Always

"Okay I can finally go home."

"When you say home I presume my home?"

"You presumed wrong, I'm going back to the village." Amadi froze and lifted his head from what he had been reading, Zirachi held herself stiffly and faced him head on. He stood up slowly and circled the desk with his eyes still on her, she swallowed but didn't move, there was no way she would allow him boss her around. When he got to her, he reached out and cupped her face with his hands and she leaned in immediately which made him smile satisfactorily."

*************************************************

Olise you have to leave this village before nightfalls." Olise turned to see his childhood friend Jideofor painstakingly making his way to him with his clutches, he met him halfway and grasped his shoulders to steady him.

"What do you mean leave, I ha.." Jideofor cut him off by pulling him to the ground, when Olise turned a puzzled look to him he placed his index finger on his lips and gestured upwards with his eyes. Not too far from them three angry looking youths wearing loincloths, nose piercings and tattoos made their way past them, only then did Olise understand what was going on.

"Where are your children?" asked Jideofor.

"Amadi and Adaora are at my in-laws place."

"Good they will leave from there to Lagos where my friend will help them, you have to go too."

"This is my root Olise! I can't just up and leave for good". Jideofor turned an incredulous look to Olise, "We are talking about your life my friend, this is no time for sentiments."

"My children can go, they still have their lives in front of them, I'm staying here, if I am to die then let it be said I did so protecting my heritage." Jideofor shook his head in wonder, he knew Olise will be stubborn till the end.

"I know you and your western ideology don't understand my need to be here", said Olise with a chuckle.

"I don't know how I ended up being friends with you but if it is the will of God then I want to die right there beside you."

*************************************************

"Zira it's been five years since the death of our parents and you still won't come with me to Lagos." Zirachi smiled ruefully and looked up from her drawing on the ground to her best friend Adaora.

"I can't just leave Ada, this is all I know, my home, I have to be close to my father."

"He is dead Zira."

"I know, even still, I have to."

"In the home of his killers? You are risking everything each day."

"Not really, as long as they believe I can't talk, I'm not a threat to them." Adaora stood up and wiped the lone tear off her face. Zirachi had been torturing herself for five long years and she still couldn't pull her away from her dangerous comfort zone.

"Zirachi my brother has worked himself to the ground to be the successful man he is today, he did it for you too, come with me joor and stop being so stubborn." Zirachi shook her head and went back to her drawing, the mention of Amadi set her heart racing like it always did, the years hadn't changed that, each time he came for a visit she would hid from him but for how long?

*************************************************

"Zirachukwu! Come and carry these plates." Running to the living room she wiped her wet hands on her skirt. Her Uncle had called a family meeting out of the blue, if there was one thing Zirachi knew it was that whenever her uncle called his family members together, it was either to plan or cause chaos, and it made her extra concerned because they didn't want her in the meeting. Being the dutiful daughter she hurriedly packed the plates as her Uncle broke another set of kolanut.

"Uchenna it is a shame your niece can't speak, all this beauty gone to waste, no man would want her", said one of her cousins.

"At least she will cook and clean, as long as she is still useful", replied her uncle. Mortified by their harshness she left their presence quickly but for some reason she stepped back and placed her left ear on the door.

"How are the preparations going?"

"Very well Sir, when Amadi comes back for his usual visit we will act and our spy in his office will forge all his documents and bring them."

"She better not fail us."

"Not a chance Sir, she is his personal assistant, the only one with access to his files."

"Good good, he is as good as dead."

"What about his sister?"

"Let her be for now, I will marry her off to one of you as payment since she has a lot of money on her head."

"Thank you Sir!"

Zirachi bit her bottom lip and clutched the plates tightly to keep them from shaking like her body, she made her way back to the kitchen before rushing out to meet Adaora at her house.

"Zira what happened? You look like you have seen a ghost."

"We need to leave now please", replied Zirachi in a whisper.

"Why?" Zirachi shook her head and looked around again.

"Please let's talk on our way to Lagos, I will come with you but we have to leave now."

"Okay okay calm down."

"Adaora we can calm down later but for now let's panic please!"

If Zirachi wasn't looking near hysterical Adaora would have laughed but she sense Zirachi would not appreciate her humor so she did as she was told and they left twenty minutes later.

