Latty dropped the mirror and hugged her tightly, crying.
“Thank you,” she whispered again and again.
Back in the village, things were moving quickly. Latty’s father sat with Eba under a tree, speaking seriously. He talked and talked, trying to sound wise.
“Life must go on,” he said. “My other daughter is still here.”
Eba looked tired and confused, but slowly the pressure from elders and voices around him wore him down.
After much silence, he nodded.
“Fine,” he said quietly. “I will marry Toro.”
Latty’s father smiled widely.
The news spread fast. Drums were beaten. Women sang. Men laughed. The wedding was fixed for three days later.
On the morning of the wedding, the village came alive. Drums sounded everywhere. Big pots were placed on the fire. Smoke rose into the air. People danced and clapped.
Toro walked proudly, smiling and showing off.
Latty’s mother sat alone in a corner, her eyes empty. She had stopped crying. Her tears were gone, but her heart was still bleeding. Nobody noticed her pain. Nobody spoke Latty’s name anymore. The village had moved on.
Under the water, Rona held Latty’s hand tightly.
“It is time,” she said.
They swam together through glowing paths, passing quiet places and moving shadows. When they reached the village river, Rona stopped.
“Be careful,” she warned softly. “Remember everything.”
Latty nodded.
Slowly, she rose from the water. The sun touched her skin. Her long hair shimmered as she stepped onto the riverbank. She looked stunning, powerful, different.
She turned back and waved.
“Thank you, Rona,” she said. “I will return.”
Rona watched her carefully before sinking back into the water.
Latty adjusted her cloth and began walking along the narrow bush path that led to the village. Birds flew away as she passed. Leaves crunched under her feet. Her heart beat loudly in her chest.
Ahead of her, she could hear drums, laughter, singing — a wedding.
She stopped walking and stood still, listening. Her lips trembled slightly.
“So, it has begun?” she whispered to herself.
As Latty stepped closer to the village, no one noticed her yet. She was just another beautiful stranger walking out of the bush.
Drums continued to beat. Women danced harder. Latty’s father laughed loudly among the guests, proud and confident. Eba sat quietly, dressed for his wedding, staring into space.
Latty stood at the edge of the village, watching everything with clear eyes for the first time in her life.
Her heart was heavy, but her spirit was strong.
She did not know exactly what she would do next. She only knew one thing:
She did not come back to beg.
She did not come back to cry.
She came back to face the truth.
And as she took her first step into the village, the drums grew louder, as if the land itself knew that something unexpected was about to happen.
This story continues in another episode. Do you think Latty should fight her sister to get Eba back, or should she move on and tell everyone what her father did?
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