UNHOLY MATRIMONY
CHAPTER 5 (THE END)
It was time for delivery, Celine laboured for three whole days, and everyone was afraid that she was either going to die or lose the baby. However, just when the doctor was getting ready to perform a caesarian section, she put to birth a beautiful baby girl. The baby had a striking resemblance to Celine. In fact, she was Celine reborn.
I was very happy that my child had been born. However, there was a sadness deep inside me. I would have loved to see my mother or brothers and sisters visit us to share in the joy of our new baby. None of them did. They had all stopped talking to me and some of them even hated me now. Celine’s mother nevertheless came to see us. I was not a very huge fan of her, but I had no choice. At least, there was someone to share our happiness with us.
Celine and I had, a second, third and fourth child in quick successions. We now had three girls and a boy. I was extremely pleased when she gave birth to a boy. I had always wanted to have a male child. So, when during her last delivery, she brought forth a son, I was very happy and my love for her increased. Now, we were inseparable. I named the child Dozié Junior. I decided he was going to be my heir.
Now that I had four children, I decided that I would once more try to contact my parents. At the beginning of my marriage to Celine, I had blocked all of them. However, I had since unblocked them. They on the other hand had refused to take my calls or discuss with me anything that had to do with Celine. But it is always said that parents love grandchildren. Hence, I thought that if I presented the four children to my mum, at least her heart would be melted a little. I decided to talk to Celine about it.
“Hi wifey, there is something I would love to talk to you about.”
“What is it D? Hope everything’s okay?”
“Everything is okay.”
“Alright, so what is the matter, my love?” She asked.
“First of all, I want to thank you for being by me all this while, and for all these children you have given.” I spoke.
“Don’t mention, D. You are my world, and you are a blessing to me. You are a good man, a man every woman would die for.”
“Thank you, babe. Do you remember when I first saw you? I thought I had walked into a dream. You were so beautiful, and I loved you immediately.”
“Me too, babe. I loved you immediately I saw you and I made up my mind that I would do whatever it takes to marry you. I am happy we finally ended up together. Thank you Dozié for making me a complete woman.”
“Now, there is something I must tell you. I have been thinking about it. I want us to go to Nigeria again to see my family.”
“What? Are you sure that is a good idea? Do you remember last time we went to see them? It was a monumental embarrassment to me and also to you. Please D, I don’t want to go through that again.”
“I understand, babe. But I am sure this time it will be different. We are going with the kids.”
“Going with the kids? What if someone harms them. There was a lot of hostility towards us. Who knows what reaction they will have when they realize that in spite of their objections to our union, we have still ended up getting married and having children.”
“Stop being apprehensive, Celine. Instead, I am sure that the presence of the kids will melt their hearts and they will be forced to compromise and accept us all. Please, let us try to do this.”
“Alright, babe. If you say so. But I am scared. However, if you believe everything will be fine, then as usual I am solidly behind you.” Celine finally conceded.
We started making preparations for our trip to Nigeria. It wasn’t an easy task to travel with a whole family across the border. However, with God by our side, we made it through. When we got to our family compound, there was a loud cheering of joy. Especially from my mother who looked much older now.
“My son, I am happy to see you again. For fifteen whole years, I have prayed and fasted that God brings you to me. He has finally answered my prayers. May his name be praised.” My mum said in tears.
“Fifteen years, Mum? It’s been fifteen years already?”
“Yes, babe.” Celine answered in her stead. “You seem not to be keeping track of time.”
“I am sorry, Mum, I missed you.”
“I missed you too, my son. Who are these people with you?”
“This is Celine, my wife. I know you can’t remember her now because she has grown bulkier. These are my children. That one there is the last born. I named him Dozié, after my late father. This one is my first daughter. I gave her your name.”
My mum was so happy that I had come. She was doubly happy when I introduced my family to her. Fifteen years had changed a lot of things. The hostility she had had towards me a was all gone. It had been replaced by a desperate wanting to see me. She was afraid that she was going to die without setting her eyes on her son again.
Just like I had promised Celine, my family had finally accepted us. I observed her closely and noticed a deep sense of relief in her eyes. Celine had always lived in fear of something I couldn’t tell. Several times, I had asked her what the matter was, and she had simply said she was afraid to lose me. It made me laugh because I had eyes for no other woman. So, why would she still be afraid to lose me after all these years.
We spent a whole month in the village. But all good things must someday come to and end. So, one day, I told my mum that my family and me will be going back to Cameroon. She was very disappointed. She thought she would never see me again. It took fifteen years for her to see me this time. She was afraid that it was going to take another fifteen years for us to see again. However, I assured her that this time around, I would be more frequent in my visits to Nigeria. She still wasn’t convinced and proposed that I should leave one of my kids behind with her, so that I would be forced to come back soon. Celine, however, was against the idea. So, in the end my mum gave up and had to hope on God to bring me back again as soon as possible.
