Unfortunate Wedding Ring (II)

UNFORTUNATE WEDDING RING (II)

     “What exactly is going on here?” Reverend Fr. Ebo inquired the moment they got to the ‘inner chamber’ having offered Chima and the intruder seats.

      The priest was flanked by the two guests.

     “Father,” the intruder called as she sat on the wooden backseat, carrying the seemingly 2-year-old girl on her laps. “This man here is my man.” She claimed, pointing at Chima who was seated opposite her.

      Chima was quiet in his white suit coupled with white plain trousers, remained perturbed.

     “Your man?”

     “Yes Father.” She answered emphatically as she dressed in a multi-coloured maternity gown.

     “What do you mean by that?” the cleric further enquired. “Besides, what’s your name?” He quickly changed the query.

     “Abigail.”

     “Abigail?” He verified.

     “Yes,” she said. “Abigail Ete.”

     “It’s alright.” quoth Fr. Ebo. “So what did you mean by, he is your man?” He retrogressed.

     “Both of us have been together for years.” Abigail responded. “This is our child.” She informed, tenderly tapping the kid.

      Rev. Ebo was shocked, adjusted himself. “You mean,” he said. “This kid belongs to both of you?”

     “Yes Father.”

     “But, is he married to you?”

     “No Father.” She replied hesitantly. “But we have been dating for over six years.”

     “This is damn serious.” The priest exclaimed.

      There was tranquility.

     “Chima,” Rev. Ebo continued, looking at the unfortunate groom. “What do you have to say?”

      Chima remained calm and speechless.

     “You heard her,” the cleric said. “Didn’t you?”

     “Father,” Chima finally uttered. “I have nothing to say.”

     “Meaning?” the priest queried, frowned.

        Chima couldn’t dish out a word.

     “Didn’t you hear the allegation?” Fr. Ebo rode on. “Is this your child or not?” He ranted, pointing at the kid.

      “Yes, she is.” Chima cleared the air, frowning.

       Rev. Ebo shook his head. “Oh my God!” he managed to exclaim.

       The worst was that, Chima never cared to disclose his plans to his ‘Baby mama’; rather, he concluded to take her unawares, thinking that she wouldn’t realize the upcoming wedding ceremony he had arranged with another lady since they weren’t resident closely to each other. But Abigail got the news from her well-wishers and decided not to inform the church when the marriage banns were being read till the D-day. Funnily enough, he had nothing serious against her; just that he wanted to change his taste because he was now a changed person, financially.

     “But…” Chima voiced out.

     “But what?” the cleric interrupted.

      Abigail remained quiet and attentive.

     “I can’t marry her.”

       The statement further fuelled the priest’s anger. “You can’t marry her?”

       He nodded calmly.

     “But you could sleep with her?” the priest quarreled, got irritated.

       Abigail concurred with the cleric, considering her countenance.

       Chima, on his part, was speechless.

     “Just listen to yourself.” Fr. Ebo enjoined.

       Everyone was silent.

     “Come to think of it,” the cleric broke the silence. “Is Oge aware of all these?”

      Chima was mute.

     “Am I talking to someone?”

     “She’s not.” Chima eventually disclosed.

     “Chima,” Fr. Ebo called unfriendly. “Don’t you think you are just being wicked?” he clarified, paused. “You only wanted to punish that poor girl.”

      There was maximum silence.

     “You planned to settle down with someone who knew nothing about your past,” Rev. Fr. Ebo proceeded in a jiffy. “That’s indeed a wicked act.” He asserted, paused. “After all we taught you people during the marriage class?”

     No one could utter a word.

    “If I may ask,” the priest went on. “Is any of your parents aware of this relationship?” he enquired, looking at their faces intermittently.

     Abigail hurriedly shook her head that bore plaited hairs. “He has never met my parents.” She informed. “And each time I tried to meet with his, he would come up with frivolous excuses.”

      Fr. Ebo shook his apparently big skull. “So,” he said. “You mean your parents are yet to know the father of this child?” He inquired from Abigail, pointing to the kid.

     The baby mama nodded. “When I took in, I asked him to come and meet my parents,” she notified. “But he refused, stating that he was not ready for marriage.”

      Fr. Ebo bitterly glanced at Chima who was seated like a drenched peacock.

     “He even persuaded me to abort the baby.” She further disclosed.

     “Oh my God..!” the priest ranted. “May God forgive you.” He told Chima.

      Few minutes later, the interrogations were over, thus the cleric walked out of the inner room in their company to meet with the congregation.

      Therein, Oge got to know the other side of her supposed husband-to-be having recovered from the moment of unconsciousness. The knowledge of the fact that Chima already had a child with another woman further threw her to the dust; she couldn’t withstand the ordeal. Consequently, she thought it wise to denounce the proposed marriage since she was only getting married to a mere stranger. Hence, the congregation was dismissed.  

