UNHOLY MATRIMONY

CHAPTER 1

It was December again, and that meant that the Christmas holiday was around the corner. It was a holiday I had anticipated so much. For the past two years, I had given all to my job and hadn’t travelled out of town, not even to the nearest town. So, I decided that as soon as the holiday began, I would be traveling out of the country to see my family. 

After a few weeks of waiting, the holiday did finally come. As soon as I signed out of work, I went to the bank and withdrew enough money. I needed enough money with me because I had projects that I had to do in Nigeria as soon as I got there. It was also the first time my mum would be seeing me in almost four years. The same applied to the rest of my family. They had been praying and fasting for me to come home. Their prayers had been finally answered. 

Very early in the morning on Tuesday, that was around 4:00 AM, I woke up from bed and started packing my stuff into two bags. One of the bags was a valise and the other was a backpack. I removed my clothes from the wardrobe, placed them on my bed and looked at them, wondering which one to take and which one not to. Confused, I decided to get help from my personal designer; a bosom friend of mine who lived in the UK. 

I got my phone, went to WhatsApp and called her on video. Luckily, she was online and picked only after a few rings.

“Hi, Cara”

“Hi Dozié. You are up this early? I thought you said you would be leaving by 9:00 AM?” She asked.

“Yes, but I need to pack. That’s why I got up this early. How about you? Why are you up this early?” 

“I hardly sleep these days. Maybe it’s thanks to the change of environment for me. You know I have only come here recently.”

Needless to say, she helped me do the parking. After I was done, I freshened up, knelt down and prayed to God for journey mercies. The road to Nigeria was a volatile road and anything could happen at any time. After I had prayed, I sneakily went out of the compound, making sure none of my neighbours knew I was traveling out of the country. I got a bike and headed straight for the Mambanda Park. As soon as I got there, I was fortunate enough to get a transportation car that was almost half full. I thanked God for his grace However, that was not all I noticed at the park. 

Standing beside the car I was going to take, was a girl who caught my attention immediately. She smiled when our eyes met and then turned her attention to something else. I couldn’t get her off my mind. So, in my mind, I prayed that she should take the same vehicle as me. 

Soon the driver came and asked us to give our fares. 

“How much is the fare, driver?” I asked. 

“Ten thousand.”

“That’s high na, driver. Can’t you take nine?”

“Chairman, that’s the standard price, and remember you are going to Ekok, not Mamfe. You know how unpredictable that road is these days.”

“Alright, I will pay.” I said, opened my wallet and removed a clean ten thousand note and handed to him. As I did that, I noticed by the corner of my eyes that the beautiful lady was also having her money in her hand, intending to pay the driver, the same driver. My heart leapt with joy. That meant she was going to take the same vehicle as me. As I was putting my wallet back in my pocket, I noticed that she was having a small argument with the driver. The driver seemed to want her to pay extra fare because of the bags she was carrying. I watched with interest as the verbal fencing progressed. I don’t know what she did or said to the driver, but I saw the driver held her around the neck as if she was going to strangle her. That was my cue. 

I quickly moved towards them and intervened. I asked the driver to let her go. After a little dragging and pushing, a little insult here and a little there, he let her go. She moved away from him and began adjusting her dress. I asked what the matter was, and I was told that they needed her to pay an extra two thousand for her baggage. In order to solve the problem, I gave the driver two thousand and everything was settled. 

We all got into the car and the driver kickstarted the vehicle and we drove off. In the car, no one talked to the other. However, when we reached Mamfe, she broke her silence.

“I want to thank you for coming to my rescue, and for the money you paid in my stead.”

“That’s alright. Most of these drivers are unscrupulous. They always try to swindle any unsuspecting young lady they meet.”

“You are a good man.” She spoke.

“You think so?”

“Yes”

“Alright”

“So where are you headed for?” She asked. 

“Warri, how about you?”

“Lagos”

“That’s a long way off.”

“Yes, it is. But I am prepared for it.” She was confident. 

“You are a strong lady.” I spoke.

“You think so?” 

“Stop repeating my words.” I said in mock reproach and we both laughed at this.

About an hour later, after all the numerous checkpoints, we got to Ekok. The border town with Nigeria. As soon as we alighted the vehicle, we exchanged numbers. As I saved her number, I asked her name.

