MY MISSING GRANDMA
PART 3
‘Dad? ‘ I called again.
Then my grandmother looked up to see who I was referring to.
‘Logan’ She called but he didn’t respond.
Seeing that person that looked so much like my dad made me regain my strength. I got up and grandma and I walked up to him and Lo and behold, it was him but looking so unhealthy.
‘Dad is that you? ‘ I said with my teary eyes then I gave him a tight hug. My grandma reached out too and gave him a tight hug but he didn’t even respond, utter a word or move an inch. He didn’t even look at us. Then someone walked out from the castle and gave my dad and the rest a signal, they all turned, marched after him like little dummies.
‘Logan’ grandma called but he still didn’t respond while they marched into the castle. Grandma and I stood there dumbfounded then the same person who led them in came back and asked us to go into our room too. Then grandma and I left with Casper.
I sat in the room quietly,drowned in my own tears.Grandma too was in tears. Casper reached out to console us but we were too deep in thought and saddened to be consoled. That night the lady that brings dinner opened the door with a trey of God knows what. The food was looking so irritating with just a cup of water. After dropping the trey she turned back to leave but as soon as she opened the door I pushed her aside and ran out,i wanted to go in search of my dad.
‘Melody nooooo!!! ‘ I heard my grandma scream from afar but I proceeded.
There were so many rooms in the castle I didn’t even know where my dad would be kept. I heard footsteps then I hid under the stairs, then three ladies walk past me with treys of food. Could it be that they are on their way to dad’s room? I thought to myself then I tiptoed and followed them. They arrived somewhere and then opened the door ajar and started dropping their treys, I sneaked in. I sat on the floor quickly before they could notice. The ladies served my dad and the rest and me then they left. I noticed that my dad and the other people locked up in that room had their gazes fixed on just a place, all they did was scoop their food and straight into the mouth without even looking at it. I got up and walked to my dad, held his hand and said to him with tears Rolling down my face.
‘Dad, whatever they did to you you need not worry, I’ll surely get us out of here’.
He and the others didn’t even look at me, they continued eating.I was in that room for two nights cos there was no how to get out. Then in the night of the second day they brought dinner, opened the door ajar again and I sneaked back out.
I tiptoed through the corridor,raised my head and saw two men coming before me but there was nowhere to hide. I looked beside me, there was a door to one of the rooms. I opened it and went in. I was marvelled at what I saw. I saw mighty shelves of plenty concoction bottles in different colors arranged in them. I went towards one of the shelves and I saw that the bottles also had tags on them. One Was written ‘destruction ‘,another ‘pain’, then another ‘Command’… I went towards the door and opened it and walked out towards the main entrance of the castle. I was about opening the castle main door when I heard a voice.
‘How dare you? ‘
I looked back and it was the lady witch. She held one of my ears and lifted me up with it, my legs were suspended. Then she slammed me on the floor. She immediately summoned all the people working there as slaves and pointed out the lady that served us in the room the night I escaped.
‘How did she get out? ‘ She asked her
‘My lady I’m so sorry, I was too scared to come tell you that the girl had escaped from the room. I was so afraid of your judgement, please forgive me ‘ she begged.
But the lady witch commanded one of the slave men to take her out to be made into different concoction bottles. Then I became so scared cos I didn’t even know what she would do with me. I really felt for the lady. She ordered another man to take me into my room.
‘Take her out of here till I think of what to do with her’ she ordered.
As soon as he opened our room door I saw grandma lying down with Casper sitted beside her crying. I ran towards her and then carried her head in my arms.
‘what happened? ‘ I asked Casper
‘She passed out and never woke up ‘ he said
‘She’s de@d’ The man who brought me in said, turned back and then went out of the room slamming the door.
I wept bitterly.
The next morning we were all summoned by the lady witch, I stood there weeping and staring at my dad. Grandmas lifeless body was then brought out.
‘Go dump the body somewhere Let the birds feed on it’ The lady witch ordered.
‘Never! ‘ I thundered. ‘My grandma must be buried ‘
‘oh really? ‘ she said turning to one of her slaves. Go bring her a shovel then, let her bury her de@d’ the lady witch ordered.
They brought a shovel and handed it over to me. I collected it and looked at grandma lying lifeless on the ground. Then I looked at my dad who wasn’t even looking at me. Then the lady witch ordered the slaves to take my dad and the rest inside the castle but Casper refused to go in. He came to me and collected the shovel, we dug grandma’s grave together in turns, Just Casper and I.We dug from morning till late in the night, no food no water. We ended up digging a shallow grave. We dragged grandma on the ground into the grave and then covered it up. That night I made up my mind, if I don’t destroy this castle then my name is not Melody, I said to myself.
To be continued…
©️ Blessing-Enejo Abrahams Elleywrites
