Chapter 2: When the Wrong Stranger Intervened

The beautiful flow of the Johnson River with its burble and bubbles in different places of the river bed was the perfect place it seems for Ella Bradshaw to be at the moment. After washing with her hands and at times a coconut brush, all the dirt from the clothing that she had brought to river for laundry, Ella took off her clothing and jump into the deep turquoise blue water. And there, she began splashing away with her feet like a fish struggling to survive in shallow waters. Momentarily raising her head to the surface for air and to see what the other users of the river were up to and also checking on the progress of her clothing which she had laid out on the large river stones and in the sun to dry.

All of the other users of the river and their children also joined in the deep blue hole to cool off their bodies and freshen themselves to return home after their laundry were done drying in the sun. And hours later, the sun light shifted its position and began traveling further west, bringing a bulge of fear in Ella’s stomach. Because, the time was getting closer and closer for her to return and face the dreadful hands of her parents. Expecting that her father would flag her ass soon after she put down the washing pan from her head or when she was laid up in the bed fast asleep.

Fear was now consuming her thoughts and she decided to make her way out of the large body of water before her thoughts made her do something she wasn’t really anticipating. Like sinking herself to the bottom of the blue hole and swallowing up as much water as she possible could, so she didn’t have to face her parents or what they warned they would be doing to her.

Strongly easing herself out of the heavy flow of the river like a water goddess and flashing the excess water from her hair and body like a shaggy dog whose coat had just been shampooed, Ella then began drying off her skin. Once out of her wet clothing, she then put on something dry and began folding all the dry clothing that she had washed few hours ago while watching the movement of the sun. But, she knew, she couldn’t stay by the river forever and decided to lift the washing pan on her head and go home and face the music. Furthermore, her belly was crying out for something substantial to eat.

And just like Ella, the other users of the river, who were living in the same community as her, began folding their wash and began packing to make their way back home.

With Ella leading the pack, all the women made their way up to the little hill, descended it, and then began walking through the narrow pathway leading to the intersection, where they would all part ways with the little girl who liked splashing into the deepness of the river water. The group of jovial women made a right turn while Ella traveled straight on ahead to where her home was located.

“Bye Ella!” The women shouted; “We’ll see you later!”

“Alright, I’ll see you guys around!”

Ella responded halfway between happiness and a choke.

Her thoughts were now heavily rested on confronting either of her parents who were drumming up in their heads on how to give her a good spanking.

Overwhelm with her thoughts, Ella took the massive wash pan from her head, placed it on the grass and then began sobbing severely. Not even realizing or hearing the footsteps of someone’s booths coming towards her.

It was an old man living not too far from the river by the name of Jimmy, who was oftentimes consumed and smell of alcohol. But he didn’t seem drunk at that moment.

“Pickny, what you crying about?”

Jimmy asked.

But still overwhelm and fretting about her ass whopping, Ella was unable to respond to him right way.

Realizing that a response wasn’t forthright coming to him, Jimmy went ahead and convey the message that was given to him by Ms. Nella, Ella’s mother.

“Your mother said, if I see you, I should ask you, if you’re going to be spending the whole damn evening, down by the river bed?”

Hearing the message, Ella immediately stood to her feet and fearfully ask; “Did Mama have the bicycle breaks in her hands?”

“I didn’t see any bicycle breaks in her hands.” Jimmy replied; “Only a blow, as if, she was just done drinking soap!”

Learning that there were no beating weaponry in view, Ella quickly place the wash pan of clothing back on her head and started making her way home once again. Thinking that her parents might have considered to be merciful towards her.

Making her way closer and closers to her parent’s property, Ella began looking into the yard to see if her father’s bicycle was leaned up anywhere around the house. But there was no sign of it there, telling her that he wasn’t at home at the moment. So, gladly she made her way along the fence, through the wooden gates and then into the yard where almost every one of her siblings, along with her mother, were seated under the large breadfruit tree in front of the house.

All eyes now began staring at Ella as though she was a ghost. But it was her mother who had spoken first.

“It took you the entire day to wash the few pieces of clothing?”

Ms. Nella asked.

“I wanted them to be perfect for you and Dada, so you wouldn’t have to rub them up and down into the mud once again.”

Ella responded softly trying to throw a sense of guilt on her mother, hoping that she would feel bad about what she had done to her a week or few, aback.

