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Nana Esther’s high-pitched voice reverberated in the room causing a sudden chill to pierce the tense atmosphere. She stood up from her seat and wagged a finger at everyone.

“Stop this ugly drama, it is not entertaining!”

Everyone in Rex’s room instantly stopped what they were doing and gawked in Nana Esther’s direction. Everyone, except Maxwell and Rex.

Maxwell focused his attention on trying to revive Rex. He knew his mum was capable of handling Rex’s family. Hence, he ignored everyone to attend to his brother.

He quickly picked up the teacup on the tray; which Ella had earlier served and lifted it to Rex’s quivering lips.

“Take a sip, Rex, it will help with the cough.”

Although Rex didn’t want his family to see him being spoon-fed, he knew better than not drinking the tea would result in something far worse. Hence, he swallowed his pride and took gentle sips, while clearing his throat loudly.

Even though Rex was battling with his cough, his eyes were not blinded to the chaos in his room and this saddened him greatly.

.....

Thanks to the special content of the tea, Rex’s coughing declined at a relatively slow but steady rate.

“Is this how you all intend to send my son to his grave? Fighting amongst yourselves over nothing!”

Nana Esther took unsteady steps forward, like someone exhausted from climbing a very steep mountain. Her eyes were misty but chilly. Her tone was deprived of happiness and filled with regrets. In her current frail state, one would think that she would collapse after spilling the heaviness in her heart.

Marissa and her children were all amazed to see this other scary side of Nana Esther. They never knew that she possessed the iconic Treshvire ancestral chilly glares. The attributes were thought to be possessed by only the male children.

“Nana, please!” Leon clasped his hands together pleadingly. “We are so sorry.”

Leon was just two feet close to Ella when Nana Esther’s earlier scream caught him off guard. He turned towards her direction, thinking something bad had happened to her but was dumbfounded to meet her chilly glares.

“No, Leon!” Tears trickled down Nana Esther’s eyes. “No one should plead with me this time around. I need you all to listen to me attentively. You are all my children, including Ella and I will forever be a proud Nana. But, you’re all breaking my heart if you continue to fight within yourself.”

Ella seizing the chastising moment gently stood up unsupported by anyone. She quickly left Marissa’s presence for fear of another assault. Her eyes were soaked in tears and her hair was disheveled due to the way Marissa had roughly manhandled it. In addition to her slightly aching head and butt, her lower abdomen also ached due to the fall.

Crouching a bit to conceal her pain, she made plans to leave the room but the eagle eyes Nana Esther stopped her and asked her to take a seat, away from everyone in the room.

Ella did as instructed while carefully burying her face between her thighs, sobbing quietly.

Nana had already observed that Ella was in pain hence her anger against Yvonne and Marissa ignited like wildfire.

Marissa on the other hand sank into her seat with tears-filled eyes as her animosity towards Ella worsened with every passing second. She was even more frustrated that she didn’t get the chance to slap the sense out of Ella before Nana Esther’s timely intervention.

However, watching what her emotional outburst had caused her husband and Nana, Marissa’s hatred was overshadowed by the enormous pain of losing her husband very soon and also losing Nana Esther to Ella. So, she started crying afresh.

“Mum!” Yvonne called softly and took Marissa into her arms while soothing her like a little unhappy baby.

“Shhhh! Remember uncle Maxwell’s warning! No crying!” Yvonne whispered into her mum’s ears.

“Yvonne, what you just did to Ella is wrong!”

Ivory voiced out her anger ignoring her mum’s tears. She badly wanted to scream into everyone’s hearing that Ella was pregnant and should be treated cautiously but she didn’t want to break the promise she made.

Ivory was also worried about the developing baby in Ella’s womb and she was scared that the fall could cost Ella her pregnancy.

“Shut up!” Yvonne’s eyes flared in anger.

“Don’t tell me to shut up!” Ivory fired back almost immediately.

“Will you both quit nagging!” Leon boomed in a fierce tone, thereby silencing the sprouting conflict.

