To Find Grace

Episode 29

Diana looked at her farm house for a good number of minutes wiping the tears from her eyes as the thoughts of leaving the house she had come to love and lived in for 16 years clouded her mind. She could not help cry even at the watch of her son who kept asking her why they had to move.

“We have to my son because I have said so” she looked at her son who stood his hands akimbo.

“Am sorry Joshua, we have to get away from here.” she added and placed the last item in the back of the truck that was moving them and getting into her car pulling her son to move faster as the boy stayed stationed in one place.

“We can start moving now driver. We are done here” she shouted at the driver to the truck transporting their things and started the ignition as her mind went back to what happened barely a year after Grace had left.
She was seated on the outside veranda selecting the bad beans from the tray as she wanted to prepare it for their lunch the dinner that day. The horning of a vehicle at the main entrance to the farm made her look up to see who it was.

“Choolwe can you take that?” she shouted and saw the worker already trotting to the gate.

“Am on it madam” Choolwe responded and she watched as he opened the gate a range rover gray in color drove in she wondered who it could be. A good looking man came out wearing some black pants with brown slippers on his feet he had a nice looking figure as she could see him stand tall. For a moment she was lost watching the man and wondering who it could be when her worst night mare came to light. The movement of another being from the car and its revelation as the woman stepped forward looking straight at her made her stand and the first thought was to run.

“Stop now Mrs. Mwape, just stop we talk!” Jena yelled seeing the woman running back onto the house like she had just seen a ghost.
“no, this can’t be” Diana panted as Jena and her husband got closer now she recalled she had seen that face somewhere only that Ben looked a bit older and more handsome she could confirm that.

“What, what… the hell are you doing here?” she stammered her temper or anger whatever it was rose, Jena and Ben could not put their hand to it as the woman shook they could see her hands vibrate.

“Why are you so worked out Aunty Diana? Have you not missed us, it’s been years you know?” Jena smiled only her smile was sad as she realized it was Diana who took her baby after all.

“Where is she?” Ben chirped in without letting any chance pass.

“I have no idea what you are talking about” she responded going back to sit on a chair.

“yes you do, or you wouldn’t want to run away from the people you had fooled all these years” Ben added this time his voice cold and firm he moved closer to the woman noticing her skin had grown frail and weak from the firm smooth skinned person she was years back. She had surely aged and her fear right that moment made her look even older and weak.

“I will not be lasking again, Diana, where is our daughter?” Ben stepped forward Jena saw he was getting pissed she quickly moved in feeling sorry for the older woman.
“Aunty please, I know this is probably hard for you, but what you did years ago was evil, how could you do that to us, we respected you and we thought you had accepted the situation, now” she paused swallowing as she tried to find the right words to tell her.
“We have come to take her back, she is our daughter and you have no right to hide her from us, its high time the truth came to light, so please, I beg you hand her over and we all live in peace. I have suffered, we both have suffered” she pointed at her husband.
“For years we mourned our baby just to find out she is still alive, please I beg you, where is she? Call her out and let me see my baby Aunty please” she cried getting down close to Diana.

“look here you two, am not going to allow you to come into my house and accuse me of anything at all, I have no idea what you are talking about and so please leave if you have nothing else to say” she responded and stood up leaving Jena still kneeling down crying.

“you will tell us where Grace is or you will answer to the law, for kidnapping and faking the death of our daughter” Ben answered her back so cold his eyes were firm on her one could see how irritated the act of Diana was making him feel.