Chapter 1
I was cutting the weeds on the farm when I overheard my stepmother's voice. The flowers bloomed like beautiful jewels, glowing in the sunshine.
I heard my stepmother, Lena screamed again. She seemed quite agitated.
I hissed. That was normal because she was always agitated and complaining, it wasn't something new.
I heard her again. This time louder.
"Jessie, you need to hear this come!" It was my stepmother, Garden. She had come to the garden to call me.
I dropped my cutlass and followed her, wondering what happened that caused Connie to go into the farm.
Ever since my father traveled, I have been the only one on that farm always. My stepmother would never allow her daughter to touch "dirt", as she called it.
"Jessie" I could see Lena was looking agitated.
"What happened?" I asked, drying my wet hands on my dirty dress.
"Your father!" She screamed.
"What happened to father?" I asked immediately, not letting her say anything more.
He had an accident. He was attacked by thieves on his way home, and they killed him. She burst out.
I didn't know how I felt and what I felt, but I knew my body felt empty, and I couldn't move. I stood there, shaking.
"What?" I screamed. I didn't know what was happening around my environments. I stared blankly, unable to form reasonable words.
"Tell me that's not the truth?" I cried.
It was painful to hear about the death of my father, the only one I had in this world. When my mother died, he stood in for me. He was always trying to make me happy, even with the little he did.
"How about his properties?" Lena asked. She cared more about his properties than his life. I knew that the reason she ever agreed to marry my father was because she saw so much potential in him and the fact that he was making enough money.
My father had married her because he wanted someone that could take care of her, but he didn't know that Lena was the exact opposite of who she said she was.
I ran into my room, shut the door and cried. I stared at a picture that was taken years ago when my Dad, my Mum and I. We were happy even though we didn't have so much money.
A gentle knock on the door woke me up. I looked around, it was already dark and some part of me hoped that everything I remember happening was just a dream.
"Mum says I should ask you what we are having for dinner?" Connie asked from outside.
I hissed as I approached the door, Maybe it was a dream after all.
"You don't have to cry so much after all, my Dad isn't alive anymore, so we are together in this." Connie said and it hit me again.
"It wasn't a dream?" I asked, breaking down again.
"Jessie, I'm hungry already! Make dinner!" Connie shouted and walked out. She had gotten pampered, so she didn't know when to use words.
I wiped the tears off my face, knowing fully well that if father was here, he would never let me cry.
Yes, mother. You called me? I answered when I entered the sitting room as she was playing a horrible tune on the piano. Again!
I wondered why she kept playing horribly instead of leaving her somewhere. When she came to live with us, she had told my father that one of her beautiful qualities was being able to play the piano right.
"This is so relaxing, right?" She asked, taking in a deep breath.
I didn't know what to say because I actually did not find the song or whatever she was playing, relaxing but annoying.
"Mum, ask her to go make dinner. My tummy is crumbling." Connie said, sitting with her cell phone in hand.
"Today, Connie, you'll help your sister with making dinner, she need all the help she can get."
"Mum! Why?" Connie screamed.
"Just do as you are told," her mother replied.
I sighed, knowing fully well that I would be the one doing everything while she orders me around. I let her have the privilege of disrespecting me because I wanted us to be happy and together.
I walked down to the kitchen slowly, knowing fully well that my stepmother never liked me and didn't care about how I felt.
*******
"Jessie, go check the door. Who's that?" My stepmother screamed from the sitting room. She was again, playing her piano and was again, playing horribly.
I went forward to go see who was at the door.
"Hello, young lady." The man standing in front of me greeted me. "I want to see the owner of this house."
"Owner of this house?" I stuttered immediately, having thoughts of my father. "Come in."
I welcomed him, leading him to the sitting room to see my stepmother.
"Who are you?" She asked, staring at me like I had brought in a killer.
"You will find out very soon," he said, walking to a seat and sitting comfortably without being asked.
"So.." The man surveyed the whole house. "Is this the house of Mr. Kennedy Brooke?"
My heart missed a beat as I heard my father's name.
"Yes." Lena seemed anxious.
"And you are?"
"Em… His wife." Lena stammered. I knew if I had been there, she would have refused Dad.
"And is she?" The man questioned my stepmother again while referring to me.
"She's the daughter of Mr. Kennedy."
"Is there anyone in this house that I should know about?
"My daughter, Connie. She's in school."
"Hmm... why is one of your daughters in school while the other is at home, dressed like a maid and is working?" The man asked, and from the look on my stepmother's face, I knew he had crossed the boundary.
"I don't know who you are, and I don't care but if you can do me the honor of leaving this house."
The man laughed.
"Anyway, I work for the RUGER company." He paused.
Immediately I heard RUGER, my heart went into my mouth. I can remember how Dad mentioned going to them for a loan. He didn't inform me if he progressed with his plans or not.
Deep down, I hoped he didn't follow through with his plans. I had at that time explained ti him the dangers of getting a loan.
"Apparently, Mr. Kennedy Brooke took a loan from our company and his payment is due and that is why I am here."
"What do you mean?" Lena asked.
"You are his wife, so you must know about this."
"I didn't know about this." Lena answered, with that mixed expression on her face.
"You didn't know either?" The man questioned me but I couldn't answer.
"Well, it's time for him to pay back, and we haven't heard a word from him. So where is he?"
"He's dead."
"Dead?" The man didn't seem shocked anyway. "Wow. So it's true?"
"You knew?" I asked in shock.
"It's all over the town." He said. "Well, that won't stop us from doing what we should, you understand?"
"What do you mean?" I asked. "What do you have to do?"
"Well, we had an agreement that he would pay completely on the 23rd, which was yesterday, and my boss can't wait anymore."
"What do you mean?" I repeated.
"What I mean is that you need to pay back your debt." The man answered without mincing words.
"But the person who is responsible is dead," Lena said.
"Of course, that is why you are here." The man said. "You are his family. So his debt has been passed on to you."
"But this isn't my fault," Lena screamed.
"I don't care how you do it, but my boss is waiting for his money, and he doesn't like to be told no... So I advise you to find a way and settle your debt."
The man stood up and walked across the room. "Be quick about it because you wouldn't like to see Mr. Ruger angry. I promise you."