Zoe

Episode 4

Lord Amos looked down at his son and anger mixed with pity burn through him.

” You brought this upon yourself…there is a consequence for every action and also reward for every deed Kuwe. after getting you a good wife you still refused to be tamed. No heir to your name yet and you aren’t bothered. you care about the arena games than having a child with your young wife…
Kuwe looked at his father angrily, he try to rose from the bed but it was as if something held him down.

His tongue was tied, he couldn’t utter meaningful word again
His mother went to his side consoling him
Kuwe relaxed while his mother spoke out angrily at Lord Amos
“You dares mock your own sick son, what kind of father are you really? You brought in a weak and lazy maiden as a wife to my son. How can that fragile thing you called a wife tame our son when he is not an animal. I asked her to take a bunt sacrifice to Bianca, the goddess of favor and fertility, so that she can conceive and bear children but she did not. to Yuri the god of love and peace and Mae the god of prosperity and success but she never did. She disobeyed me. Since Kuwe lie sick in this bed how many times have she visited the temple with a worthy sacrifice in offering to the gods to heal her husband…
Lord Amos hushed to stop talking.

” Samar, you disobey me too when you ignorantly worship the gods of this land. You turned your self to a fanatic pagan worshiper and want everyone to be like you. You are here talking about Zoe’s disobedience yet you disrespect my words and never obeyed any of my sayings. Do not blame Zoe because she got nothing to do with Kuwe’s illness. He is suffering the consequences of his evil actions and you, Samar contributed to all of this. My household is not idolatry, I worship the one true God in heaven yet you want to turn it into a pagan home by even encouraging your daughter in-law to join you in such dirty act. I have heard and seen men sacrificing there children to your so called temple god because they want prosperity and success. My father use to tell me and my brothers that the Sun may set in the east or west, North or even the south and it goes down by dusk but the cloud will remain as a roof to the earth. no matter how the sun shines or rain falls the cloud will remain the same from generation to generation. So no matter what we do here on earth, every man will die and becomes earth and grass just like our forefathers and fathers before me. Is a certainty of life Samar, everything will pass including you and I but seed time and harvest will remain the same, the cloud, rain and this whole earth will be left behind when we die. More reason why we should leave a legacy so that while we are gone our good deed on earth will live on and speak for us. I love all my children but Kuwe gives me much trouble, he doesn’t have any good thing to boast off and if he survived this then he should seek for a better life and turn a new leaf. he should embrace wisdom because is profitable to direct. There is no gain in foolishness or wickedness…it all ends in regrets.

Zoe stood with her hands clapped together in front of her. she watch from Kuwe who couldn’t move, he was bed ridden. she look at Lord Amos as he speak with so much pain in his heart and his words has weight.
she looked back at lady Samar and saw her fears which she tries to hide.

Zoe searched deep within herself and fear griped her.

she felt a strong presence in their means.
Everywhere smells of cold and death.
Tears filed her eyes, she gave way for it to pour down.

Zoe began to talk within herself. She was having a mind Battle.

“I don’t want Kuwe to die” she cried silently to the invisible God of Lord Amos.
“I want Kuwe to be spared maybe he will regret his past life and change for good….

Zoe wiped her eyes and look round the room, she looked at the medicine that the physician was using to treat Kuwe.

She tries to blink back another tears as it gathered up but it pushed it’s way down her cheeks

“…I wish I have a say in all of this, I wish I have a choice, I wish father never sold me off.
Father cared about been famous and rich and he robbed me of every single happiness.
Everyday in this house and as Kuwe’s wife have been hell.

Some days I wish he will just kill me while some other times I’m afraid of death.
I don’t want to die, yet there are days I thought death was better than living with Kuwe.

…”I felt all alone in this world When my parents are still alive but subjects me to slavery and suffering all in the name of marriage.

Hadar and Alia are the only people I count on who deeply cares.

Rolf also cares but he never fails to show his hatred for his elder brother.

I don’t know why God closed my womb and I never conceived for Kuwe.

But I feel more at peace that my womb was closed. Although I have wanted a child in the beginning but when I heard Kuwe say that he may offer our first child to the goddess of luck and favor as a bunt sacrifice on a pillar so that he will be having luck and winning at the arena I became afraid for myself and unborn children.

I do not want to give birth to a child that will be used as a bunt offering to a hand made god just for Kuwe to have luck with the merchant at the arena games
I loosed interest in bearing any child for Kuwe and the true God of Lord Amos was in my support and closed up my womb.

Zoe wiped her nose with her clothe.
She looked at lady Samar who has started another argument with her husband.
Zoe paid no attention to her as lady Samar pointed an accusing finger at her.

Zoe went into her thoughts again and began talking to herself
“…Life has thrown so much at me and Left me with no choice, this is my fate and it was all chosen for me.