“Well once I don’t see a spot of dirt on any of those clothing then you’re good. But if not, just know, you will be going straight back down to the riverside to wash every single piece of these clothing once again!”

Her mother said harshly.

A warning which had brought even more sadness to Ella’s heart as she made her way around the side of the house, so as to go through the backdoor of the house. Heart heavy and eyes filled with tears, Ella entered the room she was sharing with her two brothers and three other sisters. And there, she removed the wash pan from off her head and place it on top of her bed for inspection. Even though confident that she had done a good job washing them, Ella still fear that her good job might not be good enough for her mother.

Making her way to dive into some of that beef soup in the iron cast pot inside the kitchen, Ms. Nella quickly blocked Ella from getting any further.

“Come and show me the clothes them that you spend all day by the river say you washing!”

Ella’s mother requested of her.

Ms. Nella slumping down her robust self on the boy’s bed, she then demanded;

“Take the clothing out of the washing pan, so I can damn well see what you have done with them!”

Piece by piece and one after the other, Ella handed each piece of clothing into her mother’s hand for her to inspect them. And while each piece of clothing were in her hands, she gave them a thorough inspection, sold if they were going to be sold in some high-class store in the fashion industry. Turning them upside down, sideways, back and front to make sure, there weren’t any dirt marks or stain presenting itself onto them. Although, most of these garments were worn daily, in atmospheres that were filled with grease, grim and grubby mess.

Reaching her last inspection and feeling somewhat satisfied, Ms. Nella scoffing and ridiculing her daughter’s emotion, lashed out at her; “You’re lucky they are done properly, or else, before day break you would have to march back to river and wash them again!”

Happy that her mother was feeling satisfied about the cleanness of clothing, Ella hurrying made her way to the kitchen where she began dishing out her bowl of soup for dinner. Because, the fruits she had eaten from the tress earlier on this morning had done their job of strengthening her and now she was raw with hunger.

Seating herself on the large piece of long backyard, ready to devour that soup and whatever was inside of it, Ella could hear the voice of her father at the front of the yard. Now she wasn’t sure of what to do… if she should run and hide herself or where even to hide or bowl of soup in her hands. She was shaking and confused.

The only place that she could run and hide in the backyard was inside the outhouse. But she was so fearful of entering it for such; knowing that her father might well go straight there after parking his bicycle in the front of the yard.

Her other option was to go hiding under her bed, but she couldn’t bring the bowl of soup under there with her.

Carefully, Ella knelt down on the ground and began watching the movement of her father by way of the cellar of the house. Observing to see when he would enter inside the house, so she could then change her position and move to the front of the yard or at the other corner of the yard which have very little foot traffic.

Dodging her way out of a merciless beating by her father’s hands, Ella opted for the side of the yard with the less traffic and there she sat and drank her bowl of soup until it was done and her name was being called.

“Wait! Ella hasn’t come back from the river by now?”

Christopher asked.

“Yes, she came back a while ago and out back eating her dinner!”

Ella could her siblings responding to her father’s inquiries.

She then could hear his footstep walking through the house going towards the backdoor, presumably to lay his eyes on her. But by then, she was at the other side of the yard hiding where the fence was much closer to the house. Obviously, not seeing her in the back of the yard, Ella could once again hear his other comment.

“You can go ahead and play all the hide and seek, that you want to, because you have no clue of when I’m going to hold you!”

Her father said.

A comment which had left Ella fretting even more than before. Because, she knew, if her father catches her unexpectedly – while she was in bed sleeping, then she would be completely done for. Since he didn’t care about where on anyone’s body part he would heavily laying down his weapon of destruction on. Knowing that some body parts could go missing or some serious laceration could happened on one’s physical being, bringing about the gushing of blood or unconsciousness, Ella was scared out of her faculties.

She was trembling, confused and out of her mind with worry! And now she was thinking that she shouldn’t sleep on top of the bed with the rest of her sisters. But instead, underneath the bed behind one of the large washing pans used for storing old clothing. She also thought about, spreading some of those old clothing in the washing pan onto the floor, so as to cushion away some of the hardness that presents itself on the cold wooden floors. Therefore, whenever her father came inside the children’s bedroom to perform his stroking of the whip, then she wouldn’t be there.

But she knew, she couldn’t make her sleeping spot under the bed when everyone else was awake, but needed to take her position on the bed when her sisters were taking theirs. And when they were all sleeping, she could then slid from off the bed and get under the bed to make her escape.