It had been thirty years now since I got married to Celine. A lot of things had changed. I had since left my job and was now a successful business man. My children had all grown. My first and second daughters were already engaged and were going to marry soon. Celine too was no longer a young woman. She was much older now but still beautiful and devoted. She had stopped being afraid that she was going to lose me. We had grown old together and raised our children together just like I had promised her. We still lived in Cameroon, but we now lived in our own house.
In Cameroon where we lived, there was a crisis going on. Part of the country wanted to secede from the rest of the country. So, there was constant fighting between government troops and secessionist forces. Sometimes, this fighting was so intense that it led to villages being raided and sometimes houses were burnt.
Pa Nasumba, the sangoma who had given Celine the charm to use against me many years ago was sitting in his house when suddenly, he heard the sounds of gunshots. He was an old man now and couldn’t run. The government soldiers came to him and realized that he was a sangoma. They realized that he had been involved in very dark practices and his house had also been used for separatist activities. They decided that because of his age, they were going to spare him. But his house was not so lucky. They decided to burn all his evil charms, and, in the process, his house was set ablaze. Everything inside the house was consumed by fire, evil charms and all.
I was in my home in Kumba when I felt something struck me like a lightning bolt. Suddenly, I felt myself being transported to a new reality. Then my eyes opened, and I realized I was talking to my wife, Olamma.
“Sing me a song, Olamma. Don’t try to cheat. I have sung for you. Now, it’s your turn.”
Then, I realized that Olamma wasn’t there. Instead, there was an older woman sitting beside me. I shouted and ran out of the house. I couldn’t believe what was happening to me. All the neighbours came out of their house and stood watching me. Wondering what had come over me.
“Who are you, this old woman. What am I doing here?” I asked Celine.
“I am your wife, Dozié. We are married.”
“God forbid that I should get married to an old woman like you. You are not my wife. Olamma is my wife. Where is she?”
“I am sorry, D, I am old now and so are you. We have been married for more than thirty years.”
“What? Thirty years? You are not serious. Someone, please get me a mirror.”
A mirror was brought to me, and I screamed aloud when I saw my reflection. I was now and old man. When did I grow old. Just today, I was with my wife, Olamma. I was singing to her in our living room. We were very happy together and suddenly I had grown old. What was happening to me. My children were all around me, weeping and calling me “Daddy”, asking me to stop dramatizing. They thought I had gone mad.
“Who are all these children, and why are they calling me their father?” I asked.
“They are your children. We have four children now.”
“Jesus Christ!! What happened to me.” I was confused and weeping seriously. “What is your name, woman?”
“Celine”
“What? Celine? The Celine I know is much younger. Oh! Oh! It makes sense now. Celine, this is you. I can still see the resemblance, but you are older now. What did you do to me, Celine?” I was now on my knees, weeping.
“I am sorry, D, I loved you so much, but you didn’t want me. You hated me with a growing passion. So, I, I decided to use a love spell on you. You drove your wife, Olamma away and married me. We have been married now for many years and these are our children. Please, forgive me, Dozié.”
“You wicked woman. Never come close to me again. You ruined my life. You stole my life from me. For thirty years, I lived in darkness, loving and raising children with the wrong woman. Oh God!!! Why did you allow this happen to me? You are wicked, Celine. You are evil. You are evil. You are evil. You will pay for this, I swear, you will pay.” I was sitting on the floor, crying and sweating.
What actually happened was that, Pa Nasumba still kept the charm that bonded Celine and I together all those years. When his house was burnt, the charm was consumed by fire. Hence, I was set free, and my eyes opened again. As soon as I was set free, my life returned back to that day I was bewitched, that same day I was singing to Olamma.
That was why I found myself asking Olamma to sing for me whereas it had been thirty years since and Olamma had already gone. I wished the house had been burnt earlier, so that I could leave Celine and go back to my beloved Olamma, whom I was told had since gone back to Nigeria and remarried. However, it was too late now.
Thirty years is not thirty days. I was an old man already. I decided that in spite of everything Celine did to me, I could no longer go and start life anew when I was already almost seventy. For the sake of the children, she had given me, I decided that I would forgive her and remain married to her. I decided that I would leave everything in the hands of God. I would try to be a good husband to her and a good father to my kids. May God help me.
My advice to young men out there is that they should be careful with the kind of women they meet. Some women are advocates of the devil. Once you are married, never give in to the pressures of another woman. It will do you no good. Instead, it will destroy your life. You have just finished reading my story. Therefore, you understand perfectly what I am talking about. May God help us all.
THE END…
I don’t like the ending at all, how can you end with Celine