Nana Esther bowed her head in disappointment and slowly shook it from side to side. She took in a deep breath and lifted her face.

This time around, the chilliness had left her face and was replaced with disappointment.

“Marissa!” Nana Esther called sternly. “Why do you hate Ella so much that you are blind to the glow within her? You are ready to ruin your amazing self just to hurt her! How would you feel and what will you do if you were in her shoe?”

“Yvonne!” Nana Esther turned her attention in Yvonne’s direction. “Why do you despise your brother’s wife so much that you are oblivious to the miracle she could be to you? After your mother departs from this world, you are supposed to be the second mother to your siblings. Is this how you intend to manage your siblings?”

“Leon!” Nana Esther seemed to have a word for everyone.

“Shit!” Leon mumbled.

What tongue-lashing words could Nana have for me?’ Leon wondered due to the harsh way Nana Esther called his name.

In Leon’s heart of hearts, he was managing his family and wife to the best of his ability. Ella had initially given him her blessing to be with his mum and sisters. However, seeing the way Yvonne and his mum mistreated her tore his heart in two. Hence, he decided that it was time to enforce boundaries again.

‘

“I told you earlier, to properly manage both your family and your wife. But, for the past few hours, you have abandoned your wife to manage her hurt all by herself. For this singular act, you have disappointed me.”

Nana scrutinized all the sober faces staring at her and sighed audibly.

“Aside from Ella and Maxwell, you all should leave this room and retire to your respective rooms. Freshen up and come down for dinner. I will give you all the chance to redeem yourself during dinner.”

“Marissa, you will apologize to your husband first, and afterward, you will also apologize to me, next. Mending your relationship with Ella is up to you. I will not cajole you into loving her. Love must come from within if you want it to be beautiful and long-lasting.”

“Okay, Nana,” Marissa responded quietly. She freed herself from Yvonne’s hold, slowly stood, and walked out of the room, after scowling in Ella’s direction.

“Yvonne, aside from apologizing to me, you owe Ella an apology.”

Nana Esther continued her speech when she observed that Yvonne had no intentions of obeying her instructions.

“How would you feel if someone pushed you the way you pushed her? If you do not apologize to her, then get ready to go back to your husband’s house.”

Yvonne’s eyes widened in bewilderment. She wanted to spew fire at everyone but she knew that it would only worsen things. So, she decided to play along with Nana Esther’s games until a good opportunity to shred Ella, fell in her path again.

“Okay, Nana, I will do as you have instructed.” She walked over to her dad; who seemed a bit relieved, and apologize on behalf of her mum.”

Rex nodded his head in response but didn’t say anything.

“Ivory, settle your dispute with your sister.” Nana Esther said in a calm tone. “I don’t want to find both of you fighting over anything again.”

“Okay, Nana,” Ivory pouted cutely. She walked over to Yvonne and hugged her immediately while apologizing for raising her tone at her. Then she walked over to Nana Esther and also hugged her; thereby bringing warmth to her face.

Afterward, Ivory and Yvonne left the room quietly.

“Nana, please can I talk to my wife before I leave?” Leon walked up to Nana Esther and took her hands into his while staring into her eyes tenderly.

“Okay, bubble,” Nana Esther plucked Leon’s nose playfully. “But be quick, I need your dad to speak with her before I release her to you.”

“Thanks, Nana!”

Leon happily rushed over to where Ella was seated while Nana Esther joined Maxwell in attending to Rex.

“Sweetheart!”

Leon gently lifted Ella’s head from her thighs and forced her to look into his eyes. He tenderly smoothened out her disheveled hair and wiped away the tears from her red eyes.

“I’m sorry for not standing up for you the way I should have done! I’m a fool for allowing my mum and sister to treat you this way. Please, sweetheart, forgive me!”

Ella looked into his pleading eyes and turned her head sideways. She felt too hurt and angry that she didn’t know how to respond to his pleas.