Pains of Amara(Completed)

Chapter 11

AMARACHI

   God I'm so dead!
Aunty Lydia kept on screaming, calling me a thief. I didn't steal anything. I was innocent.
I knew she wouldn't listen to my side of the story.
My heart was beating so fast as if it was threatening to break out of my rib cages.
"God please help me"

"Aunty wait... it's..."I began but I was quickly interrupted by her.

"It's what?! It's what Amarachi!? After that old hag called your grandmother will see you as an angel not knowing you are a thief! Nothing but a thief! Just like your mother!"

Really? My mother? Why does she always add my mother in her insults! Why can't she let my mother rest?
My mother isn't a thief and I'm not one either.

"Aunty Lydia my mother isn't a thief"I said immediately surprised by my own bravery.

"What did you say?"Aunty Lydia asked rather too calmly as she advanced towards me.
I had immediately lost that little bravery I had. I just wished the ground would open and swallow me.

"Aunty..I..I...just..I"I stuttered unable to use the right words. Immediately I felt her hands on my cheeks.
She slapped me the second time, then another slap.
My cheeks were already hurting me from the number of slaps I had gotten from her.
Tears welled up in my eyes seeing how cruel she was to me.

Aunty Lydia suddenly pounced on me, pushing me to the ground. She came on top of me and was hitting me.

  "I'll kill you today!"she said as she landed a blow to my face.
I was screaming and crying, pleading with her to listen to me but she didn't.
Instead her blows became stronger. I was receiving the punishment for a crime I never committed.

She stood up from me and glared at me,panting as if she wasn't satisfied with the beating she gave me.
  I sat up painstakingly and moved back with my hands as I saw the death glare she had in her eyes for me.
"Aunty..aunty.. please..lis-listen to me. I'm innocent. I didn't take anything. Ogechi did" I pleaded admist the tears rolling down my cheeks.
"Oh you are still lying Amarachi!?"aunty Lydia shouted.
She quickly picked a measuring ruler lying close to me and was about to use it to hit me when suddenly I heard a voice.

"Hey ma'am what do you think you are doing?" Came the masculine voice. I turned around the same time she looked up to see the person that dared to interrupt her.

He was a tall light skinned broad shouldered young man.
Very light skinned. His hair was extremely long for a Nigerian and was tied up to a bun.

   "Who are you mister man!?"aunty Lydia lashed out at the young man.

"I'm just a human being that is wondering why you are beating up this poor girl"was his calm reply.
His accent. It sounded like an American accent.

"If you know what is good for you, you better leave here now!?"Aunty Lydia shouted.

I looked at the young man with my swollen and bruised face. He smiled at me reassuringly as if telling me he will handle the situation.
I had tears in my eyes as I gazed at him.
I was begging him to save me. Save me from this woman called my Aunty.

  "Get out!"my aunty shouted at him.
Deep down I was praying and hoping he wouldn't leave.
"Why are you beating her?" He asked with a calm demeanor.

My aunty, at this point, was tired of entertaining his questions. She bit her bottom lip in annoyance and paced around the shop, trying to calm herself down.

"You want to know right!? This girl is a thief! She stole from me"

I immediately turned to look at him with pleading eyes and clasps my hands together.
"I...I didn't...I pr-promise. S-sir. I didn't. Ogechi took it."I stuttered in tears. I hoped he will believe me. I wasn't a thief.

  He gave me that reassuring smile once more and faced my aunty"why don't you ask that Ogechi and hear both sides of the story instead of beating her up?"

  My aunty immediately shot me a glare. She was getting very angry.

"She is somebody's daughter not some trash. Hear both sides of the story ma'am" he added.
I watched in awe. Again another stranger's kindness far surpassed aunty Lydia's attitude to me my entire life.

"Mr man..."aunty Lydia began harshly but was immediately cut short by the young handsome stranger.

"How do you think people will feel seeing you treat your worker like this? Beating her up like she's some kind off trash. Huh tell me? What do you think they will say about you? Did you think people couldn't see you beating and they couldn't hear her screams? You are ruining your business reputation. Go to this Ogechi and hear both sides before melting out your anger on only one person"he concluded.

Aunty Lydia's eyes widened like someone who saw a ghost. She immediately dropped the measuring ruler.
"It's not like I'm a bad person o. I just don't like thieves"aunty Lydia said trying to give an excuse for the way she treated me.

His fist clenched on the mention of that word "thieves".

"She's not a thief!"he suddenly yelled back which caught me by surprise. It also startled aunty Lydia as she flinched.

"How much got missing?"he asked with a deep sigh.

"No o you don't need to pay. Amara stand and go back home. I'm not a bad person o. Amara I'm sorry. I over reacted. You know your aunty doesn't like people who steal that's why I over reacted"she said quickly with a hint of fear in her tone.

I knew why aunty Lydia was treating me nicely. It wasn't because she was truly sorry. It was because of her reputation. She didn't want to ruin her reputation.

The young man offered me his hand and I took it, helping me to stand up to my feet.
Coming close to him, I noticed his eyes were golden and his hair was really curly. He was a very handsome young man.

  He stared at me for some seconds, his eyes travelled all around my swollen face, scrutinizing my bruises. He touched my bruised cheek lightly which made me whimper.
"You are going to be alright"he whispered to me.

Right there as I gazed into his golden eyes all I could see was pure concern and care.
Something I had always craved for.