“What’s your name?”

“Celine, and you?”

“Dozié, our journey ends here. Hope you travel safely to Lagos.”

“Why? Can’t we cross the border together?”

“Nope, I have someone who is coming all the way from Ikom to get me. I have to be going now. I have just called him, and he said he was on his way.”

“Oh!! That’s good for you.”

“Yeah, but don’t worry. As soon as I get to Nigeria, I will text you, alright.”

“Yes, travel safe, good man.”

I smiled at that last statement. I said goodbye to her and her and moved towards a woman who sold yams. I sat in her stall as I waited for my ride from Ikom. About thirty minutes later, he parked in front of the stall, put my luggage in his trunk and asked if I want to do exchange of currency. I answered in the affirmative. So, went to a currency exchange dealer and bought Nigerian Naira. After that, we got into the car and left. 

The driver was a veteran around the border area. Most of the immigration officials and border guards knew him. They even had a nickname for him. Therefore, our crossing into Nigeria was easier than I had thought.

Some hours later, I was at Warri. When I got to the park, I didn’t know how to get home. Many bike men and keke men approached me and asked where I was going. However, I was apprehensive. I had heard many stories about Nigeria and especially about Warri. I didn’t want anyone to take advantage of me. In spite of the fact that I was a black man in a black country, everyone I came across was still able to know that I came from another country. My pidgin English, especially, gave me away. As I stood there wondering what to do, a girl who seemed to have been watching me, walked up to me. 

“Hello, how are you?” She asked. 

“I am good, thank you. How are you, too?” I asked, scanning her from her head to her toe. 

“I am good, you look lost.”

“I am not. Do I look lost?” I asked.

“You look like you are not from around here.”

“Yes, I just came into the country. I am wondering how to get a bike, a keke, anything that will take me home. Can you please, help me?”

“I know you are scared.” She laughed. “Don’t worry, I will get you a reliable keke man.”

Soon, one keke man approached us. She stopped him and after haven asked for the directions to my house, I got in. She assured me that the keke man was genuine and would take me to my destination safely. As the man drove off, I kept wondering where the lady had come from. Why had she taken a special interest in me and why had she decided to help me. She was a real Igbo girl, dark and beautiful and seemed to be in her mid-twenties. 

Soon the Keke man rounded a corner I was familiar with and reached our house. There was loud cheering as my mum, brothers and sisters came to welcome me. Everyone was so happy to see me again. There were lots of hugs, kisses and some tears too. Finally, all the noise went down, and we moved into our house.

A week later, after I had settled in the village, my mum called me into her bedroom.

“Son, remember you told me to get a good village wife for you, right?”

“Yes, mom. Did you find one for me?”

“Yes, my son. I found one from a good family.”

“What’s her name, Mum?”

“Olamma”

“Wow!! I love the name. It means she is a jewel of beauty.”

“Yes, my son.”

“How soon do I meet her, mum.”

“Today, I asked her to come to the house today.”

An hour later, I was at the back of the house, enjoying the breeze when my younger sister, Ifunanya, came running. She said my mum wanted to see me at the living room. I went to the living room immediately. As soon as I got through the door, I stopped in my tracks in wonder. Sitting in one of the armchairs, very close to my mum, was the same girl who had helped me get a keke when I was stranded. She was Olamma. 

TO BE CONTINUED…

==============================

CHAPTER 2

I was happy to see her, and I approached her with all smiles.

“You are the same lady who helped me the other day, right?” I asked, smiling.

“Yes, it was me.”

“My God! It’s such a small world.”

“For real”

“You guys have met each other before?” My mum asked.

“Yes, Mum. A fortuitous turn of events brought Olamma and me together.”

“That’s great. So, I can now safely assume that everything is already divinely arranged. Olamma, I hereby present to you, your husband to be.”

I was so happy that Olamma was the lady chosen to be my wife. For a start, she was beautiful. She also had good manners. I was so grateful to my mum. To cut a long story short, our wedding arrangements were made and Olamma and I got married. That was the happiest day in my life. Olamma looked so serene, beautiful and angelic in her wedding dress. I thanked and blessed God for giving her to me.

