Balogun

SADNESS

"When it's gone, you'll know what a gift love was. You will suffer like this. So, go back and fight to keep it."
- Ian McEwan.

"Our parting was like a stalemate, neither of us won. Yet both of us lost. And worse still....that unshakable feeling that nothing was ever really finished."
- Ranata Suzuki.

xXx

Abike knew something was not right the moment she was forcefully separated from Jamal at the border.
They had only crossed Ore's borderline for about five minutes when he was quickly surrounded by twenty Amu horse riders demanding he give her to them and leave.

They were there on the King's orders and had shown Jamal a letter from King Ola supporting their statement.

He had grudgingly handed her over and refused to go back to Ore until he went further with them another hour to ensure they went the right way with her and were handling her okay.

When he was leaving, he had looked at her long and hard, turned on his horse and then rode off without a backward glance.

The journey back to Amu with the strange men was long and lonely. Something was wrong she could feel it.

When they had rode through the highlands leading directly to the Palace, Abike began to stir uncomfortably. Something was wrong.

Why had they taken the back roads that led directly to the Palace and not the one that led through the city?

Why were they even taking her directly to the Palace and not to her home?
Were her Parents waiting in the Palace?

When they arrived at the Amu Palace, Abike tried but couldn't summon any sense of excitement at seeing the familiar structure.
She wanted to be in Murewa's arms, not here.

Currently, she was being led through the back gates and Abike realized she was being treated like a prisoner.

Ten men were surrounding her, with one of them holding her wrists clamped behind her as she walked.

What was going on?

They went through the halls and Abike passed servants on the way who didn't even spare her a second glance.
She would give anything to see Mrs. Jamila's face right now.

"Stay here." The men pushed her inside an empty room and jammed the door behind her.

The room was empty and it had only one window. There was no other piece of furniture in the room and Abike sank to the floor.

She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, fatigue finally catching up to her.
Murewa.
Her precious man.

No longer would she be able to just walk down the hall and into his room to see him.

No longer would she witness his beautiful smile or his wondrous laugh. Or his sweet touch. His kiss.

She felt tears spill from her eyes and wiped it off, the ring on her finger snagged a strand of her hair as she did and she raised her hand up to look at it.

"I would come for you. I promise you."

Please come, Olu. Please. Come. Come get me and your child.

The more she wiped her tears, the more it fell.

The door swung open suddenly and she shot to her feet, wiping her tears off quickly.

"Why are you crying? Have you been mistreated?"
It was the King Ola.

Abike bowed quickly. "Good morning, my King."