Having such plans firmly concluded in her mind, it was now only a matter of time for her to execute it.

It was already getting dark but not fully time for bed as yet.

Everyone in the Bradshaw family was either seated in the living room where they usually gathered at that hour of the evening or sucking up some of the cool breeze on the veranda of the house.

Ella, still at the side of the house, decided it was time for her to wash her feet at the cistern since she had already taken her bath down by the riverside; and then join the rest of the family inside of the living room.

Knowing about their parents plot to scour her ass, all eyes were gazing upon her as she entered the living room. Because, all the other children knew what such discipline or spanking entailed, since they personally had experienced or witness it, one time or the other, by either parent.

Her little mind flooded with thoughts of what the outcome of her spanking was going to be like, Ella sat quietly in one of the sofa chairs closes to her bedroom. Contemplating that she would run inside the bedroom and hide, or, quickly make her escape through the backdoor, whenever her father decided to come inside of the house. Because right then and there, he was sitting on one of the veranda chairs with one foot elevated over the handle, relaxing and possibly taking a snooze. Or, he could have just had his eyes close and thinking about how he was going to murder his own daughter tonight.

Nonetheless, bedtime was near and all the children began making their way towards the bedroom, the boys occupying their beds on the right and the girls taking their position on the left.

Ella usually sleeps in the corner where the bed meets the wall and usually was the first person to get onto the bed at night fall; but not this night. She wanted her three sisters to get in bed before her and patiently she waited for them to do so. Because, she had a plan and they as well could somehow sense that she did. Since, they too, at one time or the other, had to think about making an escape or dodging the black piece of wire used for whipping them until their skin whaled and bruised.

Observing that all her sisters were in bed and partially dosing off to sleep, Ella returned to the living room, peek through the window blades to see the position that her father was in. It he was still mellowing out relaxing or was he sitting up straight and readying himself to enter his room for bed. And from what she had seen, he was totally tired and done for the day and a long sleep throughout the night or for the rest of the night would be his portion.

From where Ella stood, she could also see that her mother was fast asleep on the bed she shared with her father and showed no signs of getting up, for the rest of the night, unless, to use the pale.

Strategizing her way of escape, before going to bed, Ella unlocked the door latch to the backdoor of her bedroom. Just in case, her father decided on entering her bedroom and beating her while she was off sleeping and she needed to hastily make her way through it.

Having the task of the back door accomplish and ready to grant her freedom, Ella was no all fours crawling into her bed and taking her position in the corner of the bed. Where, she too like her brothers and sister would ride off into a deep sleep. Especially, since she had been baking out in the hot sun all day and tired from toiling over the very large wash pan of dirty laundry belonging to both parents and her siblings.

A complete antidote or remedy for getting into a deep sleep.

Resting on her side and intentionally turning her face to where her father would enter the room from if he decided on doing so. Ella rested her head on her pillow and kept her eyes open as long as possible, trying to fight back sleep as much as she could manage to. And after hours of repeatedly bucking her head, jolting her eyes to stay awake, and keeping a listening ear for her father to enter her room; she finally got knocked out and went into an extreme deep sleep that would be very difficult to be awaken from.

Now she was clueless of what time her father had gotten up from the veranda chair, turned off the lamps or entered his own bedroom to rest. One thing was for certain, Ella had a long, undisturbed sleep during the night and neither had she gotten a chance to execute any of her plans of escape during the night.

But, early Sunday morning, just after the second crowing of the big red comb roosters, Ella could feel her skin stinging her as if bitten by a swam of angry wasps. Still in a deep sleep, she tried brushing away the painful sensation that continued perturbing her while she rested. But when the stinging wouldn’t stop from tormenting her or go away, she opened her eyes only to experience the numerous striking of the bicycle breaks upon her skin.

Now she tried getting up from the bed and began pleading and screaming for her father to be merciful and stop whacking her with the dangerous piece of wire. But it seems like the more she begged, was the more he got angrier and wacked her even harder.

“Dada, do, please stop!”

Ella cried time and time again still trying to get her balance on her feet and leap off the bed. But her cruel father wouldn’t give her the slightest chance to make a break away from him. Now, her father’s knee was pressing against her chest as she lay on her back with both feet flying in the air, struggling to resist the blows that were coming at her from his hands. And with every ounce of escape that made itself available to her, her father would knock her back down to the mattress and put on more licks on her skin while she bawl, bellow out and begged for mercy or for him to stop hitting her. But her constant yelling, waling, pleading and beseeching brought about no compassion to her father’s heart, mind or soul.