     “Chima my son,” the 82-year-old Mr. Agbo called as he was seated in his parlour alongside his wife in a two-in-one upholstery chair, the following day. “I want you to tell me nothing, but the truth.”

      Chima who was seated directly opposite the couple adjusted himself in his single upholstery chair.

      “Why didn’t you tell us about this all these while?” Mr. Agbo rode on.

       “I didn’t think it was necessary.” Chima said.

       “You never thought it was necessary?” the host echoed.

       “Yes dad.”

       “Okay,” quoth Mr. Agbo. “So, why did you refuse to marry her?”

       “She is not my type.”

       “Not your type..?” the old man echoed.

        Chima nodded.

       “How?” Mr. Agbo inquired. “Why?” he added immediately.

       “She is just not my type.”

       “And you were with her for over six years?”

       “I was only managing her.”

        Mrs. Agbo shook her head. “Managing her..?” her hubby said, frowned.

       “Exactly.” Chima responded unequivocally.

       “And in the process of the management, she got a child for you?” the octogenarian frankly reviewed the paradox.

      “That was a mistake, dad.”

      “A mistake?”

      “Yes dad.” He insisted.

      “Hmm,” Mr. Agbo sighed. “You amuse me…” He added, leaned on his seat.

      “My son,” Mrs. Agbo interrupted. “You have brought disgrace to this family.” She informed, paused. “You have taken the family name to the mould.” She reiterated, equally leaned on the seat.

      “I am sorry, mum,” he declared hesitantly, looking really apologetic. “I am sorry, dad.” He added.

       There was absolute silence.

      “So,” Mr. Agbo proceeded. “What’s your plan now?”

      “I will go and plead with Oge,” Chima thought aloud. “I am sure she would forgive me.”

      “Just like that?” Mr. Agbo enquired, smiled unfriendly.

      “Yes dad.”

      “It appears,” Mrs. Agbo observed. “You are yet to understand the gravity of what you did to that poor girl?”

      Mr. Agbo shook his head sympathetically. “I can see you are a dreamer.” He landed, stood up and walked towards his bedroom. His wife followed suit.

      After all said and done, Oge couldn’t reconcile with Chima with the view that the latter wasn’t meant to be trusted since he could have such arrangement without letting her realize even an iota of it.

      Soonest, Chima was left with no choice than to go to Ms. Abigail Ete and tender his unreserved apology as expected. Both reconciled and soon afterwards, they tied the knot to the glory of God. Subsequently, they were happily married and were blessed with more children.

     If you were in Oge’s shoes, what would you do after she was left alone? Think about it!

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Unfortunate Wedding Ring

UNFORTUNATE WEDDING RING

      It was obviously a beautiful Friday. But, to Oge, the day could not be more beautiful than the awaited following day being Saturday that was expected to usher in the long awaited wedding ceremony between the lady in question and a widely celebrated bachelor in the person of Chima. The 34-year-old Oge, reckoned to be a humble and marriageable spinster, had waited patiently for the D-day she was meant to join hands with her husband-to-be, Chima right before the golden altar of Saint Mathew Catholic Church, Rumuokwoso in Rivers State, which was the designated venue for the scheduled epochal outing. She couldn’t wait for the next 24 hours as she lied in her bed in her parental home, filled with fathomless ecstasy. As she anxiously lied, she couldn’t keep her sight off the wedding gown hung in her wardrobe that was kept widely open; the unending observation brought endless smiles to her roundish face, thereby showcasing her real angelic outlook.

      Few minutes later, her mother - Mrs. Alo majestically walked into the room; it was about 7:30am. “Oge.” the elegantly looking woman called, standing closely to her.

     “Yes mum.” Oge answered, still lying in the bed.

     “You are still in the bed..?” Mrs. Alo queried, couldn’t afford to sit. “Have you forgotten we have a lot to do today?”

     “Sorry mum,” Oge said. “Just that…”

      The 61-year-old mother of four gushed out huge smile. “I understand how you feel my daughter.” She interrupted, walked to the bed and sat down. “During my time, I was more elated than you are right now.”

      Oge happened to be her first child and only daughter.

     “Really..?”

     “Yes dear.” Mrs. Alo responded, nodding. Hastily recollected the past.

     “Tell me about it.” She curiously demanded elatedly.

     “Your daddy was my dream man.” quoth Mrs. Alo. “So, I couldn’t wait for the D-day.”

      Oge was very attentive.

     “And,” she rode on. “Being the first daughter to my parents just as you are, the heat was really felt by everybody.”

      Oge dished out a dazzling smile.