The wedding was over now. Olamma and I had settled to becoming husband and wife. We were newly married couples and had all the time to consummate our new marriage.

The holiday was over now, and it was time for me to return to Cameroon where I lived and worked. For a marriage so new, it would have been improper for me to leave Olamma behind. So, after haven consulted with my mum and Olamma’s parents, it was unanimously agreed that I would be taking her to Cameroon with me. She was overjoyed when I broke the news to her. She was a very jovial person. So, I broke the news to her in a jovial way.

“I will be taking you to see a new country, my love.”

“Whaaaattttt???!!! Oh, my gosh! I am so excited.” 

“Of course, you should be, after all you have never left the shores of this country before.” I joked. 

“I don’t blame you. Are you trying to insult me or not?” She asked, playfully hurt.

“I am not insulting you, my love. But you should be happy that at least I am giving you the opportunity to use a new currency for the first time in your life.” I said, laughing.

“You are talking as if it’s Euro or Dollar. Is it not ordinary CEFA?” She replied with a smile.

“It’s CFA not CEFA, bush girl.” I laughed.

“Who is a bush girl?” She asked, chasing me around the living room. She caught up with me and I carried her in my arms and kissed her tenderly. I thanked God for bringing her to me.

The day for our departure came and after we had said goodbye to our families, we hit the road. I don’t want to bother you about all the immigration wahala. But we did get to Cameroon safely. Everything seemed strange to Olamma. I had to begin teaching her a lot of new things about life in Cameroon, especially how to use Cameroon money. Since I went to work every day, I always made sure to spend as much time with her when I was home.

Since I had returned to Cameroon with a wife, I made sure I put an end to whatever relationship I had before going to Nigeria. I didn’t want any trouble from anybody. I didn’t want to put my wife’s safety at risk. She was a calm, faithful, committed and dedicated woman. Hence, I had to try as much as possible to reciprocate. That was my intent, but fate had decreed otherwise.

One day, I was at work when my phone buzzed. I checked and it was a notification from WhatsApp. I opened the app and to my greatest surprise, it was a message from Celine. It read:

“Hi Dozié, hope you are good. I am back to Cameroon. I wish to see you.”

The smartest thing I would have done was to tell her that I wasn’t available, or better still tell her that we should see on a later date. However, I decided to see her. An act that would cost me dearly. I replied to her immediately.

“Hi Celine, I am happy to hear from you again. So, are you in town now?”

She was online and replied immediately.

“Yes, I am in town.”

“Okay, I am at work now and I can only see you after I have closed.” I explained.

“That’s ok by me, as long as you keep to your words.”

After work, I went straight home. After I had bathed and eaten, I told my wife that I was going to see a friend. Since she had a blind trust for me, she didn’t ask any questions. However, I felt guilty lying to her that I was going to see a friend. I gave her the impression that the friend I was going to see was a male. She didn’t know I was going to see a female. 

I got into my car and drove out of the compound. On my way out, I called Celine.

“Hello, where are you now?” I asked Celine.

“I am at my brother’s place. Do you know Azi Motel?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Alright, when you get there, let me know and I will come and get you.”

“Ok”

A few minutes later, I was at Azi Motel. She was already at the motel waiting for me. I signaled her and she saw me. She happily came to the car and got in. She was all smiles seeing me again.

“Dozié, I am happy to see you again. So, why couldn’t call me all this while?”

“I am sorry. I completely forgot. You look good. How was your trip back to Cameroon?”

“It was good, thank God. I have been trying to get to you all this while. I badly wanted to see you again.”

“Why? Is anything the matter?”

“No, I just wanted to say thank you for the help you rendered to me on our way to Nigeria.” She spoke.

“I thought you did that already. Besides, it was no big deal. I help people every now and then.”

“No, Dozié. To me it’s a big deal, a very big deal and I want to pay you back in a special way.”

“Hmm!! That’s interesting. Tell me about it.” I was wondering what she had in store for me.

“My brother is throwing a small party for his newborn child. It’s going on as we speak. Do you mind us going there?”

“That’s okay by me.”

