EPISODE 3
When Samantha turned around, she came face to face with Dozie who was running to the altar all disheveled. He was panting as his ring bearer came running after him. He ran to the altar and knelt down to apologize to the officiating minister. “What my eyes saw today, my mouth cannot tell, I escaped death by an inch”. He told the pastor.
Pastor: “It is okay. Thank God you are here and alive. We will just get started with the exchange of marital vows. You can save the explanation till when you get into the bedroom with your wife”.
Samantha was already angry and she wanted to ask him many questions but the words of the pastor deflated her anger and she waited till the time they will get home for her to unleash her anger on him.
Pastor: “Dozie, do you take Samantha to be your lawfully wedded wife, to cherish and to love, in poverty and wealth, sickness and health until death do you part?”
Dozie: “Yes, I do”.
The pastor turned to Samantha who was all nervous.
Pastor: “Samantha, do you take Dozie to be your lawfully wedded husband to…”
The pastor was still talking when Samantha felt a bullet whiz through her ears and struck Dozie on his chest causing him to fall backwards into the hands of his bewildered ring bearer who was standing a step behind him with the a microphone in his hand.
It happened in a twinkle of an eye and before Samantha could comprehend what was happening, the congregation including the officiating pastors had ran out for dear life. Even Eno, her maid of honour and the ring bearer had ran out. There was a great stampede as people fell on top one another in a bid to get out of harm’s way. Samantha ran towards him, knelt and took the lifeless body of her groom in her arm. She didn’t mind the harm the blood oozing out of his chest will do to her immaculate white wedding dress. Hot tears of pain and anger streamed down her cheeks and fell on the body now lying on her laps.
Samantha: “Baby, please wake up. Open your eyes, don’t do this to me. It’s me your bride. I have waited all my life for this day, please just wake up. Noooooooo!”
I
“What is it? Why are you shouting in your dream?” Samantha’s mother touched her on the sofa where she had slept off in the sitting room”.
Samantha: “My God, mum. I had a terrible nightmare. Gosh it was so real”.
Her mother sat beside her on the sofa when she noticed the sweet on her daughter’s forehead. “Tell me about the dream, my child”.
Samantha: “I dreamt that Dozie kept me waiting in Church on our wedding day and when he did eventually show up, he was shot on the chest as we were exchanging marital vows”.
Samantha’s mother: “Chimo! That is not a good dream at all. Why would anyone want my son-in-law dead?”
Samantha: “I don’t know, mama. I guess it was just a dream. A figment of my imagination, you know”.
Samantha’s mother: “Just a dream? And you woke up screaming? I think it is more than just a dream. We need to pray about it so that God can cancel whatever plans the enemy has against that day”.
Samantha: “There you go again, mother. Pray, pray, pray, that’s all you have to say to anything that happens in this house. Doesn’t it sound ridiculous to you sometimes that you have to take everything to God in prayers? I mean, do we even need to pray about anything? Won’t God act if we don’t pray?”
Samantha: “My dear, some of the things that manifest in our dreams are revelation from God. You can only confront the spiritual with prayers”.
Samantha: “Mum, please. My wedding is in two days time and I got lots of finishing preparation to do, you know what? Enough of all the prayer and God talk, I need to go fix my nails against my bridal shower tomorrow. She walked out leaving her mother speechless.
It was the Bachelor’s eve day, Samantha was in the house getting ready with her friends. She had gotten a little red dress to wear and her makeup artist was busy mapping out contours. Eno was there with her as the maid of honor and she was in custody of Samantha’s phone and other personal properties.
“Can you send a text to my hubby and ask him the hotel that he will sleep after the bachelor’s eve? I wanted to ask him earlier but I forgot”, she told Eno. Eno did as she was told and Dozie replied immediately telling her that he had booked room 101 in Seaside hotel. Eno, immediately forwarded the message to her mother who had instructed her to get all information concerning all the preparation.
