LIYA (EPISODE 3)

Raina came in the next day and she was even more beautiful than ever. I told her that she could start the wedding preparations. Jake revealed to her that we were going back to his father’s city at the end of the year ( his father had passed away) and so the wedding had to come before then. I showed her round the house and later left her with Jake and headed to the market.

The next couple of weeks were a flurry of events. The wedding came and ended and Raina moved in with us. She moved in with all her energy and something in Jake’s eyes that I never realised had died , came alive again. They were perfect together. They were always giggling like children and they were adventurous. I stayed out of their way. I had had my chance. Jake spent three nights in my room and four in hers. He was passionate with her. I was very jealous but I did well to hold it in.

Then came time for Jake to go and Father began to play games, he did not want to pay him his due fees. Tension began to build as Jake wasn’t finding it funny. He came into my room that night and wept. I was still the one he came to when he wasn’t happy. We prayed to our God together and asked for direction on how to go about it. That night he stayed with me and we devised a plan on how to go about it.

It worked, Father eventually did pay more than he was supposed to and we were set to go. On the morning we left, Father came to the house and said that we had stolen his gods. Jake laughed and said he was being ridiculous, we had no use of his gods. We had ours. We left for Jake’s city. I was pregnant and with child at this time.

Jake prepared our minds about the kind of situation he left at home, his brother was mad at him because he had fraudulently gotten their father to will all his estate to him instead of his elder brother. Also, he was not sure about what his mother’s reaction to his marrying two wives would be.

When we landed in Jake’s city, there was an entourage waiting for us. Jake had told us his family was quite influential, what he did not tell us was that his Father owned the city and that in fact, when he got his father to will everything over to him, he became the City King.

We were welcomed with singing and clapping and praises and I finally felt like I was home. Jake’s mother looked like a goddess and she acted like one. She took one look at me and Raina and said:

‘I have been expecting you.’’ And she ushered us in.

That night, I saw Raina smuggle Father’s idols into her room. I was alarmed, if anyone in Jake’s city saw this, we would immediately be considered pagans. So I called Jake aside and told him. Together we headed for Raina’s room

Jake was obviously angry about it and he spoke to her in that tone.

‘Raina! Why have you decided to soil my reputation in front of your father? Why have you brought your foreign gods into my holy land?’’

Raina was shocked and it was written all over her face.

‘These are my gods! I have served them all my life! You knew this before you married me didn’t you?’’

‘I am your husband and my God will be your God! You either send those things back to your Father or I send you and your idols back!’’ he thundered. I shuddered too, I had never seen Jake like this. Raina stared back at him, then she turned back to me.

‘It’s all your fault you pig, it’s all your fault. I knew you never wanted me around, but I am here to stay. You turned back on your own gods just so you could trap a man you pretended not to like. Seduced my man and used Father to trap him. Giving birth every nine months, filthy pig. This is low, very low, even for you Liya. Snitching on your sister like that. He is not going to leave me for you, never …’

‘Raina, do not talk to my wife like that ever again’’ Jake came to my rescue

‘I am your wife! Tell her the truth for once Jacob. Tell her that it has always been me!’’

‘Maybe it started out as you Raina, but I am no longer sure about that. Every single day you keep pushing me, turning me into a man that I am not. I am sick and tired of your bitterness. You need to give your sister a break. She gave us an opportunity to be together, she has sacrificed her home for you, the least you could do is appreciate her…’

‘Sacrifice my foot Jacob, why didn’t she refuse to marry you?’’

‘She did’’

‘What are you talking about?’’

‘Liya was going to run away just so you and I could be together’’

Raina didn’t know how to take this information. She keeps quiet for a while.

‘Then what stopped her?’’

‘I did.’’

‘What?  Why? Why didn’t you let her go?’’

‘Because unlike you I have a heart…and because I loved her. I love who I am around her, who she has made me become. I love her aura and I love the beautiful, peaceful and serene aura around her. Get off your high horse Raina and learn from her’’

‘Oh? Now I am the outsider? Just because I am not a dog that licks her masters foot every day? …’’

Our arguments went on like this every other day. Jake’s mother named me ‘Queen’ instead of Raina. She had no love for Raina, she only tolerated her. I delivered of a girl and later on twin boys but Raina was barren. I prayed for her every time, because she hated my children. She hated the pride in Jake’s eyes when he saw them.

Raina threw tantrums, she hit my kids. She always tried to cause trouble but I ignored her. After a while, she began to think too much. She would often sit outside and stare into space. Jake became concerned too, every day he would sit outside with her and she would weep in his arms. Their bond began to grow again. My heart broke for her, and for me and for our husband.

One day, I went to meet her and convinced her to pray with me to our God, not hers, for a child. She surprisingly agreed. Jake began to spend more nights with her but I couldn’t complain, I knew she was going to mis-interprete it.

 

Raina got pregnant and delivered a boy. He looked exactly like Jake, so he named the boy after himself. Jake was happy and so was Raina. She returned to her old spiteful self, making snide remarks about my children and me. The only difference now was that Jake did not seem to mind. My children and I were cast aside. My only solace in the house was my mother-in-law. She made me tell her the whole story of how it all started. She told me the story of how Jake and his brother were enemies and how it was largely her own fault. She had favored Jake above his brother and helped manipulate her husband into giving his estate to Jake instead of his brother. She said every day since then, she hadn’t been able to sleep. She wanted to make things right. She begged me to make sure I kept the family together, to make sure our children did not hate each other. Somehow, everyone believed that my duty was to hold the family together.

When my mother-in-law died, I felt so alone in the world. Jake sent a message to his brother informing him of her death. Jake’s brother, Ethan, arrived two days after. The semblance was alarming. Except for the fact that Ethan was darker in complexion, possibly because he was very hairy, they were the same. Jake later told me that they were just hours apart, they were twins.

 

 

 

…final episode of Liya drops tomorrow. By now this story should be familiar to you guys? Who can guess what story this is?

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