We got to her brother’s house and I was warmly welcomed. I was given a special seat and provided with lots of food and drinks. In fact, I was treated as a special guest, even more special than the newborn baby. It was beginning to look like it was my coming that was being celebrated. I wondered what she must have told her family about me. That was because they all treated me as if I was an in-law to the family, whereas I was not. I was just an acquaintance. 

It was about 11:00 PM now and the party was over now. I said goodbye to everyone and got into my car. I was about to drive off when I saw Celine approaching. She came to the car and sat down on the passenger side.

“I want to thank you again, Celine, for the good time. Your family is very generous. Such a lovely family you have.”

“Please, don’t mention. My family is also your family.”

I didn’t like the way that sounded but I let it pass.

“Thank you again, Celine. I have to go home now. God willing, I will see you again.”

“Why the hurry, I was hoping that we would go clubbing after this. It’s not even up to midnight.”

“No, I can’t. I had a long day at work and didn’t even have time to rest because I had to come here. Now, I have to go home and rest myself because very early tomorrow morning, I will be going to work.” I explained to her.

“Awwwnnn!! I really wanted to spend more time with you. What am I going to do now? Okay, let me follow you to your house. Let’s spend the night together.”

“What? That’s not possible. We are not dating. We are not in any relationship. What do you mean by spending the night with me?”

“Stop acting like you are a small boy. You don’t need a magician to tell you that I love you and I want to be with you.” She spoke.

I looked at her for about thirty seconds before speaking again.

“I am sorry, Celine. I am a married man now. Yes, I am legally married to a beautiful and dedicated woman. So, please, what you think can happen between us cannot happen.”

“You are married?” She asked wide-eyed. “I didn’t know that you were married. Since when did you get married?”

“That was one of my purposes of going to Nigeria, to go get a wife. I am sorry but that’s the way it is.”

“So, what becomes of us now?” She asked. 

“Us? There has never been us. We are just friends and we have only met twice. There is nothing between us.”

“Dozié please, you are such a nice man. I can’t just let you go like that. Please, make love to me, at least.”

“Are you mad? I thought I just told you that I was a married man. Please, stop this.”

“Please na, okay just once. I promise if you make love to me just this once, I will never bother you again, never.”

“What purpose would it serve?” I asked.

“Maybe it will reduce my wanting for you. I need you, please. Just this one time.”

I thought for a long while, weighing the pros and cons  of sleeping with Celine. Then I asked.

“You promise that this will be the first, last and only time?” 

“Yes, I do.”

“Promise?” 

“Promise”

TO BE CONTINUED…

==============================

CHAPTER 3

We made love in the car. Celine did things to me that no one had ever done. I knew she had an agenda. She wanted to give me an unforgettable lesson, so that I would come for more. But I was done with her, or so I thought. After we were done, I was full of guilt and couldn’t even look into her eyes.

“Get out of my car, you have gotten what you want.” I told her.

“Don’t act like you didn’t enjoy it.” She said, rolling her eyes and licking her upper lips seductively with tip of her tongue. 

“I didn’t”

“But your equipment was up and ready.”

“That doesn’t change anything. Men react by what they see. So, the fact that my LGA was up doesn’t mean I liked it. Now, get out!!

When I got home, I couldn’t look into my wife’s eyes. Poor Olamma, she didn’t deserve what I had just done to her. She was a nice and devoted wife. But I had just cheated on her with Celine, and she had no idea. She still thought I was that faithful Dozié she had always known. As I went into the bath to freshen up, I made up my mind that I would never have anything to do with Celine again. In fact, I would avoid her like a plaque. 

That night, I made love to Olamma. I was guilty and tired, but I had to do it so that she would not suspect me. She knew I was very sexually active. So, any attempts at refusing to have her that night would have led to suspicion. So far, Olamma’s mind was lucid and clean. I didn’t want to start crowding it with suspicions. It could be very dangerous. In marriage, suspicions are like the first break in a dam. If not well managed, could lead to serious consequences. 

Two days later, I got a call from Celine.

“Hi, D.” 

“My name is Dozié.”

“Please, stop being too rigid. A little pet name won’t hurt anyone.”

“What do you want?”

“I want to see you again.”

“What for?”

“Please, I need to see you. Ever since that sex in the car, I haven’t been able to get you off my mind.”

“How about our deal?” I asked, angrily.