The bride to be and her friends left for the bachelor’s eve which was to hold in Unique garden, Wuse zone 2. There was a lot to eat and drink and the DJ never relented in playing danceable music. Samantha was more than elated, this was her last night as a single lady and she was determined to enjoy it to the fullest. As she held Dozie’s hand in a romantic dance, she wished that the world would pause and that moment will remain forever. “I love you so much, you are the light of my life, without you my life is in darkness, she whispered into Dozie’s ears.
Dozie: “I love you too, my woman. You are like the air that I breathe, without you I cease to exist ”.
Samantha: “Promise that you will never leave me alone”.
Dozie: “Cross my heart, love. I will always be here for you”. he gave her a passionate peck on her forehead.
Eno was sitting in the company of friends when her phone rang and she excused herself to pick her call. Dozie’s best man who was staring at her from afar decided to use the opportunity to ask her out for he had been admiring her ever since he met her with Samantha few months back at his friend’s place.
Frank: “Excuse me, pretty one”.
Eno: “Are you talking to me?”
Frank: “Of course I am talking to you. Who else is standing here?”
Eno: “What is it?”
Frank: “Hey, don’t go all serious, I don’t bite”.
Eno: “And what is that supposed to mean? As you can see, I came here to make a call, I don’t have time for unnecessary pleasantries ”.
Frank: “Okay, I guess I have to get started then. You see, I have been admiring you right from the first day we met and I thought we could start something, who knows ours may be the next wedding to come up”.
Eno: “Really? So, where do you work?”
Frank: “Erm, I…usually…I mean…I just finished my Masters program not long ago and I am a teaching assistant in Kaduna state University.
Eno: “So, you look at me from head to toe and you say you want to marry me? I mean, of all the girls here, none caught your fancy except me”.
Frank: “But love is”.
Eno: “Eh-eh, hold it there”, she sized him up from head to toe. “In fact, I need to speak pidgin English to drive home my point. Look me well well, I am a very expensive chic and only well to do men can afford me. How much KASU dey pay you as teaching assistant wey you wan marry me? You know the kind designer things wey my mama dey buy for me from abroad? Can you afford it? I don’t blame you now, shebi it is condition that is making you talk anyhow. Because I accepted to do maid of honor for Samantha abi, that’s why you feel like we are mates right? I don’t even know where Dozie picked you up from. Among all the handsome and rich friends that he has, he couldn’t use any for best man except you. Abeg shift make I see road jor!” she brushed him aside and went back to her seat.
Frank: “You don’t have to be rude, I will see you in Church tomorrow”. He called after her”
Eno: “Don’t be too sure”, she replied.
After the bachelor’s eve, Eno excused herself that she was going home to spend the night with her mother and then come back early the next day to prepare for Church. “You are my maid of honor, you are supposed to be with me tonight”, Samantha protested.
Eno: “I know but my mother needs my attention urgently at home. I don’t even know what is wrong with her, she was sounding somehow on phone. I need to go and find out”.
Samantha: “It’s okay. Just make sure you are here early enough before the makeup artist arrives so that she can make you up too”.
Eno picked a cab to Seaside hotel where Dozie said he was spending the night. “I will like to see the guest in room 101”, she told the receptionist. Few minutes later, she was standing face to face with Dozie who was wondering what his fiance’s maid of honor was doing in his hotel room a night before his wedding.
Dozie: “Did you miss your way or something? What are you doing here?”
She pushed him and got inside the room and shut the door after her.
Dozie: “What! Are you drunk or something?”
Eno: “Shhhh…”She placed her index finger over his lips. Sssshhh” she cautioned again
Dozie is shocked: “Why are you doing this?”
Eno: “Because I have something better to offer, ready to offer you now”.
Dozie: “And what is that?”
Eno: “This”. She removed the dress she had on revealing her full boobs and rounded buttocks in her pink Victoria Secrets lingerie.
Question: Will Dozie fall for Eno’s seduction? What will Samantha do