TILL INFINTY

I have to start by introducing myself properly, my name is Nora, the only daughter, and last child of the late plantation owner; Mr. Gabriel. I was raised single-handedly by my father because my mother left us when I was still a baby.

The only people I knew as a family were my Dad and my two elder brothers but when I was three years of age, my elder brother died due to a sickness he had sustained at birth. After his death, I was left with my father and Ryan; my brother.

At age 12, Ryan became a rude boy and this gave my Dad concern because he was the only male child he had left, all efforts to make him change his bad ways proved abortive. Well, I wasn't close to him because of his bad ways.

My father had a lot of workers at his plantation, so, every morning we all report there to watch them do their work and also to give them little assistance. Ned was one of the hard-working workers my Dad had. His childhood experience was similar to mine but more tragic than mine.

Ned was raised by his grandmother's sister, he was made to believe that his mother abandoned him at birth, and his father didn't accept him because he didn't believe the child she was carrying was his son; besides he already has a wife and his mother would not allow him to take her in.

As a result, Ned's mother took him to the sister of his lover's mother to take care of her while she travels abroad to look for greener pastures. Since her departure, Aunt Lucy has raised Ned and also told him that she was his grandmother.

This was the reason why I got closer to Ned, who practically became my lover. We had the same childhood experience, so we share similar ideas and we were together most of the time.

Immediately I saw that his grandmother walked in one early morning, I got high hopes that he will follow suit, but to my dismay, he didn't show up. I waited for an extra hour if he will show up but he didn't. I got up and walked up to his grandmother.

"Good morning grandma, I greeted with a smile.

Good morning dear. She responded, how are you doing and how was your night?

My night was splendid and yours?

Mine was great. Ned isn't here yet, he is on an errand for your father and he will be back soon.

It's okay grandma. I responded and turned to leave.

It was not until noon that Ned came. As usual, we went to the end of the plantation to play games. After playing for some time, Ned took me by the right hand and looked directly into my eyes, and said;

If there is one thing you should never forget at the dawn of each day; if there is one thing you should never forget or if there is one thing you should ever Cherish and continue to nurture is the fact that I love you deeply from my heart.

Nothing will change that fact, there is nothing so strong that will break what I have for you, my love for you is till eternity. I love you now, always, and till after death.

Well, I have made a promise to give you this( he dipped his hand into his pocket to bring out a ring). The ring has a symbol of infinity. As he placed it in my hand, he told me to cherish the ring even as I cherish him.

As I tried to express my love to him and also appreciate the gift he gave to me, my brother called Ned from behind. Ned had no other option but to leave me alone while he goes ahead to attend to my brother.

The infinity ring was found by Ned on the plantation as he tried to harvest cucumbers about a year ago. He kept it with him and made a promise to give it to me. On the day he took it home to show his grandmother, she was shocked but she never expressed it to avoid raising any form of suspicion.

Ned's father has given that same ring to his mother as a prove of his eternal love for him. But after he refused to get married to her and accept their son, she threw it away on the night that Ned's father couldn't stand for her not even the little Ned that she was carrying in her arms.

Aunt Lucy watched her in the act after which she rushed to the same spot to get the infinity ring. She searched and searched for the ring that night but she couldn't find it.

Now, after 16 years, her son has found that same ring and is also giving it out to his lover.

*****

I continued staring at the ring on my hand until I heard the sound of voices coming from the direction of our house. I ran at a great speed to check what was happening. When I got there, I met the dead body of my father.

My father has just died of a heart attack. He has kept his life savings in one of the boxes in his office at the front of our house. He returned that afternoon to take part of the money, but when he came, he didn't find anything.

Thus, he sent Ryan to come to fetch Ned so that he can be questioned too. Upon his arrival, he told my father that he has seen my brother collecting money from the box but Ryan has denied it. As they argued about the Money, my poor father slumped and died out of shock.

Ryan automatically became the boss, and this made him do whatever pleases him anytime. He didn't pay the workers, and this made most of them leave except for Ned and about 9 of them.

That was how I lost my Dad. I was left with Ryan; who was carefree. Although, after my Dad was laid to rest, he started giving me little attention which I wasn't comfortable with. Ryan never wanted to see me around Ned, he hated him for reasons that I cannot tell.

Anytime he sees both of us together, he would punish Ned for it.

Since I discovered that he never liked Ned, we changed our meeting point to where the cattle were reared. Ryan tried to find out where our new spot was but he didn't find us until the day he came to check on the cattle.

For the first time in my life, I witnessed how heartless someone will be. Ryan grabbed Ned by his collar and asked him to kneel before him. He gave him several rounds of knocks on his head even as he rain curses on him. He dragged him onto the floor and tied his hand with a long rope which he held as he climbed on one of our horses.