“I know na, but you are a nice man, D, please let me be your side chick. I am promising you that I won’t constitute any nuisance to your family.”

“Celine, you are sick. You promised!!!”

“Yes, I did. But promises can be broken. Please, don’t do this to me. I can’t do without you.”

“Now, listen to me. I don’t want to see you again and I don’t want to ever have anything to do with you. What we had was a one-off. I had never intended on cheating on my wife. Therefore, I no longer want to continue on this path. Do you understand.” I was very angry.

“What is your problem, Mr.?” She was getting angry too. “What does your wife have that I don’t have? Look at me, I am a full woman; endowed both front and back, beautiful and educated. Tell me why you are treating me this way.”

“Let me tell you, Celine. She is my wife, legally wedded and you are not. So, can you now grasp the distinction?” 

“But you have slept with me.”

“That doesn’t change anything. If I wanted to be committed to all the woman I have slept with, I would have changed my name to King Solomon by now.”

“Dozié, I am promising you that I would have you one way or the other. Mark my words.”

“You can’t scare me. Is this how you want to repay me for the good deed…hello! Hello!!”

She had dropped the call. I was very angry at the way things were turning out. I regretted ever sleeping with Celine. What was I even thinking. How did I even believe that after I had slept with her in my car, she wouldn’t come back for more. I was a handsome and nice man with the type of temperament every right-thinking woman wanted. Most of my ex-girlfriends wanted me back. That should have served as a warning to me. But I refused to listen to reason and went ahead to sleep with another woman out of my marriage, I slept with another woman. I broke my holy matrimony. Now, Celine doesn’t want to let me go.

The next day, I was in my apartment, peeping through the front window of my second floor apartment when I saw one of my male neighbours talking to a lady that looked like Celine. It was around 8:00 PM at night. My windows were glazed, and as you know, at night, you can’t see through a glazed window when the lights inside are turned off. That meant I was able to see them, but they couldn’t see me. The lady seemed to be making inquiries. I looked carefully again and realized that it was indeed Celine. I shifted the glazed window slightly to one side so as to allow sound to filter in. I wanted to hear what they were talking about.

“That guy who parked that car. Does he live in this compound?” I heard Celine asked.

“I don’t know. I am a new person here.” The neighbour replied.

“Oh, alright. Thank you.”

As Celine was about to leave, another neighbour walked through the gate and Celine stopped her. This particular neighbour was very flippant, and I knew she was going to give all the details about me. I didn’t need to listen further. I already knew what would happen. I shut the window, pulled the drapes and went back to my bedroom. Olamma, my beautiful wife was already in bed, sleeping peacefully. I stood there, staring at her for about ten minutes. She looked so beautiful and peaceful. I cursed aloud for cheating on her. The sound of my voice woke her up.

“Darling, are you alright?” She asked. 

“Yes, babe.” I lied.

“Please, come to bed or are you not feeling sleepy yet.”

“I am, babe. Please, let me freshen up. I will be with you momentarily. 

The next day, I was in my office when my phone rang. It was Celine.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“I now know where you live.”

“What about it?”

“Means I can go tell your wife about us any time I want.”

“What would that change? She will get angry, then I beg her, then she forgives me, then we move on, then you become the all-round loser.”

“You think so?”

“I believe so.”

“Alright, we shall see.”

“We shall see nothing. If you ever come close to my wife, I will teach you a lesson you will never forget. Forget about this good guy thing I am doing. If you dare me, you will find out that I am an 'agbeuro'”. I warned and dropped the call, in anger. 

Celine had now realized that there was nothing she could do to get me to become part of my life. So, she decided to change strategy. She decided to seek the help of a babalawo. I was only able to find out about this much later.

“Good morning, my daughter.” The dibia said as she walked into his shrine. “Why do you desire someone’s husband?”

“How did you know, great one?” She asked in shock.

“I can see through you. I am the eyes of the gods, the eyes of your forefathers. Tell me why you want someone’s husband.”

“Great one, I love him so much. I want him to abandon his wife and marry me.”

“But he is married and there are lots and lots of handsome and well to do me out there. Why don’t you get one for yourself?” The Babalawo asked.

“It is him I love; I want him and no one else. Besides, he met me before he met his wife.”