Being only ten or eleven years of age, she was no match for her father Christopher. And for hours, he beat and battered his poor daughter with the black piece of bicycle brakes until her lips were busted, her eyes were swollen and cocked and trickling of blood began dripping from the whale marks she had encountered on her hands, thighs and abdomen by way of his hands.

The loud cries of Ella now became faint, and it was in that moment her mother came to the doorway of the bedroom and called out to her common-law husband and father to five of her children.

Peeping over at Ella under her father’s restraints and seeing her still taking quick breaths indicating that she was still alive, her mother then loudly called out to Ella’s father.

“Christ, mind you killed that child pressing under your knees!”

Ms. Nella said.

Hearing his name being called in such an alerting manner, he immediately began looking behind him. And upon seeing the face of his common-law wife, who was standing there at the doorway with fright and fear written all over her face, Christopher quickly withdrew his strong knee from off the chest of his daughter and release whatever control he had upon her.

All Ella’s sisters were off the bed and her brothers too had made their way out of the bedroom once they realize what was happening to their sister. Some had flee into the living room and others had gone outdoors into the backyard. Too scared and afraid of the dangerous weapon being used for beating their sister, to accidently hit them on any of the delicate places of their bodies, leaving them disfigured for life.

Now all the siblings of Ella were gathered at the bedroom door, staring down at her on the quite dismantles bed, as though, she was some type of foreign entity which they had never seen or heard of before. Meanwhile, their father slowly removed himself and began reshuffled his unkempt clothing while still cussing underneath his breath that pickny must bloody hear whenever their parents or adults talk to them.

Filled with pain and extremely exhausted her beating, Ella laid still on the shattered and demolish bed completely motionless. The only thing on her that was moving was the rise and fall of the walls of her diaphragm. Even if she was looking at her sibling and biding them to help her, they just couldn’t tell by gazing at her, because her eyes were totally swollen and shutdown.

Weak and tired, Ella tried rolling onto her side, so she could look into the mirror which was just above the foot of her bed; something she did almost every morning. But when she position herself to do so, she could not make out or recognize her reflection in the mirror. All she was seeing was pure darkness. Lifting her hands, she began touching her face, and now she came to realize that it was no longer the way it used to be.

“Your entire face is badly swollen!”

One of Ella’s sisters exclaimed.

“You might have to use warm water mixed with sault to bathe it and get it down.”

Another sister said, gazing at Ella sadly

In that moment, Ella heard a voice speaking inside of her.

“He will never touch you or beat you like this ever again!”

Came the voice inside of her.

Fumbling like the totally blind trying to leave her bedroom, Ella with the aid of her younger sister, eventually made her way out into the yard where she soon began gathering shambles of stick for boiling water to start with her healing.

It wasn’t until a week before the swelling around Ella’s eyes started to recede, and even though she was unable to see much before that period of time, both parents demanded that leave out of the house and attended school. Thankfully, she had good friends at her school who were willing to assist her. Helping her to each classroom, up the stairs, in getting her lunch at the school canteen and also to the bathroom door. And so many of her friend did for her each day until her eyes had gotten healed. And act of kindness that she presumed she would someday pay forward to her friends, but probably, in a different way.

However, the act of terror continued at the Bradshaw house, but not as severely as it was with Ella, Sunday morning.

But, would such life of horror, fear and dread, ever ends?

Although, going to her school each and every day during the week, Ella’s school work continued to decline tremendously, and now she was practically out of favor with her teachers. She was now either tired or unable to pay attention to her teachers’ instruction or to her school work. And being an ambitious child with failing grades, her character also changed for the worst. Because, nothing that was being thought to her in her classes made sense. And with her grades and mannerism declining, Ella was seen as nothing but trouble, to quite a few of her teachers at the learning institution where she attended. Which lead to her being suspended by the vice principal at the school who seemed to have now grown a mean streak for Ella.

Was Ella actually a problem child or was she an easy target to be harassed?

This was not something which Ella wanted, but Mrs. Crassman was determined that she stayed away from the school compound, until she brought either parent to the principal’s office. Or, to her office where they could rectify this seemingly problem that they were encountering or facing with her at the school.

