WEDDING NIGHT

WEDDING NIGHT.
Episode 1.
I write with Tears,
I woke up after my wedding night to
see a knife buried in my husband’s
chest, our bed sheet soaked with
blood. I couldn’t believe my eyes, i
couldn’t believe it was all real. I held
my dead husband and looked around. “no this can’t be happening” i breathed, trying hard to control myself. But itwas all real, Damian was cold and still.
He was dead for real. “nooo” i sobbed
quietly, wondering what to do,
wondering the next step to take. There was any doubt, i was about
experiencing a very terrible twist in my life. Damian was definitely murdered by someone who was so desperate to destroy my happiness. I sat down on the floor while my mind flashed back to how i met my husband. After NYSC, early the previous year. I came to Abuja to live with my elder brother who was a doctor in one of the city hospitals. He had no problem getting me a good job in a very popular construction company inside the city.
Seriously i counted myself as a very lucky girl because i was the first to get a job among all my classmates and friends. I started work in Damian’s office as a secretary and that was when my life took a dramatic turn. Damian who was my boss, a white and an American citizen quickly took interest in me. He was so sweet and caring but equally a womanizer.

Everyone warned me to be careful. My colleagues advised me to be professional when dealing with him and never give in to his demands, which i obeyed. But surprisingly he continued disturbing me, even after turning him down so many times. The more i turned him away, the more bolder he got. This continued until i finally gave in to him. We had a very sweet relationship that soon became the talk of the town.
 As our relationship progressed, i started getting threats from his old girlfriends both in Nigeria and abroad, but it never stopped me from giving up on him. Three months into the relationship, he proposed to me and met my people, drawing another shock from everyone, especially the white community. Our marriage was quickly fixed and i insisted for it to be done in Nigeria because of my family and friends which he accepted without hesitation. Damian’s mother, family members and friends arrived the country two days to our wedding. I had a very long talk with his mum and cousins who all tried to be nice to me even though the resentment on their faces were noticeable. The church wedding and reception went very well. Damian really spared no cost in organising the whole show. We planned travelling to Dubai the next day for our honeymoon, which made us spend our first night as husband and wife in his big house where almost all his family members and friends slept. Anyone of them could have crept into the room as we slept and struck him, but there wasn’t any doubt i would be the major suspect…. “Oh no” i wailed with a loud voice, drawing the attention of everyone in the house. Within minutes, almost every member of the white community was in Damian’s house. It was as if they were all waiting for such news…. I couldn’t believe i was married only for one night….

 WEDDING NIGHT (Episode 2)
I really can’t write how hurt and empty i was that fateful morning. I can’t describe how devastated i was nor how my heart bled. I was totally broken and dead. I couldn’t even call my brother to tell him the bad situation i found myself. In fact my soul and my spirit ran away from me. I was just a shadow of myself. The devil just took time to urinate on my destiny. Damian’s mother never bothered nor cared about my feelings, instead pulled out the knife from her son’s body when my cries brought her to the room and almost stabbed me with fury, screaming some incoherent words, until other members of the family came in and held her. “i said it; nothing good ever comes out of Africa.
She stabbed him, she probably did it in her sleep, or maybe it’s witchcraft. God save my soul” the old woman screamed and cried. I simply sat beside the bed and cried out my heart. I was just like a cornered rat. I was simply in the midst of foreigners. In the midst of people who saw me as a second class animal or probably a gold digger. None of them spoke to me nor asked how it all happened. I barely had changed my night wear when an ambulance arrived with men from the force headquarters. Before i knew what was happening, i found myself at the back of a police SUV while the perpetrator of the crime walked freely, probably watching the unfolding events from a safe distance.
 Another problem i had was that i didn’t know who to suspect nor accuse. They all looked the same to me. They were all a bunch of conspirators. I felt like taking my life as the police took me away, because there wasn’t any need living again. I knew the justice system would easily convict and close the case than investigating. “Who am i among a bunch of whites all accusing me of murder??”. I had nothing to prove my innocence. I was the only person in the room with Damian. The murder weapon which might have saved me through finger print test was already compromised by Damian’s mother. My life was nothing but over. Kiri kiri prison awaited me with a dark smile.
How do i save myself?, how do i prove my innocence?.

