Chapter 3 A NEW HOME FOR BELLA

Amino Ami,Ami oka"poliphate called his wife early the next morning,"be quick and let's go and be back in time to look after the goat like you suggested."just a moment, honey"Amino called back to her husband as she came out, caring a basket of fruits and they set out. Poliphate and Amino,his wife,were peasant farmers. One wouldn't say they were: wealthy,,but they had enough and more. They in fact. Had everything they wanted, except children. They had been married for years without child, just like king and queen. This fault did not reduce a pinch out of the love they had for each other.

Their farm was located which had earned it the name. Chestnut villa. It was a quiet village with good people and most of all good leaders! it was rich in Romance and beauty and peace reigned like spring water though a rock. There was no discrimination or criticism and everyone loved one another, which contributed still to the peaceful atmosphere. Just behind their farm, laid a river a stone throw away. This river was a good source of water for them and it helped them to water their crops. It even made the soil fertile to yield good produce and also served as drinking, water to them. What a luck that stream was to them. After farming for sometime, Amino decided to go and wash the fruit in their basket for refreshment! so she took the basket of fruits down to river to wash. On getting there,she stopped dead in the track as she saw a baby in a basket, floating in the stream not knowing what to do,she called out to her husband while backing, slowly going out of the river. "Poly,poll dear, please come over here quickly"Her husband was beside her in a moment, demanding to know what the problem is emotionally he would have fallen into the river with the fear that his precious wife must have been facing a severe danger but saw her pointing at the river indicating the presence of a good but fierey looking omen, behold it was a baby in a basket as her husband went into the river to scoop the baby out, hope welled up inside her heart."oh dear, could it,oh it be that she was saying as she followed him impatiently into the river. Poliphate brought out the baby and followed him out again, like an excited housefly follows an open wound .

When they were out of the water,she carried the baby out of the basket and held her to bosom. Thinking, saying with smile in her heart,"Honey, don't you think this is God's way of giving us a child?"she asked her husband."A rather scant way, which does not come hard,if you ask me:he replied.what do you mean by that,if I may ask? Her eyes were shining with hope, happiness and fear at the same time. She hated to destroy her hope, but all the same,he had to tell her what needed to be told."A friend;of mine, told me that princess, who was born yesterday was reported missing. Today which is the next morning, we find a baby girl in a basket/floating on the river, isn't there something fishy about it?" You mean, you mean she could be the princess?"she asked, realization downing on her.."yes, the story just worked out that way, to find out for sure". He said, pulled down the baby's dress to the shoulder and continued"in every royal family, there is,a birthmark that is found on one shoulder of all the members. The birthmark is usually given to the body after two days of its birth." But according to the story. This baby was born just yesterday"his wife protested on the lady's behalf." Which make the whole thing all More complicated, but still:,he contacted"let's check and be sure there's none". He spotted a mark alright,a crown drawn on her left shoulder, just before the shoulder bladders. The name "Bella was also written just below the crown. Her husband looked at her and said"I told you so","honey,we have to take this baby, she said and then added"she could be in grave danger, don't you see?"he said"whoever kept her here must have not wanted her to be alive.We'll keep her until it is safe enough to take her back to her parents". She smiled up at her husband and loved him all the more. She thanked him for allowing her to keep the child, knowing fully that she could not have survived it,if he had asked her to give the baby back to the river just like that. These unexpected events made then breakup farm work for the day and called it a day. Amino could not wait to get home, to start nursing the baby. It was now 15 years since the disappearance of the princess. No one in particular had forgotten about the maiden, party because it occurred in the royal family and especially because no other child had come to replace the princess. Lady patricia,as you may have guessed already,had her own different reasons for remembrance of the event. Princes Anthonio, now aged nineteen, on his own part had been making enquires but was not making exhausting strides towards success. He was worried because he had a promise he took very serious but not close to the reach so far. He didn't want to disappoint those he made the promise to,most especially Queen Alicia. Though he was much younger than,he could never forget the way her eyes had shine with the hope he had haven to her. Now he hated to destroy that hope,he did not want to destroy it. It was with a heavy heart that he went to the river where he normally cooled off. This was the same river where Bella was found.