EPISODE 2*
Dozie was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn’t notice when his bedroom door opened and his father, Mr Godwin walked in.
Mr Godwin: “Hey soon, you look so deep in thoughts. Don’t tell me you are already thinking of your honeymoon”.
Dozie: “Hi, dad. When did you come in?”
Dozies father: “A while ago. But wait, you do not look happy. What is happening?”
Dozie: “Dad, I got a distress call about my wife”.
Mr Godwin: “Samantha? What is wrong with her? Is she ill?”
Dozie: “No, dad. An anonymous caller called to say I shouldn’t go ahead with the wedding because my fiancé is this and that, I don’t even understand, I can’t think straight right now”.
Mr Godwin: “So, what does the caller want you to do?”
Dozie: “The caller wants me to call off the wedding”.
Mr Godwin: “What! Why?”
Dozie: “I really do not understand, dad. The crux of the matter is that the caller threatened to harm me or my fiancée if we go ahead with the wedding as planned”.
Mr Godwin: “Hmmn, this is serious. In that case you have to postpone the marriage or even call it off completely”.
Dozie: “And why would I do a thing like that? For God’s sake we don’t even know who the caller is. It could be one of my friends playing pranks or something”.
His father drew near and sat beside him. “Listen my son, experience has taught me that you don’t take things like this lightly. You and your brother are my only sons and I will not forgive myself if I allow anything to happen to you. Now that there is a threat to life, leave this girl alone. You can get another girl to marry”.
Dozie: “No, dad. Your son is not a coward, it is too late to cancel the wedding plans. I love my fiancée and I am going ahead with this wedding”.
Mr Godwin: “Listen my son…”
Dozie: “Dad, please. I appreciate the concern but you didn’t raise a coward. Allow me handle this my way”.
Mr Godwin became irritated at his son’s obstinate attitude. He got up from the bed. “I see that you now argue with your father. Have you been so blinded by love that you cannot see the danger that lies ahead of this marriage? Do you know why I came into your room in the first place? Because I also received a text message last night asking me to warn you to cancel the wedding or risk losing you. Now, you will do as I say and cancel that wedding. Nonsense!” he left the room.
Dozie: “Oh God, I am confused!”
Eno continued to pace up and down in her room. She was beginning to get nervous as the day for the wedding drew near. Her mother’s voice advising her to snatch her friend’s fiancé or prevent the wedding continued to ring in her ears. She had gotten a male friend to call Dozie and talk him out of the wedding by threatening him but he had insisted on going ahead with the wedding to her dismay. She had also gone ahead to text his father but she doubted if the he could make Dozie change his mind. She was in this same position when her mother walked in.
Eno’s mother: “Why are you pacing up and down like a man whose wife is in the labour room?”
Eno: “I wish that was my case, I would be happy”.
Eno’s mother: “What do you mean? Are you not supposed to be with your friend putting finishing touches to her wedding plans?”
Eno: “Which wedding? I am supposed to be in her shoes, mum and not the other way round”.
Eno’s mother: “Good, now you are talking like my daughter. You have to fight for what is rightfully yours. Heaven helps those who help themselves”.
Eno: “I need your help, mother. I can’t fight this battle alone”.
Eno’s mother: “What effort have you made on your own? I cannot continue to spoon feed you, you are a grown up now”.
Eno: “I know, mother. But I am new in things like this, I am but a novice, I tried but I failed. I made a call threatening Dozie to harm him if he doesn’t call off the wedding. I also sent a text to his father all to no avail. I don’t know what to do”.
Eno’s mother: “That is not enough. You need to try harder, nothing good comes easy. By the way, where is the sim you used to do all these?”
Eno: “It is here”.
Eno’s mother: “You need to destroy it. First rule in this game is to be very careful enough not to allow people identify you as the enemy. You need to give your friend the impression that you care a lot about her so that she can trust you enough to tell you everything about her. That way, you have all the necessary information needed to strike. Go to her and get all the details about the wedding, their planned honeymoon and where her husband will pass the night a day before their wedding. That is how to begin”.
Samantha made her way to the Church a joyful and cheerful bride. It was her big day and she was over excited as she danced in the company of friends and well wishers to the special seat reserved for her close to the altar. Right beside her was Eno, her maid of honour, gorgeously dressed, all smiles and urging her to dance on. She was glad to be surrounded by friends and loved ones and she looked forward to the moment when she and Dozie will exchange marital vows. When she got to the seat reserved for the couple, she realized that her groom was yet to arrive and the officiating pastor was already getting worried. She took her seat and began to wait for him. She knew that Dozie was not one to go late for anything, how much more his wedding. She glanced at her new Silver colored Pierre Cardin watch which she had bought specifically for her big day. The time was 09:18 meaning that Dozie was 18 minutes late on their wedding day! She became pensive and began to sweat profusely. Eno noticing the change in her friend’s demeanor began to fan her. “You need to relax, Samantha. I am sure that Dozie will soon be here. Maybe he was held up by traffic or something. You will ruin your makeup by sweating and getting worked up”.
Samantha: “Don’t tell me to calm down. It is almost 09:20 and my groom is nowhere to be found. Who knows if any harm has befallen him? Instead of him to be here waiting for me, I am the one waiting for him and you tell me to calm down?”
Eno: “It is okay, don’t draw attention to us by creating a scene”.
At the pulpit, the ministers were already getting tired of waiting for the groom to arrive so they can commence the marriage rites proper. At the congregation, family and friends were already getting worried and were whispering to one another. Some were already hissing and walking out of the Church auditorium while others especially the women were reigning curses on the groom for keeping them waiting.
Woman 1: “My sister, I never see that kind thing before o. How wife go wear wedding gown, do make up, come dey wait for husband inside Church for more than one hour?”
Woman 2: “My sister, you dey mind the men of nowadays? Maybe the guy drink yesterday come forget say today na im wedding. In fact, e fit be say him dey on top another woman as we dey here dey talk so”.
Woman 1: “Mbanu. That one no possible. Hope say no be trick him trick this girl just to disgrace her o”.
Woman 2: “I tire o, maybe them force am to marry this girl or maybe him don see the person wey fine pass her. Any which way, we go see as the thing go end today”.
Woman 1: “Na so o, my sister. I sit down here gidigba. I no dey go anywhere until I see the end of this matter. If I hungry, I go buy biscuit and pure water drink come back until I see the end of the story”.
Woman 2: “Ha, mama Abimbola, I trust you na, you too like amebo”
Samantha got a phone and tried to call Dozie all to no avail. She was contemplating on what to do when a commotion outside forced her to turn back.
Samantha: “What!”
Question: What did Samantha see behind her? Where is Dozie? Has Eno and her mother succeeded