But even in trying to explain to the principal about the situation she was having at home, causing her to have a downward spiral in her education, the vice principal did not care to hear it. But instead, she seemed to have a personal vendetta towards this poor child; calling out her name at every given moment, most times for no good reasons at all. If five children came through the gates of the school five minutes later than when the school sessions were supposed to begin, Mrs. Crassman would ignore the four other children and call out Ella Bradshaw’s name about being late as if she was the only one who had entered the premises of the school late.

Hearing the news from the principal that she as being suspended, Ella gathered her book-bag and began crying as she made her way out of the school yard. Scared, sweating, and shaking about what she would encounter at home, once her parents received the news that she was asked to leave the school until one of them came to rectify the problem they were having with her.

It was a long road to the main road after leaving the premises of the school; around a mile long. The sun was blazing hot and balls of white clouds moved speedily in the heavens while the uneven road below, leading to the main street was quite lonely. Only few goats and cows graze the pastures at either side of the long whining road. And upon reaching end of the long road, Ella saw a group of men standing by the way side, three of them and they were in dialogue with each other.

Seeing her with tears streaming down her face, one of them called out to her and then proceeded to ask her; what was the reason for her to be crying. Tears bottled up in her eyes, she looked up at him with great sadness on her face, quite reluctant to saying out loud, what her tongue really wanted to utter.

Wiping her face with the back of her hand, the man who had asked the question, came closer towards her, hoping to find out from her what was troubling her. And with much tremor in her voice, she then managed expressing to the stranger that she had just gotten suspended from school and needed her parents to come at the institution and rectify the problem with the vice principal.

“Everything will be alright?”

The stranger spoke.

But, little did this stranger know, that her tell her parents about this discipline issue at her school was the real problem. And the extreme consequences she would have to face for such happening to her.

“My parents are going to kill me, if this news ever gets to them!”

Ella said sobbingly.

Soon the stranger began scratching his head filled with long curly lox. He then turned his head and began looking at his two buddies, seemingly for an answer to this problem.

And surprisingly, one of them seem to have come up with the right remedy to the solution.

“You can go by the school and represent her!”

Said, one of the friends of the stranger.

“Just tell them at the school that her mother is unable to make it there, and you are an uncle to the child and is there to represent her parents and settle the problem.”

Happy about this perfect stranger wanting to help her, Ella told him a million thanks and agree with him to take her by the school to rectify this issue. A serious issue this kind stranger was ready to resolve right away. But Ella in her own wisdom, knew that if they both returned to the grounds of the school immediately after her suspension would heighten some suspicion among the principal and other staff members and even her fellow students.

Therefore, she encouraged him to meet her where they were now standing, around seven o’clock in the morning, and together they would go by the school after devotion and clarify this suspension matter with those in charge.

Ella was now drying her tears and beaming a little happiness on her face, thankful that God had sent her a redeemer in her moment of dire need.

Now a plan of correspondence had to be put in place, to bring about unwavering truth at this very important meeting with the principal at Ella’s school. So she could resume to her classes, her education and also to her friends.

Hence, they soon began exchanging their names, what were they relations, where her uncle was living at the time, and whose brother was he, her mother’s or her father’s?

This was an attempt for allowing their stories to be in perfect correlation with each other.

Ella wrote down her name, her date of birth, her mother’s and father’s name and also her address and handed it to the stranger for him to recite and memorize it for their meeting in the morning. And likewise, he had done the same to her… giving her his correct name and date of birth, just in case such questions would arise when they both went for their meeting with the principal or vice principal at her place of learning.

Accomplishing this sharing of personal information, Ella and the stranger, happily parted ways; waving goodbye to each other as she continued on her journey to the main road where she waited for a vehicle to bring her home.

The stranger’s rightful name was Kaleem Chin, but he would be known to Ella as uncle Jaheel. A name she recited all the way home that afternoon in the boiling sun, for the rest of that evening, and also right throughout the night until she had fallen asleep. But before her eyes could close, she laid there and began wondering, if the stranger would actually show up and escort her to her principal office.

Reflecting into deep thought of the stranger not showing up to represent her as a very close family member, troubled her mind badly; bringing her to carve out in her mind what would be plan?

But would this plot, to be liberated from some of Ella’s troubles at her school, make the cut?

Even though, still perplex, bright and early the following morning, Ella got out of bed as she normally would, prepare herself for school after doing her morning chores. And before leaving out of the house that morning for school, Ella took that same piece of paper with the stranger’s personal information written onto it and began reciting it once again. And so she did, all the way to the gates of her school, hoping not to fumble on his name while standing in front of the head mistress during their conference.