“That doesn’t change anything. He is married now.”

“Sir, please help me. I am desperate. I came to you highly recommended. I was assured that you can do and undo.”

“Alright, my daughter. I will make a charm that will make him live his wife for you. But you should know that what he has with his wife is a holy matrimony, but what he will have with you will be an unholy matrimony. Do you want me to go ahead?”

“Yes, Sir. Please, go ahead. I love that man so much that I can’t live without him. I will literally die if I don’t get him.”

The dibia made some incantations for a while, looked at Celine then at the sky and then said:

“The last person who used this charm didn’t follow the instructions properly and it therefore ended disastrously. It caused the death of the man and the woman too. The woman was asked to follow the instructions to the latter, but she didn’t. So, when the man came into contact with the charm, the result was unfathomable. He was immediately transformed into a big and fat python. His head was the only part that remained human. The snake curled around the woman and strangled her, killing her within minutes. That was not all. The python started growing, getting longer until it got right into the streets. There was a loud cry of terror as people gathered in horror to watch what was unfolding before them.

“The townspeople were at a loss as to what to do since the snake couldn’t stop growing. Finally, the police were called, and they shot and killed the snake. As soon as it died it became a human again.”

Celine was in shock after hearing the story. However, she had a heart of stone and was very desperate. She wasn’t just in love with me, she was obsessed with him. So, she insisted that the charm be given to her. The babalawo gave her the charm, schooled her on the instructions and let her go. 

She happily left the babalawo’s shrine with one and only one thought in mind. To strike me with the charm and make me hers forever. 

TO BE CONTINUED…

==============================

CHAPTER 4

The type of charm that was given to Celine was no ordinary charm. It wasn’t your regular love portion or love spells. This one was quite different. It was very effective and diabolic. This one freezes your life, erases your memory. From the day you are struck with it, you forget everything about your past relationships or marriage, and your life begins anew. It was very dangerous. 

Poor me, I didn’t know what was installed for me. I was in my home when Celine called me and told me she would love to see me. Of course, I refused, and I did refuse very rudely. I was in my living room with my wife, Olamma. She was sitting on my laps and then she told me to sing a song for her.

“You know I have a bad voice, baby. Why do you want to embarrass me like this.” I asked, smiling.

“Your voice is angelic to me, so go ahead. Sing me a song.”

“Ok, I will sing to you. I will sing a heart-breaking son.”

“Why a heart-breaking song, Dozié?"

“I don’t know, babe. I just have a strange feeling that something bad is going to happen to me, to us.”

“God forbid. Nothing can happen to my handsome husband and me. We haven’t hurt anybody. Anyway, we will pray about it later. But sing my song first.”

There was a song that my elder sister used to sing while we were much younger. I used to feel heartbroken each time she sang it. I couldn’t remember the lyrics very well, and neither could I remember the musician who sang the song. But I had always been struck by the song. Of all the millions of beautiful songs available, I decided to sing just that one to Olamma. This is the song, or at least what I could remember of it.

The war ship was landed, and I came to shore

The fighting was over to be ever more

I had been wounded

They took me from there

I slept on my pillow and laid on my bed

The enemy saw me, they took me away

They made me a prisoner for what so them say

But God in his mercy was with me one day

The door was left open, and I ran away

I returned to my old house to see my sweet wife

The poor house I had for my darling and for me

The door was left open, and I saw her picture

I saw her picture, for her remembrance 

I kissed her picture, I wished her goodbye

My heart was now broken, and tears were flowing

The sight of my darling shall no more be seen

I know she will never, no more return back.

“I know that song, you missed some of the wordings, but it's alright. The song makes me sad, very sad.” Olamma spoke.

“Yes, babe. It’s a sad song. Now, sing me a song too.”

“What? No way. I am shy.”

“Please, babe. I need to hear you sing. Please sing me a song.”

At that moment, I suddenly experienced a blackout for about ten seconds. I couldn’t see anything. I felt a terrible pain in my head. Olamma, bent over me, trying to find out what was wrong? Asking if she could get glass of water for me, asking me to go have some rest. Instead, I pushed her away from me, violently.

“What are you doing in my house?” I asked her, rudely.

“What kind of a question is that my love?” Olamma asked, perplexed.

