THE BLACK MARRIAGE
© Ralph Angel
EPISODE 28
Jessica concentrated on taking in air and releasing it but even at that, her breathing was terribly fast and her chest was heaving. No! This is not happening! She tried to shake herself to see if she would awaken from this horrible nightmare but she could not even muster enough energy to move a muscle. Her horrible life of constant nightmares and disasters seem to be adding another event to the pent-up list.
“Answer me Jessica, is this information false?” Sonia screamed.
Andy, who had been glued to the spot, too stupefied to do anything suddenly charged to the front, marching to the podium. All he could see was Sonia and he would not stop till he got to her. A viselike grip dragged him back and he struggled, succeeding, due to his great strength. He did not even have the time to check the face of the person that stopped him as he charged forward. His dad blocked his way and Andy almost collided with him. The place was like a backstage entrance to the podium so people could not see them.
“Dad, please leave the way” He growled.
“What do you want to do?”
“What sort of rubbish is this dad? What kind of stunt is this? Why are you doing this?” Andy’s hands were fisted and ready to charge. The only problem is that he could not punch his own father.
“I am saving your sorry a*s. Don’t think I don’t know what really went on but I am obliged to think that this Jessica of a girl bewitched you.
I would not let the name of this family fall into a stinking mud because of your senselessness” Mr. Williams said too calmly.
“How did you even find out? I bet that stinking thing out there spilled everything” Andy wished he could be left alone with Sonia so he could teach her a lesson she would live to remember.
His dad smiled. “I knew something was fishing when I heard you got married. When I got to your house, I planted a camera in the sitting room when everyone was asleep. I did not expect to find anything suspicious though because you and your so-called wife seemed so intimate.”
Andy stared, not believing his own ears. His father had invaded his own privacy. What on earth had given him the right?
“I felt guilty about the camera and went back to the house to get the camera. I played what I saw on it just in case and saw some love scenes, just as I was about to stop it, I stumbled on the very interesting scene where Sonia came to your house. I heard all the drama that ensued and went looking for Sonia”.
“Who gave you the right dad? What makes you think you can meddle with my life? I am a grown man dad, perfectly capable of making my own decisions and choices” Andy yelled.
“Even stupid decisions like a contract wedding? What happened to a normal wedding?”
“You are pushing it dad. It is my life. How dare you do this to her?
You may want to destroy someone’s life but the person involved here is the woman I love; my wife” Andy emphasized.
“Contract wife you mean. Son, that girl is only after the money, she has no dignity and don’t even think of loving her.”
Andy gritted his teeth painfully. “It is a bit late for that. Dad, tell that demented thing to get off the stage, or so help me God, I would cause a scene that even your almighty self would not be able to control.”
Jessica, who was still standing where Andy left her could not respond to the challenge that was being tossed her way by the very person she called her best friend.
Lizzy and Paulina went to stand with Jessie but she almost could not notice them, the only thing that clouded her senses were the murmurings she heard and the loud accusations.
Her uncle suddenly appeared in front of her, his face as tight as hard rock. He seized her hand roughly and started pulling her out of the hall. She staggered behind him but he did not slow. When they got outside, her hand came free but pain shot through her like lightening as her uncle’s hand connected with her cheek. She winced and moaned in pain as tears that had been held in her eye socket rushed out.
“How dare you Jessica” he roared. “How dare you shame our family like this? How can you stoop so low? Tell me” he growled.
“No…” Jessica sobbed. “Dad, I…”
“Don’t call me dad; don’t you dare. We are not rich but then, we are not hungry. Were you so discontented?”
Her uncle’s wife pushed through the crowd that Jessica was just noticing. “Funsho! Stop this” she tried to calm him down. “We have not heard her own side of the story”
“What does she have to say? She does not look ready to protest”
What could Jessica say? That she had actually married Andy for 20 million Naira but not the way Sonia had put it? That she had decided to forfeit the money? That all their declarations of love had been a perfectly rehearsed drama? No! She could not say anything. In fact, it might just make things worse. She looked at the faces of people who had gathered, seeing so many friends of hers, seeing so many people who had attended their wedding, seeing their best man who was Andy’s best friend and some of Andy’s friends and family members.
They all had the look of hatred and disgust on their faces. Some were stunned and many murmured continuously.
She took to her heels and started running………
TO BE CONTINUED…