*************************************************

Amadi watched in amazement as one long shapely leg stepped in from the crack in the doorway, the small frame that came along with it further increased his interest so he looked on until he saw the face of the person. His mouth opened and closed of its own accord, he couldn't believe what he was seeing, it had to be some kind of a trick. Rising sharply to his feet he walked around his desk with his eyes still on the face of the one person he had wanted to see for a very long time, Zirachi Obiagulu. She had grown into a beautiful woman, gone was the gangly frame, her eyes still pulled him in like they always did and he followed as usual. She rushed towards him and gripped his arm tightly with all the urgency she could muster.

"Amadi you have to fire your personal assistant?" He reached out and traced her cheek with his index finger, that feeling so familiar to her seeped in and the tension in her small frame eased a little such that she was able to smile and step closer, Amadi pulled her to him and buried his face in her hair, she held onto him and closed her eyes in order to control her ragging heart.

"I have missed you", he whispered, she stiffened and stepped back slowly.

"I only came to tell you that you have to fire your secretary." Amadi finally shook himself out of the haze in time to hear her repeat herself.

"What? Why?" Zirachi ran back to the door and locked it then she took his hand and pulled him to the window furthest from the door.

"There is a plot to kill you Amadi."

"There is always one Zira, I have no time for my Uncle's childish tantrums", he replied dismissively but Zira didn't budge instead she clutched his face in her palms and pulled him closer so he could see the sincerity in her eyes.

"I am not joking, why do you think I just decided to come to Lagos when I refused it all those years? Uncle plans to kill you the next time you come back and your personal assistant will forge all the property documents and send it to them, they mean to take all you have and.. " Amadi stepped closer and lifted her chin, "And what?"

"He plans to marry Adaora off to one of those stupid looking youths who wants her money and a slave for a wife." Amadi closed his eyes and counted to ten. How dare that old fool! After everything he had taken already, it still wasn't enough! It was time to put an end to his extended family for good. When he opened his eyes Zirachi was staring up at him worriedly, he couldn't resist the urge to tuck her hair behind her ears, she leaned into his touch which made him smile. Zirachi couldn't pull her eyes away from his, how could he still affect her this way? It made no sense after all those years of crushing on him. He had grown into a handsome man who made her heart flutter. She stepped back to create some distance between them.

"What should we do?"

"No you are staying out of this, I know how to handle my Uncle."

"What will you do?" Amadi walked back around his desk and started packing up.

"I have had a plan in place for some time now, it's time it was put in action, something important depends on it", he replied ominously.

"Do I even want to know?"

"Nope? Let's go home Zira, you need to rest."

*************************************************

"What do you mean you won't allow me go home?"

"Zirachi it's for your safety", replied Amadi.

"My home is in the village not here."

"Zirachi listen to yourself, you cannot make a home in the company of killers", replied Adaora but Zirachi was past listening.

"It doesn't matter, I shouldn't be here!" Adaora gaped at her, she couldn't believe her ears.

"Ada can you please excuse us for a minute?" Adaora nodded and left. Amadi put his hands in his pocket and faced her fully.

"Clearly there must be something I'm missing."

"Like what?"

"Like the fact that you are hiding something from me." Zirachi took a step back, it wouldn't be a surprise if he figured out her feelings for him, after all he didn't get to where he was by being dimwitted. Staying in his home for the past three weeks and seeing him each day was bittersweet, she got to see him each day, he was the perfect host, caring, gentle and respectful but it wasn't enough, she wanted his heart too but knowing another woman may be in the picture made her fearful and discouraged.

"I am not hiding anything."

Amadi frowned when she turned away, she always did that when she was lying because she was never good at hiding her feelings. It was so like her to pull out once he became serious, if she was doing it on purpose he didn't know.

"What's really going on?"

"It is foolish of me to assume that things will remain the same and that you won't get married someday, when that happens I can't be here in your home so it's best I leave now", she bit out.

"Do you want to marry me?" Zirachi turned so fast she had a whiplash, Amadi gripped her shoulders to steady her. "What plan did you have in mind?"

"Let's get married."

*************************************************

"This came for you."

"What is it?" asked Uchenna over his newspaper, his wife Jennifer hissed angrily and threw the letter on his pot belly.

"Question, how am I supposed to know?" she replied and stormed off, only the gods understand what he saw in her in the first place and it seemed as though his daughters were following the same route, he hadn't had a proper meal since Zirachi ran away, why she would leave was a mystery to him. That mystery was cleared as soon as he opened the letter which spelt out in bold italics the marriage between Amadi and Zirachi.

Jumping up he ran to the kitchen just as his wife was coming out, "Why are you running like your house is on fire!"

"My house is really on fire oh!"

"What's the problem?"

"Amadi and Zirachi are getting married, they will be here by next week!"

