when we get home.

"Everyone in the neighbourhood has come to a conclusion that if we ever hear even the slightest screams from your house, we will call the cops on you." She finally said, even if the cops come they won't get any evidence against him, so its just a waste of everyone's time, Dad forces me to use some drugs when he forces himself on me, maybe that's why I have not gotten pregnant yet and I'm great full for that.

"You have lied about what causes the screams before, we wonder what lie you will tell next time and one more thing Mrs Amira is a part of a team called "girls voices" and do you know what they do?! They fight for the rights of young girls that are deprived of various rights, abused and violated, and your daughter happens to have all these three things," she was trying to get a reaction from him, she was pushing his buttons "Mrs Amira is curious as to why and she as taken it upon herself to make sure that your daughter  gets all the right you are depriving her of, if she finds out that you are causing your daughter any form of abuse,you will be taken to court and your daughter will be taken to foster care. You are lucky that your daughter looks beautiful and radiant tonight, if she had worn any of those tattered clothes she wears to school that would have been the last evidence the neighbourhood needs to sue you for assault."

"Shut up." He yelled, he looks like he's about to snap.

"And from now on if anyone sees your daughter with tattered clothes or clothes that are faded and not her size,or walk with her legs spread apart, you better start looking lies that you will tell to the cops,you are even more fortunate that her house is right next to yours." She said, this women sure does talk a lot.

"That is enough, if you say one more word I will make sure you never speak again." He moved closer to her glaring daggers and arrows at her, I swear if looks could kill this woman would be five feet under by now.

"Step away from my wife, do you want to do to my wife what you do to your daughter?" He moved in between his wife and my stepfather, he moved back with his hand in a fist, he's really trying to hold back so as not to create a scene and to not prove that their accusations against him are right.

"The truth hurts right? That will not be the only thing that will hurt when everyone in the neighbourhood is done with you." Mr Agida's wife said while pressing her index finger on his chest.

"Get your wife away from my sight before I lose all form of self control I have left." My stepfather threatened.

"Come on Lovett, let us go and enjoy the party." He said and they walked away, finally.

"You see, I am being insulted because of you!" My stepfather scolded.

"I am sorry." I replied quietly.

"Shut up we will deal with this at home!" He said and I whimpered like a lost, wet, homeless dog.

"You are not planning to hit her or violate her when you get home, are you?", mrs Amira asked out of no where walking towards us "Good evening Mr Dario."

"Mrs Amira." He greeted back.

"Axymah, you look stunning, tonight." She complimented me and a blush crept up my face.

"Thank you." I replied shyly.

"That is not what I meant, why would I abuse my own daughter?"

"Maybe because she is not your biological daughter." That took him by surprise "you are just her step father, or should I say her foster father."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You are talking rubbish Mrs Amira."

"Do not put nonsense in my daughters head and you certainly do not have any rights to speak to me like that, she is my daughter and everyone in this neighbourhood knows that."

"I am sorry but I must disagree with you there Mr Dario, there is nothing that proves she is your daughter,you never allow her to leave the house. She only goes to school and back, you only let her out when you want to send her on errands, and you are yet to adopt her," I know what she's saying but it's my place to act dumb and innocent, I don't want to further aggravate him "you never engage in any father and daughter activities hosted by the neighbourhood, you never allow her to go to birthday parties or wedding parties, you give her tattered clothes to wear, if she was your daughter, you will not be treating her that way."

"Mrs Amira—"

"I just want you to know that I am interested in your matters, I am just glad that my house is right next to yours, if I hear even the slightest screams I can promise you that you will never see your foster daughter ever again or should I say Axymah again since you never really adopted her." She cut him off. I didn't know that, I thought he adopted me.

"How did you know that her mother and I did not get married?"

"That is not for you to know, from now on your daughter must dress appropriately and look like a human being instead of an abused slave, I wonder what the people in the neighbourhood will say when they find out the truth about what you have been doing to your daughter, you better start treating her like a human being or else." Mrs Amira threatened.

"Or else what? What will you do?" He asked challenging her back

"Treat her like garbage and a slave and you will find out, enjoy the party Axymah eat to your fullest, you look lean and starved, your bones are sticking out everywhere I hope he does not deprive you of food either?" He immediately tensed up.

"No he does not, actually he Is not doing any of those things to me he loves me and he cares for me." I said hoping to ease his anger, says that left a weird taste in my mouth.

"What makes you think that a monster like him is capable of loving and caring for any one especially his dead lovers daughter."

I am sure that, that last one stung him most out of everything she said.

"Come on let us go home your stepfather is not feeling too good, okay?" He said, I walked quietly behind him.

"Wait a moment!! If you are not feeling too good you can leave, your daughter will stay here and enjoy this event."

"Who will take care of me?" My step father said.

"You can call one of your sluts to do that! Your daughter will stay here and enjoy this party." She said and I wondered how she knows about all of these things.

"No!! she will come home with me,Axymah let us go home." He grabbed my arm roughly that I am sure it left a bruise and roughly started to pulled me out.

"Stop there, do not move another step." She yanked my arm away from his death grip.

"You bruised her," She said upset "Before I call the attention of all the neighbours you will get out of here, she will go home only when the get together is over now leave!!!!" Mrs Amira commanded and shockingly my stepfather obeyed her, he sent me a death glare and mumbled to my ear.

"If I do not see you at home in the next five minutes, I will make you chew on the special whip I got for you, I will leave but know this is not over she is my daughter and I can do to her as I please." He sent me another death glare before leaving the gathering, my step father will kill me when I get home.

I will have to leave here in the next five minutes or else I will not be able to go to school for the next two weeks, forget going to school, I will not be able to move a muscle by the time he is done with me, I fear for my life.

"Axymah do not worry, if he dares touch you he will get what he deserves do not worry I am with you." She said and left.

No one knows what I will go through if I do not leave. I turned around and I was about to leave then...

"You are leaving already?" Don't you like the gathering?"

"I do." I said as I took in his appearance, he looked amazing, he was wearing a black jean, a blue tee shirt with a black suit, and a canvas.

"Its not polite to stare." He told me.

"Can't help it when you are looking so handsome."

"I do not want to sound cheesy but, you look stunning, I am officially stunned by your beauty."

"You think so?"

"Is that even a question?" He asked and I smiled.

"Let me get you a punch." He said and left, he got back soonest with two punch in his hand and he handed me one punch, I took it from him and took a sip from it.

"My mom is opening the gathering with a speech, come on let's go grab a seat before all the good ones are taken."

"Sure."

We took a seat in the second row, then the gathering started.

"This is the first time we are having this type of gathering and Mrs Amira and her husband also just came into the neighborhood, let's use this opportunity to introduce her."

"Mrs Amira is part of a team called girls voices and what they do is that they help female children to get the rights they have been deprived of back and they help female children out of abuse from whoever they are with, so it is very nice to have her here, she will be able to help whoever is having the same problem here in our neighborhood, am I right Mrs Amira?"

"Yes you are."

She said that and I scoffed, luckily it was only her and Ahmad that heard it.

"Now I want to recite a speech do I want you all to lend me your ears."

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