I’m ready to Live it to the end….
Zoe Watch Lord Amos leave followed by lady Samar who looked her all over, from head to toe before walking away.
Since Kuwe was bed ridden, he couldn’t move or lift himself.

He relieved himself right in the bed and she end up packing, washing and cleaning him up
She feed him while in the bed and also clean his body to avoid him getting infected.

The physician treating him told Zoe to turn Kuwe’s body once in a while so that he won’t relapse or get stiff in any part of his body.

Zoe obeyed every instructions and did all she was asked to do.

Alia comes to help her sometimes and Zoe was grateful.

Alia also got some sanitizing liquid and disinfectant which they used in the room and on Kuwe’s body to avoid him getting infected.

Hadar visited and brought some garlic with her, she said that garlic has powerful antiseptic properties.

Kuwe was beginning to get better, he started talking clearly and eating all by himself.

One night after Zoe finished cleaning him up he said to her.

” I wish we have a child, I could have asked you to offer him to Yuri the god of peace and he is also in charged of good health. If we give him a good offering, he will accept it gladly and restore my health fully. Yuri will also give me a good win at the arena. You are my wife and I know you can do anything for me and offering our child for my health would have means nothing much to you since we can always have another.
And for the first time Zoe was angry and flew up into rage.

She spoke out to a surprised Kuwe angrily.
” None of my child will become a sacrifice to the temple gods. You will have to kill me first before such will happen and I’m glad that the kind God of your father closed my womb. You are very wicked to have nurtured the thought of killing your own flesh and blood because of some stupid arena games and over your health… you actually want to kill your seed in other to live and keep up with your wicked lifestyle. You think a blood sacrifice will grant you favor. You will even be tagged a loser because your so called Yuri is a dumb god just as Lord Amos described it. A god that is carved and mud by men’s hand is useless…

Kuwe tries to throw a heavy punch at her but Zoe flew away from him with a speed of lightning.

Kuwe wanted to get up and attack his wife but he fell back to the bed.
” Ooh see what this sickness has made out of me. You dares challenge me Zoe? You insult and throws words at me… Hahaha…You are free to run your mouth now because I can’t get to you but I promise you that you won’t be spared ones I get out of this bed and back to my feet, my physician said in few days I will be whole again. I can’t wait to chop off that mouth you used in talking back at me and feed it to swine. Within a week I should be back to my feet and you will have to explain everything you said to me even father can’t save you from my claws… nobody will save you Zoe, just a week and I will make you regret every word you Just vomited out of that your wretched mouth.

Kuwe did not live up to a week, he was struck down dead that same night.
Zoe mourn with Lord Amos family during the burial of Kuwe.

Lord Amos knew within him that God has struck down his first son for his evil deeds.
Rolf pretend to be grieving but Zoe knew he wasn’t because she saw him talking and laughing with some of Kuwe’s friends.
Lady Samar was inconsolable, she wept bitterly.

Women came to hold and grieve with her for the lost of her first son.

Lady Samar told those with her that Zoe was responsible for her son’s death but Lord Amos rebuked her for accusing Zoe.
He told his wife that their son used his own hands to kill himself.

He was recovering from the first struck but instead of finding a way to be better he started planning to go back into his old evil lifestyle and he was struck dead.
People believed Lord Amos because they knew that Kuwe was a man with a wicked heart.

He was always engaging in a fight at the arena.

He was wicked to his fellow and pays no heed to anyone. Kuwe will always want to have his way whenever he wants.
but his sudden sickness and death was unexpected because nobody saw it coming.
Zoe was ashamed of her own feeling, she was Kuwe’s wife and supposed to be in a serious mourning but she found herself weeping more in relief than in sorrow.
She felt free and liberated from the one person that oppressed her every being.
Zoe despised her husband and felt free from fear and captivity.

She looked up at the sky, it was indeed the God of Lord Amos that struck down Kuwe, she trembled in fear of such God who clearly possessed the power of life and death.
She was deeply afraid of this God than of any man
Zoe was grateful that God intervened if not Kuwe would have continued to harm and torment her
Zoe, was grieving while Alia and also Hadar who was among the people from her father’s household that came to mourn with Lord Amos on the dismissal of his first son, they consoled Zoe together.

Hadar with Alia put up a saddened show but they danced happily in their hearts to Kuwe’s death which makes Zoe’s free from the beast of a man.

Zoe saw the last son of Lord Amos Shelar, he was very young, tugged at his mother’s side before his nurse lead him away.

Rolf walked past and looked at Zoe, his eyes glitters with happiness but he pretend to be in a serious mourning too. everyone was deceived with his appearance except Zoe who knew he was happy for his brother’s death.
Zoe grieved with the few people who gathered, but deep within her she felt free from bondage and fear.