In the next couple of minutes, Ishtar and Pixie took enough time sitting down in a sensitive chat, getting to know from eachother. And from this moment on, when they stood up to leave, they had already grown their bond to a good extent of becoming best of friends.
Pixie assisting with the baby and Ishtar with the two bags, the backpack on her back and the leaher suitcase pulled on its rollers, as they walked easily with a conversation to get to parking lot.
"We have more than enough guests rooms. Why don't you come and stay with us at my parents' house?" Pixie gladly gave Ishtar an offer.
"Thank you, but I don't think it's necessary." Ishtar rejected the proposal.
"Don't be stubborn Ishtar, you need this."
"Like I've told you, my co-wife is more than willing to put blood on her hands. Me staying in this city is putting, not only my life in danger, but my baby's life too! And am not in position to risk carelessly when I can protect us," Ishtar speaks nervously.
Pixie had to try her level best to make Ishtar understand her side of view.
"This city is big Ishtar! Your co-wife won't find you anywhere.... Look, remember you still have a fresh wound of cesarean section. You can't nurse it by yourself. Besides, your cute baby boy is gonna need care too. That's a lot of work especially when you don't have a loving family around you."
With her face twisting, marked with an insane concern, Pixie tried hard to convince Ishtar.
...
Silent for a few seconds, Ishtar, beating her chest, sighed thereafter, "I think you're right." In a small voice she accepted, "okay let's do it."
Not only it did make Pixie happy, but as a lady whose interest was much more into charity, it was heart relieving to be able to give a hand of support to someone like Ishtar, who on the other hand had a very positive impact, stuffed with a blessing, on the performance of one of her family businesses, the jewelry store.
However, just like one lucky individual, Pixie had a big secret as to why she wanted Ishtar so badly to come and stay at her parents' house with her, a secret so personal that she never wanted her parents to know about.
And as Ishtar loaded her bags in Pixie's jeep, behind her back Pixie gazed at her with eyes fond of hidden self-interest, which Ishtar did not notice.
"Mom, guess who is coming home with me right now," Pixie, immediately sat in the jeep, she happily rang home to inform her parents.
With Pixie in the driver's seat on the stirring, and Ishtar in the rear seat with her new born and bags, the white jeep ran on the highway not far away from the city, upto a modern luxury glass home where Pixie lived with her parents.
Under a brightly shining morning sun, Pixie's parents gladly waited on the compound to warmly welcome the special guest who was on the way coming.
Suddenly, they set their eyes on an arriving white jeep and their faces began to shine brightly with smiles, preparing to receive the guest. They held eachother's hand, glanced and shared a simple kiss, a proof that their love was unwavering, deep and captivating like an aroma of a hot cake.
So impatient, excitedly Pixie's mom and dad walked to the jeep as it parked. And as soon as Ishtar stepped out, "gosh Pixie, indeed it's a big surprise!" Her mother's voice rang out in a blurt, filled with warmth and joy.
"Darling! You're finally here!"
With arms wide open, Pixie's mother rushed forward to Ishtar, enveloping her in a tight embrace. She then collected the baby from her arms. Pixie's father as well came forward to share a welcoming hug with Ishtar.
Of course Pixie was busy offloading bags.
The sound of talks and laughter filled the air as the four walked on the compound towards the main house entrance, their faces beamed with love and excitement.
"Come in, come in! We've been waiting for you; the family is all here now!" Pixie's father continued ushering Ishtar inside, "allow me to take one bag from you," he collected the black leather suitcase from Pixie, "you must be starving after that long drive.
Ishtar could feel her sorrow and worries melting away in the warmth of this new family that has given her such a lovely welcome.
Back, at the mansion were Ishtar had come from, her mother-in-law pushed the door to her matrimonial bedroom and stepped in, to check on her daughter-in-law and the baby that morning.
Immediately, according to what she saw, she grabbed her phone and rang her son Bob Lee straight away, so anxious and nervous.
"Ishtar is missing with my grandson! Are you aware of it?" She shouted anxiously.
Healthy morning sun rays had already made full entry in the room through the window.
Bob Lee, underneath white bedsheets, was woken up by his mobile phone ringtone from a deep sleep. Right beside him, when he turned his face, was his new bride, Nadia Browne, covered under white sheets, deep in sleep too.
"Zrrrrr....!" The mobile phone continued to snooze.
Lazily, he threw a hand on the bed side table where the phone was and fetched it.
"Mum calling," the phone screen displayed when he took a look.
"Damn," cursing like he never wanted to hear from his mother at the moment.
However, he answered the call.
"Pardon me!" Too eager, while the phone was on his ear, he raised and sat upright on the bed.
His mother's voice seemed too nervous and worried behind the phone.
"What are you talking about?" He weared an inquisitive face as he asked, to understand his mother clearly well.
Loud and mad, "I said my grandson and your wife Ishtar are nowhere to be found; not in the kitchen preparing breakfast, not anywhere on the compound, not even in the laundry room when I imagined maybe she'd be washing some clothes!"
"You really need to calm down mom," Bob Lee couldn't manage the pressure from his mother's voice tone.
"Don't tell me to calm down!" She yelled, "my grandson is missing and you're telling me to calm down! This is all your fault if I'm to say!"
Bob Lee could feel how bitter his mother was behind the phone.
"How is it my fault? Are you saying Ishtar is not old enough to take good care of her baby and herself?!" Triggered by the blame, Bob Lee got very agitated.
"Am saying if you chose to be a father instead of going on to marry another useless woman for her beauty, maybe the family would have been in good shape right now. I hate how you decided your body to make decisions for you instead of your brains!" Mother got pissed off, she lost control of herself.
"Mom, I married Nadia Browne because I love her and you know it," calmly, he tried to clear the air.
But the grownup woman wasn't ready to listen.
"I don't care about that hell of a woman that has made you loose your sanity, better find my grandson for me!" She commanded and ended the call on spot.
"Can you imagine!" Bob Lee, confoundedly exclaimed.
Nadia Browne had already stretched her body muscles out of sleep, awakened by the phone dispute.
"Babe, is anything the matter?" Inquisitively, she asked.
"I think I need to go," he told her, "my mother needs my presence urgently."
Within an interval of one hour, Bob Lee's two seater posh automobile was on the mansion compound parking.
His face got twisted in a nervous anticipation by the presence of many men in uniform from the police department who were standing in different areas on the compound. He rushed inside the house to meet his mom.
"Where's my mother?" Bob Lee asked the officer who was standing next to the stairs, down.
In a direction where the officer pointed a finger, he rushed and bumped into the room.
Here his mother was and two other security officers from the police department. On monitoring the situation at hand, they were having a closer eye at the camera footage.
When he noticed that his mother's eyes were wet with tears, "what's wrong mom?" Afraid and worried, he asked.
"She didn't even tell me!" His mother talked.
"Tell you what?" Bob Lee asked, more in fear.
"She just chose to wake up, pack some stuff and left with my grandson _ the video footage tells it all," mother whined.
Bob Lee rushed infront of a monitor to see for himself. And clearly, the video clip reports Ishtar walking towards the main gate with her baby in hand, pulling a black leather suitcase on rolls and a backpack on her back, looking back over her shoulder at the house.
"I need my grandson to grow in my arms." All mother's worries were on her grandchild.