CHAPTER 25
SWB: Akinsehinwa Oluwaseun.
“Richard, I’m scared, what do you mean by that?” I said staring questioningly at him
“Relax Babe.
I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary.
You remember that day we had an argument and I mistakenly pushed you?”
“Yep that was the day I was admitted to the hospital” I answered.
“Good! Actually I saw your calls but I deliberately ignored them because I was still very angry.
When I got to the office I realized that I had left the important documents I would be needing in the office at home.
So I decided to go back home to pick them.
When I got home,I met the greatest shock of my life.
I saw you in the pool of your own blood, you were no longer breathing well.
I was scared to the bone marrow……”
“You know our Pastor’s wife already warned me ahead” I interrupted my husband.
“She told me she had a scary dream, that you and I were quarrelling, it became complicated and the end result in her dream was death.
That was the reason she instructed us to fast and pray. I’m really grateful that the Lord reversed the verdict of death over me” I said.
“I’m grateful too. I can’t tell you how scared I was.
I thought I had lost you.
I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself. You see while I was driving you to the hospital, I silently prayed to God to save you, I promised Him if He did that I would cancel all the divorce proceedings.
You need to see me that day, Nifemi,you really scared me”
“I was really scared too,while I was wriggling in pains before I passed out, I thought it was the end, especially when I remembered our Pastor’s wife’s dream that she told me about.”
“The devil is a great loser”
“Yes he is” there was a brief silence before my husband continued talking.
“Actually I saw that you were on call when you passed out.
The fellow kept saying hello, I wasn’t in the mood to speak to anyone, so I hung up the call and kept your phone in my pocket.
I carried you into the car and drove down to the hospital.
The doctor said you had lost a lot of blood and it was only fifty fifty chance that you’ll ever survive it.
He told me outrightly that the baby was gone.
Well I’m glad you survived it.
That particular number kept calling, I wondered who it was.
When I picked up later, lo and behold it was that dog, Jude.
I was really angry at him, I threatened him that if he didn’t back off he’ll never live to see another day.
The guy had crossed his limit Nifemi.
I knew you were weak and I had to fight the battle on your behalf, if I leave you to your fate, then I have failed my vows.
Afterall we vowed for better or for worse”
“So he became afraid and backed off?” I asked.
“No he actually kept calling, out of anger I sent him a message”
“What message?” I asked.
“I guess it should still be on my phone, I didn’t remember to delete it ” he brought out his phone and started flipping through.
“This is the message I sent him” I collected the phone from him to read the message.
“You are a dead man! Just make a mistake of trying to call my wife again and I promise you even the dead will be better than you.
I’ll personally waste your life in the most painful way no one had ever died” I read out.
I was a bit scared, I hope Richard doesn’t mean what he wrote?
“Richard do you mean this?”
“Not really, they were just mere threats borne out of anger.
He has really pushed me to the wall.
How can a man be so heartless? He doesn’t even have any fear or iota of respect for me”
“Richard I’m really sorry, I caused it all”
“No darling, you don’t have to blame yourself, it’s a bygone now.
Let’s just keep his case behind us”
Richard continued talking while my mind strayed away.
That message though strong, wasn’t enough reason Jude would ever decide to stay away from me and my family.
I know him very well, he’s a man who doesn’t give up easily, not even in the face of challenges. Well maybe he got tired of the whole thing and decided to throw in the towel after realizing that I’ll never leave my husband for him.
“Oluwanifemi” my husband called jerking me out of my reverie.
“Yes Love”
“If this kind of mistake happens again, I may never be able to forgive you. Please let’s not give the devil a chance ever again”
I wasn’t happy that Richard had begun to doubt my fidelity but I couldn’t blame him, it’s expected that after every act of unfaithfulness, trust and confidence is reduced if not completely shattered.
“I promise you Richard that I will never do anything to hurt you again”
“I believe you” Richard said.
Our love kept growing stronger and stronger by the day. We prayed together, ate together, went to places together, made love times over times. It was as if the devil will never raise its ugly head again, until one day when the unexpected happened. It was a Friday morning, some men came to our house and asked to see my husband but I told them he has gone to work. I asked them if all was well, they refused to tell me anything, they said they would come back at a later time.
Richard came back in the evening and I told him about the men who came earlier on. He said he wasn’t expecting any visitor and if they were business associates, then they should have come to the office instead.
Just as we were still speaking, the men arrived. They were now in their uniforms. Richard was unmoved but I was all shaken up.
“Good evening gentlemen, how may I help you?” My husband said confidently.
“Mr Thomas Richard you are under arrest for the murder of one Mr Jude, you are to remain silent as anything you say will be used against you in the court of law”
“What!” Richard exclaimed.
Jude is dead? How is that possible? How did he die? Jude can’t be dead, that’s impossible!
“Richard!!! You killed him?” I lost balance and fell on the chair as the police apprehended Richard and took him away. The whole thing appeared to me like a dream. It must definitely be a dream. Jude dead, Just like that?
*** *** ***
“Ten minutes madam” a police officer said as Richard was being led out of the cell. He was already looking unkept, just four days in the cell and Richard is already looking like this. This will be the first time they’ll allow me to see my husband, I’ve been coming since the very first day he was apprehended but they didn’t give me a chance to see him or speak with him. His sister, his closest friend and our pastor too have been visiting but neither of them was granted an access.
“What have they done to you Richard?” I said in a low tone, not because I was afraid to speak aloud but because I have suddenly lost my voice.
Richard sat down dejectedly before me, his hands were in cuffs. He tried holding my hands in his.
“Believe me Nifemi, I didn’t kill him”
“Richard please tell me the truth, remember you promised me that you will never hide any secret from me again. I understand you were angry, I don’t judge or condemn……” My voice was shaky because I was trying to struggle with the tears that were trying to force their way out of my teary gland.
“Damn it Nifemi! Are you insinuating that I murdered him?”
“I don’t know what to believe Richard, the way he died, the message , everything is pointing you out as the murderer” I said with a mist of tears in my eyes. I can’t explain why this have to come up, just when I thought the storm was over. My marriage has been crossing from one challenge to the other. Who did I really offend?
“Believe me Nifemi, I didn’t kill him”
“Richard please tell me the truth, remember you promised me that you will never hide any secret from me again. I understand you were angry, I don’t judge or condemn……” My voice was shaky because I was trying to struggle with the tears that were trying to force their way out of my teary gland.
“Damn it Nifemi! Are you insinuating that I murdered him?”
“I don’t know what to believe Richard, the way he died, the message , everything is pointing you out as the murderer” I said with a mist of tears in my eyes. I can’t explain why this have to come up, just when I thought the storm was over. My marriage has been crossing from one challenge to the other. Who did I really offend?
I left the police station in my sad state, I was really unhappy. Who could have killed Jude?
The police men continued with their investigation but nothing helpful was found, the death of Jude was always being traced to my husband , Richard. Even the way he died was enough to point out Richard as the murderer.
My parents, our pastor and his wife, Dolly and Richard’s best friend stood with us during this trying period. After about three weeks that Richard had been in the cell, I realized I was pregnant. I decided I won’t break the news to him until the real identity of Jude’s murderer was revealed.
This was a trying time and I needed to be closer to God more than ever. maybe if I had prayed well before my marriage, I would have escaped all these unnecessary storms. Or could this be more of a spiritual battle? Is there anyone anywhere troubling my marriage because he or she just doesn’t want me to be married to Richard? Why is all these happening to me?
“Lord who killed Jude?”