MY WEDDING NIGHT
(EPISODE 3)
As soon as i got to the police station, I called my elder brother who couldn’t believe all i told him. “hold on tight my dear. I’ll be there shortly” he assured me. I was quickly led to an office where i was asked to write a statement, which i nervously did while Damian’s two cousins who came with me kept talking to each other.
After writing all i knew on the note book, a female officer showed up to question me. I tried my best to convince her. “just look at me. How possible do you think a Nigerian girl would murder a husband taking her out of the country to celebrate their marriage?. I didn’t do it. One of them did. You got to help me” i begged. She shrugged and shook her head. “of course i believe you. You have no reason to kill him but you see i’m just an ordinary officer taking orders from my superiors, anyway i believe my boss. S.P Jeremiah will know how to handle your case. He’s a good man and a crime expert” she assured me. My brother showed up minutes later with his Lawyer who quickly took over my case. I told them all i knew and the events that happened after i discovered the dead body. My brother was totally shocked. “don’t worry my dear. I know this is going to be a tough case. I smell the American Embassy getting involved but be rest assured that i will go any length to prove your innocence, even if it means getting experts from abroad. I have friends who can examine the case and get results” he
promised seriously. I breathed deeply and hugged him, thanking God for giving me a wealthy and intelligent brother.
Officer Jeremiah soon showed up at his office and requested for our presence. Damian’s cousins officially accused me before him, asking that i should be detained but my brother’s lawyer intervened quickly. “officer i hope you know everyone that passed the night in that house is a suspect?. They all had access to the bedroom, anyone of them could have committed the crime. If you guys are going to detain my client without proper evidence and reason. You equally should detain all the people present that night, else i will be the person to file a lawsuit against the police, after all none of them can come forward to testify seeing my client murder her husband” the lawyer threatened, putting the officer in a tight position. “fine i’m not going to detain her, but you will have to sign a document which places her in your custody. This is a murder case” the officer said strongly, while my brother’s lawyer nodded in acceptance, Damian’s cousins protested. The document was signed in no time and i was free to go. “we are also getting a court permit which will enable us get our own team of investigators and go through the case. We are not going to take any chances” my lawyer said to the officer who shrugged and smiled. “this is bullshit, we are heading to th embassy” Damian’s cousins threatened and left with anger. It was obvious i had. long case ahead of me. Luckily i had a brother who equally had the means to defend me and catch the culprit…. What next?!....

 MY WEDDING NIGHT
(EPISODE 4)
As we got up to leave, i passionately pleaded to the detective to help me out. “seriously i have no hand in my husband’s death. You have to help me. You have to do something” I pleaded desperately. “as long as you are innocent, you have no problem with me. I’m a good cop. I promise to get to the bottom of this case” The middle aged officer promised while my brother smiled with relief. “now you are talking officer. Don’t let them intimidate or stop you from doing the right thing” he advised as they shook hands.
On our way out of the force headquarters, my brother held me on the shoulder and whispered in my ear. “you have to be strong my dear. Everything happens for a purpose. Please you have to be strong when facing our parents , they are very devastated” he begged quietly while more tears fell from my eyes. I really didn’t know how to face my old parents, especially mum who braved her sickness to witness mywedding ceremony.
Nevertheless, we first headed to Damian’s house after leaving the police headquarters in order to pick up my things, but on getting to the house, we were stopped by four policemen who told us that they had orders not to allow anyone pick up even a pin from the house. “madam this place is now a crime scene.
You can come back tomorrow to pick your things. As for now we have orders not to allow anybody pick up anything from the house” one of the officers said, leaving me speechless. “i think it’s a good development. A piece of evidence might still be lying around who knows. The police are really correct with this decision” My brother’s lawyer said in agreement. And so we had no choice than to turn back and head to my brother’s house where every member of my family was waiting for me. It really was such a painful scene as every one of them cried on sighting me, especially my poor mother who sobbed uncontrollably. “this marriage was just a huge mistake. oh no” she cried painfully.
However another big development occurred at exactly 5pm when detective Jeremiah showed up once again with a team of policemen and a white man who looked like a lawyer to arrest me. “i’m sorry, the order came from the I.G’s office. It has nothing to do with me” he said as a handcuff was thrown round my wrists, putting my entire family into another wave of shock. My brother as usual tried to defend me by creating a scene but had to shut up when the white lawyer threatened to arrest him as an accomplice in the murder charge I was facing. “don’t worry, I will protect you” the detective whispered to my ear as he led me away. This time, there wasn’t anything to save me from cooling off ina police cell.

 My Wedding Night Episode 5
On getting to the police headquarters, i was taken to the detective's office where i stayed and nervously waited for him while he entered another office with the white lawyer. He came in about fifteen minutes later, smiling
calmly. "i'm really sorry things got so bad as to bring you back here. Your husband's family are trying everything possible to make you pay, but don't worry, investigation has commenced. I'm already working on a theory. You should also know that i have seized the travelling passports of every one of them that spent the night in that house. You shouldn't worry about anything, the culprit will be caught. I equally had a good cell prepared for you" he said seriously, while tears dropped from my eyes. I couldn't imagine myself spending the night in a police cell no matter how comfortable it was made to look. "one more thing. I need to hear the whole truth from you since you want me by your side. That's all i ask" the officer added curiously, drawing out another shock from me.
"what do you mean by the whole truth?" i gasped, while he smiled. "you see, that's one problem with Nigerian women. You all like keepings secrets even in a terrible condition. You have a cop trying to help you, the least you can do is to come out clean with him. I spoke with some of your colleagues today and their answers were quite shocking. Most of them said that your relationship and marriage to late Damian wasn't ordinary. So you got to tell me things i need to know since you want me by your side" he pushed on while i swallowed hard and fought with myself.
The officer wanted me to open up something well buried in my heart, a secret i told no one.
"How do i go about it?" i wondered. "i know you didn't commit the murder but you have to help me unravel many things. What made Damian marry you so quickly, you guys had just a short Romance and Mr Damian i was told messed up a lot of ladies in the company before getting to you. Something made him marry you??, don't tell me it was love, i have reason to believe something else was involved, even after the threats and reports you got, never for a moment did you guys quarrel. Please don't use the love bullshit on me. I need the truth?" he pushed on seriously. There wasn't any doubt the officer did a good background check on me but digging deep into my relationship with Damian was only going to deteriorate matters for me. Some things are better left buried and unsaid but looking at his eyes, i saw curiousity and eagerness to know all about the hidden truth..
To be continued.