JUST FOR YOU

《50》I DO!

There's a popular proverb in my village that says 'Whatever an elder sees while seated, a child would not be able to see it even if the child climbs the tallest tree in the world.' Keep this proverb in mind as the story continues.

It was Friday, our traditional wedding day. We were having the ceremony in Abbey's mum's compound. My baby bump was already visible but could easily be passed off as a bulging stomach not as pregnancy.

I was in a room in the house, the makeup artist and hairstylist were prepping me up for my big day. "Excuse us, we want to speak with the bride." Someone spoke. I looked up and saw Nkem, Abbey's immediate older brother's wife and Bola, the third brother's wife. The girls scurried out of the room.

I greeted. "Good morning Nkem and Bola. Am I safe?"

"Our wife." She touched my chin and sat on the bed in the room. "How are you and how is the baby doing?"

"I'm nervous and the baby is fine." I chuckled.

"It's okay to be nervous, it's normal." I smiled.

"We have something to tell you. More like an advice though." Bola walked to the door and locked it.

"Am I safe?" I asked again.

"You are." Bola answered.

"You just have to be careful in your matrimonial home." Nkem warned.

"You guys are scaring me. Is there an evil spirit in the family? Or is there madness running around in the family? Please tell me so I can run for my dear life." I replied fearfully.

They laughed. Nkem spoke up, "There's no evil spirit or madness. We just want to advice you."

"Okay, I'm listening." I was struck with fear. I didn't know what they wanted to say but I was scared.

Bola started. "You know the secret they share in their family that makes all of them love and cherish their mother."

"Yeah, I know." I nodded.

Nkem continued. "Be very careful around that woman, she's a witch in disguise."

Hold up, who tells someone things like this on their wedding day?

"What? W....what do you mean?" I stuttered.

"When I newly got married to Omeibi, she came to our house. She said she wanted to take care of our child for us meanwhile I wasn't pregnant at that time. Six months later, I conceived because she was pressuring us to give her a grandchild even though my husband and I had planned to have children two years after our wedding." Said Nkem.

"Well, I don't really see anything wrong in that."

Bola interrupted. "Hold on and listen to the rest of her story."

"A month after, I miscarried because of rhesus incompatibility. There was nothing this woman did not call me. She said I was a witch and I used my child for witchcraft and all of that nonsense. She almost made my husband send me packing because he believed her."

"Wow, so how did you save your marriage?" I asked.

"I prayed. I sat my husband down, spoke sense into him and asked him to choose between his mother and I. Of course he chose me. His mother was not the one giving him on a regular basis and his mother was definitely not the one to give him the two handsome sons we have now." She concluded.

Bola and I laughed then Bola spoke. "If you hear my experience with that woman too. You might not want to see her face again."

"Wow, I'm so happy that your husband listened to you. I pray she doesn't over step her boundaries with me because I know Abbey is her little puppet and he'd do whatever she says."