Meanwhile, Araba was hearing all that were being said. Her soul cried within. Her spirit wanted to tell Rose of the impending danger, but her body was stifling with the chains of fear.
Rose’s parent came downstairs and joined them on the table. “Daniel, I heard you have proposed marriage to my daughter. Is that correct?” Rose’s mother asked. “Yes Madam, I did it today. I love your daughter and I want to settle down with her as soon as possible.” Daniel said. “I see. I have agreed with my wife to foot all the wedding bills. I don’t want to cause any unnecessary stress to you. Feel free and bring your parents so that we can proceed with the wedding plans.” Rose’s father said. “Yes sir, I will do just that.” Daniel replied.
Araba was sitting on the chair confused. She didn’t know if she should shake off the blanket of fear that had covered her and made her a prisoner and tell Rose what she knew. She knew Rose was definitely making the wrong choice, but Daniel’s threat kept on tolling in her mind anytime she wanted to set free her tongue that had been bridled by fear.
Soon, they were done eating and Daniel left for his car. He sat in it and drove away satisfied that his plan had worked. Araba had responded well to his threats. He intentionally proposed to Rose to gain access into the house and to confuse Araba. “I am a smart guy!” Daniel said praising himself for his efforts so far.
Meanwhile, Mame Pokua had gone to withdraw all the money she had in her bank account. She even added her own personal savings. She went to search for a lawyer to defend her lovely daughter. Fortunately for her, she met an old friend who led her to a renowned lawyer. The fee for hiring that lawyer was half the money she withdrew from the bank. She had no option than to pay since she wanted to save her daughter.
Two weeks seemed like hours to Mame Pokua. She had grown lean during that period. The day for Doreen to appear in court was due. Mame Pokua couldn’t sleep the previous night. She was wondering if that would be the last time she would see her daughter. If her daughter was found guilty, she could spend many years behind bars. The comfort of sleep was taken away from her. She neither blinked as she stared at the blank wall in her house.
“I have to hurry, the hearing will start two hours from now. I need to get there early to consult with the lawyer.” She said while her alarm clock rang. She hurriedly took her bath and dressed. In minutes, she was out of the house en route to the lawyer who was handling the case.
When she got to the court with the lawyer, she met her daughter before the trial. “Don’t worry my daughter. I will get you out of this mess. I will not allow them to take you to prison.” Mame Pokua tried to encourage Doreen.
The trial began, and the battle was fierce. The lawyers for each side tried to win the case. But, in the end, Doreen’s lawyer got her a good offer. The decision the judge came up with was to ban Doreen from taking any examination. The offer also went with a fine. The lawyer asked for some minutes to consult her client, which the Judge agreed. He took Mame Pokua outside the courtroom. “What were you saying in there?” Mame Pokua asked the lawyer. “See woman. That is the best compromise I can reach for your daughter. If we don’t take this deal, your daughter may rot in prison. She can learn another profession. That is better than prison.” The lawyer explained to Mame Pokua.
Mame Pokua saw reason in what the lawyer said. She agreed for the lawyer to accept the offer. They both went inside the courtroom.
“My client has accepted the offer.” The lawyer told the judge when he was invited to speak. With that, Mame Pokua used the other half of the money to pay the fine and her daughter was acquitted. Mame Pokua had expended all the money she saved from selling her deceased brother’s property. She also lost all the money in her personal savings account. She had fallen from the mountain of wealth and landed in the valley of intractable poverty.
Daniel was thinking on his bed. The wedding was drawing nearer, and he still had had no problems from Araba. “What if she is waiting for the day of the wedding to expose me? She knows I can’t do anything to her in the midst of all the guests. I need to solve this problem once and for all. I need to get rid of Araba.”
Daniel took a phone and called Nana Akua. He got her number from Rose’s phone. “Hello, please who is this?” Nana Akua asked. “It is me Daniel, your madam’s fiancée.” Daniel answered. “Oh, Sir Daniel, how did you get my number?” Nana Akua inquired. “Forget how I got your number. I have something important to discuss with you. Can you come to my house tomorrow? It is very urgent.” Daniel asked Nana Akua with a sense of urgency in his voice. Nana Akua had no other choice than to accept the invitation. She didn’t know why her madam’s fiancée would call her that late and request a meeting. “There is only one way to find out.” She said as she turned off her light to sleep. She planned to pass by his place when going to the market the next day.
Meanwhile, Araba couldn’t sleep. The issue at hand was eating her up. She went to Rose’s room. When she got there, she found the door unlocked. That meant Rose was still awake since she could see the light in her room still on. She opened the door gently and entered without Rose seeing her.
When Araba got closer to Rose, she saw her stroking the ring Daniel had placed on her finger when he proposed marriage to her. She was admiring the ring to an extent she didn’t even realize Araba was in her room.
Araba tapped Rose on the shoulder. Rose was surprised to see Araba in her room. She thought she had locked her door. “Araba, what are you doing up so late?” Rose asked. Now, Araba was confused again. She became confused when she saw Rose admiring the ring on her finger. It was just some few weeks to her wedding and breaking such news about her fiancée wasn’t a good idea. She saw how happy Rose was when she stroked the ring in a circular motion. How can she mar her moment with such news? The weight of the news could rip apart the soul of her beloved Rose. “I have to find another way of letting Rose realize she is making a mistake by choosing that devil as a future partner.” Araba thought silently in her head.
“Hey lady, you haven’t answered my question.” Rose said trying to draw Araba’s attention to her earlier question. “I came to say good night to you Rose.” Araba lied. “Come to think of it, you have been behaving strangely of late. You don’t seem to be yourself. I know within me that there is something bothering you. Please tell me what the problem is. You are now my sister and I have the right to know everything that is bothering you.” Rose said.
“I have observed you for a while and I realized you are always uncomfortable when Daniel is around. Is there any problem between the two of you? Please tell me if there is any?” Rose inquired. Araba's confusion became worst. She didn’t know what to do. Rose with her melancholy had deciphered that there was something wrong between Daniel and herself. Should she tell her the truth?
To be continued….
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