     “My dear,” Mrs. Alo called. “We can’t finish everything now.” She asserted. “We have a lot to do today.”

     “Mummy nah…” Oge murmured, wanting her to continue.

     “Please, get up, get up!” Mrs. Alo urged, stood up.

      Oge equally stood up immediately, grabbed her mum. Both of them walked out of the room holding each other by the waist.

     On his part, the 36-year-old Chima who happened to be a very successful entrepreneur was as well perturbed; in fact, his was greater. But, as a young man who had tasted life so much, he knew how best to handle it. As he stepped out of his room on that Friday morning having taken his precious time to admire the white suit meant for the occasion, the moment of anxiety was conspicuously written all over his face, just exactly like Oge’s; hence, his father Mr. Agbo who was seated at the (Chima’s) house’s front balcony asked him to come over and join him. He complied accordingly, thus sat very closely with him on one of the vacant coloured plastic seats sited at the arena.

     “Son.” Mr. Agbo called tenderly.

     “Dad.”

     “Tomorrow is your day.” The octogenarian enthused.

      Chima happened to be his last child.

     “You are right, dad.”

     “By tomorrow, you would be a complete man.” The old man asserted. “And definitely, your identity would change.”

      Chima nodded calmly.

     “I and your mum can’t wait,” quoth Mr. Agbo. “Likewise you.” He added in a jiffy, paused. “In fact, the entire family and of course the whole world, would be celebrating you tomorrow.” He proudly exaggerated.

      Chima smiled, remained quiet.

     “Mind you,” he proceeded. “Don’t over labour yourself today so that you would be very fit tomorrow.”

      Chima nodded.

     “Have a good rest after today’s finishing touches.” He emphatically advised.

      The bachelor nodded as usual. “Thank you, dad.” He appreciated, stood up.

     “Good luck, son.” Mr. Agbo landed, still seated.

      Chima calmly took his leave, felt very excited, though the innermost feeling he was nurturing could best be expressed by him.

      Behold, the D-day being the following day eventually unfolded. By 10am of that fateful day, the incoming couple found themselves at the venue of the event, St. Mathew Catholic Church precisely. They were like newly and specially created creatures meant for each other; the joy on their respective faces could be observed by all and sundry, even the virtually impaired.

     At 10:30am, which was the actual time for the ceremony, the priest-in-charge, Reverend Father Ebo graciously commenced the wedding mass. In his sermon, he reminded the congregants that ‘What God has joined together, let no man put asunder’. He equally took time to expatiate the essence of the biblical citation to everyone’s understanding.

     Approximately at 11:10am, tying of the nuptial knots, which was the real reason for the mass, began in a grand style. At this point, all the photographers in the church, including paparazzi and quacks, surrounded the about to be wedded couple comprising Mr. Chima Agbo and Miss Oge Alo. Fascinatingly, they were incidentally the only couple to be wedded in the church on that very day.

     “If there’s anyone here who is against this union,” Rev. Fr. Ebo announced as tradition demanded. “He or she should say something now, or forever remain silent.”

      Before he could finish the statement, a young woman holding about 2-year-old female kid in her left hand, dashed into the magnificent church building. “Yes, this wedding will not go on.” She fiercely hinted aloud from afar.

     It wasn’t even a ‘man’ as the cleric earlier cited in the biblical quote; a woman was the person wanting to put the forbidden asunder. One may wonder: where had she been all those while when the marriage banns were being announced in the church?

     Everyone present looked at her in silent awe, whilst Chima bent his head, felt ashamed and mesmerized.

     “This man here is my husband.” The intruder claimed, pointing at Chima. “And, this is his daughter.” She added, pointing at the kid with her right hand.

      The teeming congregants were in disarray whilst the supposed incoming bride passed out.

      The officiating priest, Rev. Ebo therein called Chima as well as the ‘august visitor’ into an inner chamber for further enquiries, whereas others concentrated on the fainted Oge towards resuscitating her.

      What transpired consequently ought to be a story for another day. Or, what do you think? Think about it!

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Laughable Error

LAUGHABLE ERROR

      It was exactly 6.05am on Saturday 29^th August 2009. To Chisom, the previous night could be best described as lovely and splendid owing to the fantastic dream he just had, though the 17-year-old teen had woken to face the reality of the day.

      The ‘reality of the day’, which seemed not unlike paradox, was that Chisom who was reckoned to be an exemplary and brilliant chap by anyone who knew him, just managed to secure two credits among the nine O’Level subjects he sat for in his just concluded Senior School Certificate Examination (S.S.C.E) that precisely took place between March and May of that very year (2009). Funnily enough, being a science student, the subjects he barely made credit in were Igbo Language and Economics. The most worrisome was that, as the best student in Mathematics among his peers, he got F9 in the subject.

