"Assey, no! Uncle Assey, please, no!" Ruth sobbed, gripping her bedsheet as if holding on to hope itself. "You promised not to harm my mother. Please, leave her alone!"
I rushed into the room and embraced her, but she shoved me away, falling to the floor in despair. "I don't hate you, Mother," she whispered through her tears. "I don't… I'm just hurt that you left me for power. Please… don't leave me now."
Her cries tightened something deep in my chest. It was then I realized—I had no one to call Mother either. My mother was gone, and she would never come back. I had buried that pain, afraid that if I let myself feel it, it would consume me. But today… today, I couldn't fight it anymore.
Tears welled in my eyes, spilling down my cheeks.
Without hesitation, I knelt beside Ruth and pulled her into my arms. She trembled against me, her sobs shaking her entire body. I held her tighter, my hand gently rubbing her back. She needed comfort, and so did I.
Slowly, exhaustion overtook us, and we drifted into sleep, wrapped in each other's embrace.
⸻
In my dream, I saw a pregnant woman sitting on a wooden stool beneath a large tree. She was breathtakingly beautiful, her green traditional dress flowing like the leaves above her. If not for her short hair, I would have mistaken her for myself.
She smiled gently as she knitted a tiny baby scarf, humming a soft Ewe lullaby:
"Tuutu gbɔvi
Tuutu gbɔvi
Dada mɛlɛ ahoeme o
Mama mɛlɛ ahoeme o
Aawo Dede vinyɛ
Bɔnu bɔnu kpo."
Her voice was warm, soothing, filled with love.
Suddenly, the scene shifted. She was no longer sitting peacefully—she was running, clutching a baby in her arms, blood trailing down her legs.
Through ragged breaths, she whispered, "Your name is Anaya. Always remember, Mama loves you so much… but God loves you more. Don't hate Daddy. He's blinded by something dark. I trust you to take care of him. Be a good girl while I'm away."
She pressed a trembling kiss to the baby's forehead.
And then—she was gone.
"Mom! Mom, don't go!" I cried, my lips trembling even in sleep. "How can you say I shouldn't hate him? He's so bad… He killed you. He took you away from me."
A strong pair of arms wrapped around me.
"Shh… don't cry," a deep voice murmured. "I'm here for you. Assey can't harm you. God is mightier than Assey."
Uncle James.His words settled my heart.
And just like that, I drifted back into sleep.