“I said what are you doing here? Who are you?”

“Is something wrong with you, Dozié? I am your wife. Your lovely, wedded wife, Olamma. We have been married for months now.”

“I want you out of my house, you liar. When did I get married to you? I am not an adulterer. I am married to another woman already.” I said in anger.

“Sweetheart, what has come over you?” Olamma had started crying.

“Who is your sweetheart? I don’t know you. I have never seen you before. What would I be doing with an ugly woman like you?”

In spite of Olmma’s pleadings, explanations and protestations, I sent her packing from my house after giving her a good beating. That night she spent the night at a neighbour’s house. The following day, all the neighbours assembled and brought her back to my house. As soon as they neared my door, I went back into the house, pulled a matchet and chased everyone away.

For four days, Olamma was taken care of by the neighbours. Every day, she would come to my door to beg me, and I would drive her away. The more I saw her, the more I hated her and wanted to have nothing to do with her. She called her parents in Nigeria and explained the situation to them. Her parents, in anger, went to my mother and reported what their daughter had told them. My mother called me but when I realized that she was being a pest to me, I blocked her line. I also blocked Olamma’s parents and every other person who was trying to get us back together.

What happened was that, Celine had used the charm given to her by the witch doctor. She followed all the instructions to the later and used it perfectly. The bad feeling, I was having when I wanted to sing to Olamma was a warning that someone was after me. If Olamma and I had prayed immediately, we just might have averted it. But we postponed the prayer for later and it was just at that moment when Celine struck. 

From what I was later to learn, Celine had called me in front of her magic mirror after applying the substance given to her by the sangoma. If I was a prayerful person, my image wouldn’t have appeared on the mirror. But I wasn’t prayerful. So, as soon as she called me, my spirit appeared on the mirror, and she struck me with the charm. That was how it happened. From that moment onwards, I lost all the feelings I had for my wife and loved only one woman on the face of this earth and that was Celine. 

After about a week, with everyone frustrated with me, Olamma’s parents sent her some money and she went back to Nigeria a broken woman. To me, it was good riddance. I was so happy and relieved when I got back from work and I was told that she had left for Nigeria. The very next day, Celine moved in with me. I was very happy that she was around, and I loved her with reckless abandon. She was my world, my joy and my everything.

Soon, it was time for Celine and me to marry officially. I had to take her to Nigeria and introduce her to my mother. However, that was no easy thing to do. My mother rejected her and sent her away. My other family members did the same thing. No one wanted to see her. News got to Olamma’s family that the woman who caused their daughter’s separation was in the country. There was serious quarrel as Olamma had the perfect opportunity to look at the face of Celine. She rained insults and curses on her. But Celine was a hard-core criminal and all what they said had no effect on her.

Celine and I got back to Cameroon and began living as husband and wife. Everyone was against our union. I was expelled from church and given an ultimatum that I would only be readmitted when I bring my wife back. That didn’t bother me one bit. I didn’t care about being excommunicated. I was madly in love with Celine and that was what mattered to me. 

You could think that Celine was going to be maltreating me or making life unbearable and miserable for me. She didn’t do anything like that. She was a devoted and loving companion. She gave me whatever I wanted and did all she could to make me comfortable. She was trying to do her possible best that I never have any reason to look at any other woman. One day, she engaged me into a discussion.

“Hi babe.”

“Hi Darling.”

“It’s been over a year now that I moved into your place. Ever since then, we have still been living illegitimately. Don’t you think it is time for us to do something legal?” She asked. 

“I understand, my love and I know you are right. But what can we do? My parents have refused to acknowledge you because of that mad woman called Olama. What do we do?” 

“Let’s forget about them and get married. We don’t need them. I can get my parents and some of my relations and we can go ahead and do the wedding. We can go to court all by ourselves.” She proposed.

“Alright, but remember I am still legally married to Olamma. Won’t I be committing a crime by getting legally married to you?”

“I got information that Olamma has since remarried.” She lied.

“Really?”

“Yes, babe.”

“Then what’s stopping us?

The very next day, we started making preparations for our wedding and a month later, we were legally wedded in court. Celine and I became spouses. Two months later, she became pregnant for our first child.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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CHAPTER 5 

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…