      Since seventy-two hours back he saw the results, he hadn’t taken anything tangible as regards meals, neither had his parents who felt the pains more than he did. Prior to the said exams, as the first child of the family, his well-to-do parents couldn’t wait to see him secure admission in the tertiary institution of his choice, University of Ibadan (UI) precisely, towards studying Medicine and Surgery which was his dream discipline. But at that moment, it appeared his dream had been shattered unannounced.

      As he lay in the bed in that early morning of Saturday, rotating from one edge to another, all he could think about was the very day being Tuesday he checked the results online; the day in question was undoubtedly the worst moment in his life. As soon as he saw the results at the cybercafé he patronized on that fateful day, he asked the computer operator that attended to him to revisit the site and check the results again, stating that there was a mix-up somewhere; no doubt, no one who truly knew Chisom that wouldn’t equally insinuate there was a ‘mix-up’. Having confirmed the results online for the umpteenth time as instructed by him, he was therein seemingly convinced that those trashes were actually his. After settling his bills, he quietly stood up and began to count his steps back home like a walking cadaver.

     When he got home in the evening of that horrific Tuesday, rather than going to his parents who were seated in the sitting room to intimate them on the outcome of the outing as expected, he chose to do otherwise since to him he had virtually nothing to present; he went straight to his personal room snubbing their presence, looked soared, and irritating. Mr. and Mrs. Okonkwo couldn’t withstand the shock that emanated from the abrupt and unusual behaviour; having sensed danger, the latter followed him (Chisom) to the bedroom.

     As she got there, the results’ sheet was lying pitiably on the tiled floor alongside the bearer, thus she ignored the latter and quickly grabbed the former to see things for herself.

     “What..?” Mrs. Okonkwo shouted, standing as she glanced at the results. “Is this your result?” She asked emphatically, strongly looking at Chisom who was on the floor.

     Chisom was rather speechless.

     Mr. Okonkwo who entered the room on hearing his wife’s exclamation, quickly took the results’ sheet from her. “What is this?” He equally exclaimed, looking at his wife who stood very close to him.

     “Ask your son.” She instructed, frowning.

       Mr. Okonkwo looked at his son who was still lying on the floor. “Chisom.” He called.

       The poor chap couldn’t respond.

      “Is this your result?” He inquired despite Chisom’s silence over his call.

      Interestingly, Chisom nodded indicating that those results really belonged to him.

     “No, this cannot be your result.” the couple chorused.

      Chisom couldn’t utter any word, kept facing the ceiling as he lied like a forgotten goat.

      The scepticism lingered for several hours until the reality dawned on them. Since then till this Saturday August 29, 2009, the entire family was yet to recover from the colossal shock.

     As Master Chisom Okonkwo lay in his bed in that early morning, looking like one who had been betrayed as well as robbed, he was deeply consoled by the ‘fantastic dream’ he had the previous night. In that dream, he found himself rejoicing alongside his family members having successfully secured admission to study the course of his choice in his dream-university, Medicine and UI respectively.

     “Could it be real?” He thought as he knelt down to pray over it.

      After the morning devotion at about 6.56am, he didn’t hesitate to share the lovely terrific moment with his parents. The latter never doubted the dream because, ab initio, they had been of the indisputable view that there was really something wrong somewhere that would eventually be rectified in due cause. But how the rectification would be actualized was what they didn’t know or couldn’t explain.

      Owing to the dream, the following Monday being 31^st August 2009, they (the parents) were motivated to visit Chisom’s school toward discussing the issue with the school’s principal – Mr. T.O. Ayodele.

     “No, we must apply to the exam board for onward review of the results.” Mr. Ayodele assured. “I know Chisom too well; this cannot be his result.” He added.

      The following day being Tuesday September 1, on behalf of Chisom’s parents, the school management wrote the Exam Board requesting candid review of the chap’s examination scripts. The formal application was honourably received, thus the board in question replied the school in a jiffy assuring them that it would in earnest look into the matter towards ascertaining the actual error, if any, as well as making amends where necessary.

      Three weeks on, still in September same year, as God would have it, it was discovered that Chisom’s results were mistakenly allocated to another candidate. Fascinatingly, his actual results, in which he made alpha in all the subjects, were misplaced with that of one of the illiterate male students of the affected secondary school; needless to reiterate that the beneficiary of the human error happened to be a daft candidate who could not even defend the results.

      Consequently, the laughable error was duly corrected. Hence, Chisom’s data was updated with the original results whilst the fake excellent results were retrieved from the other candidate; various concerned institutions across the federation were equally notified on the change of impression.

      One month later, Chisom who had already gotten an outstanding grade in his JAMB examination was admitted into his dream university to read Medicine and Surgery. It was like a dream come true.

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