"So that is why that foolish girl left? To go and seduce a rich man so she can leave here."

"That is not even the problem, if they get married then I can't carry out my plan", he replied and began pacing.

"What does their getting married have to do with your plan?" Uchenna stopped and glared at her.

"Don't you have sense in that head of yours! Zirachi is an orphan, you know the curse that follows the one who harms an orphan."

"Why don't you send someone else to do it?" Uchenna pinched his nose and counted to ten.

"The curse follows every single person who is involved directly or indirectly, this is nonsense!"

"But you are not harming her only Amadi."

"It is not a secret that Zirachi has been in love with Amadi since she was a teenager, now he will be her husband, if we do anything to him, she will definitely curse us!"

*************************************************

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this!"

"Relax, if the myths concerning orphans are true then my Uncle would stop this foolishness of his."

"And then?"

"And then I can finally put him behind bars for the murder of our fathers and fraud."

"I am assuming you have evidence", asked Zirachi, Amadi nodded smugly and she breathed out easy.

"Good, it makes wearing this dress bearable." Her remark got no response from Amadi, when she looked to his side of the car his eyes where already on her. Fidgeting with her dress she looked forward and pursed her lips, Amadi placed his index finger underneath her chin and turned her face towards him. "You look absolutely beautiful, I'm a proud man." It was on rare occasions like this when Amadi showed this sensitive side of him that made Zirachi love him even more, his eyes softened when she smiled, he leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Anyone who sees the look on your face would actually think you are interested in me", she stated, Amadi stiffened and pulled back which broke the intimate atmosphere they had created.

"We are here."

"Why is the military here?"

"I asked my friend for a favor, you'll see", replied Amadi sheepishly.

When they got down Amadi had to force himself to look away from Zirachi, she was too beautiful for her own good, there was no way he was letting her leave. His proposal was only a matter of destabilizing his Uncle's plan and making him receive punishment for his wrong doings or so she thought, Amadi had other ideas which he knew she would fight him on but it was worth it.

When they got to his Uncle's home the man was already standing outside with his hand on his walking stick and his wife already gathered her fellow kingswomen which suited Amadi just fine. His General friend and his troupe were already seated. Uchenna walked forward and turned to faced Zirachi.

"After all we have done for you, you do this? This man will never love you, which man in their right senses will love a woman who can't talk!" Zirachi flinched but stood tall, Amadi had never been more proud of anyone the way he was now.

"Uncle we haven't come here for us, we just want to clear some obstacles before we get married", replied Amadi.

"Are you saying I'm an obstacle?"

"You tell me."

"Your father's death was not of my doing so there can be no other wrong I have done", he blurted out angrily, some of the kingswomen gasped in shock.

"Uchenna did you have a hand in Olise and Jideofor's death?" asked one of the women.

"That is preposterous! I am a man of diginity.'

"Answer the question", Zirachi replied quietly, this brought about another wave of shock because they all knew her to be dumb.

"So you can talk? What else are you hiding from us!" yelled Jennifer.

"Stop avoiding the question", reprimanded Amadi firmly.

"You have no proof!" Uchenna yelled and Amadi smiled smugly.

"Yes I do, we have the recording of your spy's confession, my personal assistant?"

Blood drained from Uchenna's face, it dawned on him that his nephew had not only fled from the village but he had been gathering evidence to punish him. If what Amadi said was true then he was done for because the spy in question knew every detail of their activities. He was in a daze when the General read him his rights, handcuffed him and took him away.

*************************************************

Amadi was in the middle of signing some papers when Zirachi walked into his study, "Okay I can finally go home."

"When you say home I presume my home?"

"You presumed wrong, I'm going back to the village." Amadi froze and lifted his head from what he had been reading, Zirachi held herself stiffly and faced him head on. He stood up slowly and circled the desk with his eyes still on her, she swallowed but didn't move, there was no way she would allow him boss her around. When he got to her, he reached out and cupped her face with his hands and she leaned in immediately which made him smile satisfactorily.

"You are not going anywhere Zirachi, we are your home now."

"Says who?" she countered.

"Says me", he replied.

"I am not your charity case." Amadi stepped back with a frown on his face, this woman had definitely gotten on his last nerve.

"Charity?" he asked but she looked away defiantly. "You think I did it all because your father helped my family!"

"Why else would you be interested in me", she replied quietly and that just about did it, he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, before she could react his lips took hers in a slow waltz and all thoughts flew from her head.

"Does this feel like charity to you?" he whispered and she shook her head vigorously, "No, it definitely feels like love".

"Good to know we are on the same page".