Nicely dressed with his head neatly wrapped, the stranger was standing at the same spot where he and Ella had agreed to me up from the day before. She was so thankful and happy that he stick to his commitment… was there to represent her as a guardian. And as she stopped the taxi and exited it, they both smiled at each other, realizing that an alliance was being formed to crush this evil darkness that had been crippling her education, her life, and her self-esteem.

Like an actual good-good uncle, Jaheel held onto Ella’s hand and walked with her into the school yard and then by the door at the principal office; ready to have that important dialogue as to why his wonderful niece was being suspended from the school.

Teachers and students alike passed them standing by the door of the principal office before they were actually called into the room to sit and speak with her.

Minutes later, the principal come out from her office with her hair into a bun, her nose pointed like a witch and her face filled with a light tone make-up that didn’t match her skin tone. Her eye brows were paste with very black pencil liner, making her eyes slanted and resembling that of a cat. Breast as big as a fourteen inch television and her feet as tiny as a pencil, she stood in front of Kaleem Chin, extended her hand to him and said good morning with a smile. Seconds later, she greeted Ella Bradshaw, with the same curtesy.

Eyes dancing back and forth from, Kaleem Chin and then to Ella Bradshaw’s face, Ms. Banner then asked;

“What has brought you here to my office today?”

“Ella Bradshaw is my niece!” He replied.

“And I have come here to the school to investigate the matter that she was reportedly suspended for.”

Kaleem Chin continued to express.

All of a suddenly, the principal started flaring up and began lashing out Kaleem Chin;

“Whose uncle you’re telling me that you are… hers?”

“Get your lanky ass off my school compound before I call 119 on your ass!”

The school principal blurted.

“She is brown skin and you are chines or some mixed breed thereof; how the dickens could you be her uncle or she be your niece?”

Mrs. Banner continued to question with raised voice.

And just as Kaleem Chin was about to give her the history of his family tree, relating to Ella Bradshaw, Ms. Banner angrily shouted at him with all certainty. And now she was ready to put up a fight, just to let him know, that she knew, he wasn’t an uncle to this student standing in front of her, or any other relative, whatsoever. And no amount of explanation could have convince her otherwise.

But, was there a tale bearer who had made it their duty to rat-out Ella Bradshaw and Kaleem Chin, the Good Samaritan?

Pulling Ella up by the collar of her school uniform, white blouse and blue tunic, the principal dragged her into the office she occupied like she was pulling at the ropes of a stubborn goat, and there, she proceeded to plop her down on one of the chairs.

Moments later, she was leaning over her desk, blowing off steam and writing another letter to Ella’s mother. A letter which she then handed to Ella Bradshaw and told her to hand it over to her mother without opening it, before dismissing her from the office space.

In tears, Ella took the letter from the principal’s hands and walked through the doors of her office with a look of fear covering her face. Meanwhile, Kaleem Chin began making his way towards the main gate of the school premises. And there, he stood waiting for Ella, with a disappointing countenance covering his entire being. Slouching against the wire fence of the property of the school, he waited anxiously to give her an apology for not coming through for her as they had previously planned.

Ella could already tell that he was very disappointed due to way he was looking at her. And as he opened his mouth to tell her that he regretted that their plan hadn’t worked out, Ella with sad eyes said; “Me too!”

But their scheming wasn’t entirely over as yet, because Ella was determine that her mother couldn’t know anything about her being suspended from school and now she wanted someone else to stand guardianship at school for her. So, she asked this Chinese Rasta Man to walk with her down by the place called Norkends. A community where one of her best friends at school was living, hoping to get her mother to do the same thing that the Rasta man, Kaleem Chin had just done for her.

After walking over two miles to get to Gloria’s house, Ella stood at the gate exhausted and tired. Soon she began knocking and calling for someone to come and attend to her. At first it seems as though no one was at home, but after a while later subsequently shouting out her voice box and filled with worry, there came Gloria through the front door of her house with a big grin on her face.

“My God Gloria, I have been knocking forever without even a tiny response from a dog barking… are your dogs all dead, or were you fast sleeping?”

Ella said wiping sweat from her face.

“Don’t you know not to call the Lord’s name in vain?”

Gloria responded laughing.

Ella wasn’t laughing, she was there on serious business and wanted to get straight to it.

But would she get this critical assistance that she was seeking to obtain from her friend’s mother?