The reception had been very successful. It
started immediately after they finished from church. Overflowing with gifts, choicest food, wines
and souvenirs. The bride and groom had danced to their hearts content... It was
a relief to friends and family that they had finally tied the knot. The couple
appeared to be so much in love the way they held hands, whispered to each
other, kissed and laughed...it made one want to marry fast.
A surprise after-party was organised for them
by their close friends at the couple's new home...
The party was winding down…at a corner of the
garden a lady was having chitchat with her friend when a man walked up to them.
"What are you two doing? " he
demanded.
"We were talking about.." she smiled
and started explaining excitedly.
He didn't listen and turned to her friend
"what are you discussing with her?!"
Her friend couldn't answer.
"What's wrong with you?" She asked
clearly confused
"Are you asking me? You are asking
me?!" he grabbed her hand and drew her as he walked inside the house.
"Leave me alone! Leave me! What has come
over you?" She tried to lower her voice so as not to attract attention.
He didn't flinch, but led her to a room and
locked the door. " you are my wife! I would not watch you play around with
men! I have been warning you!"
"What in the world are you talking about?
Since when did discussions translate to playing around? I was only chatting
with him!" She was hysteric
"You are my wife!" he shouted
"And I know that" she shouted back and
turned away from him
"Look at me when am talking to you!"
he dragged her back
She made to push him, but he caught her hands
and slapped her hard.
She cried out and lunged at him, blowing him
with her small hands…"how dare you lay your hands on me! What has come
over you?" She drew back and pulled off her wedding ring and threw it at
him " I am sick of you already!"
He had always been a jealous man, at
first she thought it was love. She married him to save her the hassles of being
a single mom. She still had feelings for him too...but for how long would she
continue like this...she had hoped it would get better in marriage, but the reality
of her life in the next 10 years was staring at her in the face. All of a
sudden she felt she had taken enough.
"pick that ring up! " he thundered
"I will not!" and she turned around
to leave. She got to the door and found it locked and then she remembered that
he locked it. "Give me the keys!" she demanded and whirled around to
look at him, as she did she heard the sound of glass.
He was holding a broken bottle "I married
you to own you! I am talking to you and you have the audacity to walk
away?!" he was shaking with rage.
A grave feeling came her..."what are you
doing?.." she whispered. It used to be shouts, blows...she had learnt to
handle all that over time...but a bottle?
As he came close to her she took steps back.
"I would give you a taste of what you want!", he said as he raised
the bottle in his hand.
With her eyes wide open, she fell to her knees
"Ade please!...our child....stop this.."
She couldn't describe what she saw in his eyes
but felt raw pain when he stabbed her arm and then her stomach. She screamed in
anguish and tried to block the stabs with her hands, as she did each of them
got sliced with the bottle...He didn't seem to hear her cries or screams. He
was like a beast with no heart.
He stabbed her continuously... while shouting
"you brought this on yourself! You are my wife!" he appeared to be
possessed, no emotions in his eyes...they were dead cold.
She struggled at first but as he kept stabbing
her, she felt the bottle go into her sides... and then her right hip..she gave
up the fight, "Ade" she whispered.
She soon laid helpless as the jagged bottle
went in and out of her body with pieces of flesh laced around its edges.
Life ebbed slowly from her... she faintly heard
someone shouting 'he has killed her o!" she was going .
As she took in laboured breaths she ran her
hands slowly across her gown, her hand stopped midway across her chest...she
had no more strength. She remembered how much it had cost. Now it was soaked in
her blood. She closed her eyes, she felt cold and could not move, she soon felt
some one shake her and was crying. "Keep him away from my
daughter" she said in her mind but couldn't say the words "Lord
have mercy on me". She had thought of her life in the next ten
years...now she was not even sure she had
ten seconds left.
"She is dead!!!" someone shouted.
Ade stood transfixed...and watched as two of
their friends tried to rush his victim to the hospital...what had he done? When
did he do it? What was he thinking? Her sister flung herself at him, wailing
and hitting him with all her strength "You killed her you scumbag! I
warned her but she would not listen! Today of all days!...you are the
devil...!" she said crying, makeup mixed with tears smeared her face...she
still had her gown on. She was the Chief bridesmaid.
He looked stunned, he could not feel her palms
hitting him..his eyes were transfixed on his wife, the love of his life..the
only woman who could bear his excesses...now she was being carried out of the room.
After 7 years and a child, he got over himself
and finally decided to marry her.
He had just killed her on their wedding day.
Another good read Adesuwa. To think it was inspired by a true story is scary but one clear message resonates through it all: domestic violence (or any appearance of it) shouldn't be tolerated
ReplyDeleteThanks Seun...
Deletehmmm...!' The piece is excellent with overwhelming presentation that easily absorbs d reader. I was so absorbed I dint look @ d language... I just digested d pictures n scenes in my mind that d story provokes..Hilary
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteGod have mercy on us! May God grant us our legitimate heart desires and d best man for us. Omone Ogbiti
ReplyDeleteHmmmm sad, am waiting for the second/concluding part of the story.
ReplyDeleteJerry
Thanks Jerry..i hope there is a part 2
Deletenice one sue.... the signs are always there but we always ignore them hoping it will get better.. the sooner we realise that jealousy, rage and possessiveness are not signs of love, the better for us. we cannot change anyone. what u see in relationships most times gets worse in marriage and unfortunately for this lady it came too soon. i hope someone who needs to get out of a bad relationship reads and act.
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteNice one Ade. Indeed I hope anyone experiencing domestic violence reads this and should know that it cannot be managed.a violent man is a violent man.leave while u still can.ALIVE ! Opal
ReplyDeleteNice one Ade. Indeed I hope anyone experiencing domestic violence reads this and should know that it cannot be managed.a violent man is a violent man.leave while u still can.ALIVE ! Opal
ReplyDeleteBut seriously... Many of these stories scare girls from getting married, worst still get married and get over sensitive that things would get bad someday... :) , I wish I could do something about this... The real truth is dat we single ple have mental images of words describable husbands and wives, eg, academically intelligent,tall, fair, short, ebony, like my mum, like my dad, like my x, speaks well, my tribe, frm a tribe, or speaks my language, must be working, graduate, a particular profession,frm a rich home, etc... Forgetting that these persons would live with us for life. For me the 1st thing should be ca I live with you without issues ? Can I ignore your little excesses? That's it, love and hate is jst a thin line apart, so love should not be the foundation:D , funny bah ? Cos dat love may die or loose its value when things get rough... :D start thinking about school days... Could u live with everyone ? Its same with couples... Its not all u like and chat with dat u can live with... Even who u love...
ReplyDeleteThumbs up sis! We should always say NO to violence. Obehi Iluobe
ReplyDeleteCaptivating lines. Domestic violence always present themselves one way or the other evn before marriages but ladies"in love" often ignore them hoping after marriage,things would take a u-turn. Situations do but domestic violence hardly takes a u-turn. It can hardly be managed.
ReplyDeleteChibuzor..
OMG! The chills I felt, the emotions. ... Awesome read. People should learn from this, love is never enough to sustain a relationship especially marriage. We should never settle for less than we deserve.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nabeelah.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteNice 1 Adesuwa! Single ladies out there should know that this scenario above happens day in and out....dont marry a guy out of pity! if he slaps you while you two are dating,leave him so that the next girl he will date will be free from domestic violence...Barr. Hector
ReplyDeleteWow!!!!
ReplyDelete