BETROTHED ✓

36°

"What... What are you talking about?" Larai stuttered; her lips trembling. "What happened?" She looked around. "Where is Azumi? I haven't seen her since I arrived and our room is locked. Where has she gone and left all the work for you?"

At her word, more tears began to stream down Nna's cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak but ended up closing it back as she couldn't speak.

Larai was taken aback by her reaction. "What's wrong, Nna? Where's is she? Azumi! Azumi!!" Larai yelled, walking around the house in circles.

"Larai," Yusuf called in a soft voice. "This...this is what I wanted to talk to you about. Please just calm down and listen to me."

"What are you saying?" Larai narrowed her eyes at him. "Why do I need to be calm? I was just asking for my sister. Nna," She turned to her mother and grab both her hands. "You sent Azumi on an errand, right? She will be back, won't she?" Larai knew something had happened to her sister—their mother's state proved it. She gathered Azumi must have been married off to Zakari in her place, but she couldn't bring herself to accept it. She just wouldn't be able to live with the guilt for the rest of her life.

Nna sat on the floor and broke down in tears. "No, I didn't. Azumi isn't here anymore. She's been gone for three years already."

"Gone where?" Larai swallowed a painful lump in her throat. "Where has she gone to? And why did you allow her to leave for such a long time?"

"Larai," Yusuf called.

Larai raised a hand to stop him from moving closer to her. "Please stay out of this. It doesn't concern you. I'm talking to my mother."

Hot tears rolled down Larai's cheeks. She couldn't believe her sister was married off at such a tender age. It wasn't fair. Azumi was only fourteen! She was just a kid!

"How could you have allowed Baaba to marry her off, Nna?" Larai queried. She now understood why she had been having nightmares.

It was all guilt!

"Please answer me, Nna. Why did you get her married at fourteen? Who did she get married to? Please tell me it isn't Zakari. Please, please! Just tell me  you didn't get her married to that horrible beast!" Larai yelled at the top of her voice.

"Larai..." Yusuf's voice trailed. "Azumi isn't here. She has left this world." Yusuf gulped. "Your sister has been dead for a long time."

"I know and that's why I'm asking—" her eyes widened as realization hit her like a speeding truck and the words sunk in. "Left this world? Are you insane?" She let out a humorless chuckle and crouched in front of her mother. "Yusuf has misunderstood your words. Please tell him what you meant when you said she doesn't live here anymore."

Amidst sobs, Nna shook her head. She still couldn't bring herself to say a single word.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Larai held her mother's shoulders and shook her. "Is he...is he telling the truth?" Her voice quivered. "How can that be possible? Azumi dead? How?"

"Yes!" Nna bellowed. "Azumi is dead. She's been dead for almost four years now."

Larai opened her mouth to speak, but no words could emerge. A painful lump suddenly got stuck in her throat.  Her legs wobbled and eventually gave out. She sat on the ground and fought the urge to hurl.

Yusuf sat beside her on the ground and stretched out a hand to touch her shuddering shoulder, but Larai was quick to move her shoulder away.

With bloodshot eyes, she glared at Yusuf. "Don't touch me."

"Larai, I know this is hard for you to take in right now, but you have to have faith and—"

Yusuf was still talking, but to Larai,  his words were incoherent. They were dissipating and floating in the air. Through her vision, Nna and Yusuf had turned obscure. She tried to get up, but she fell back down and blacked out.