THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 111-120
CHAPTER 115
BY SOLOMON ADINYA
Ene had put a call across to her children,and all of Simon’s children he had given birth to outside their marriage,they squeezed themselves into the master bedroom, they all had to endure the stench , that ordinarily would have made one puke , but one’s corpse is one’s family.
The room was so quiet, the smell of death was hanging all over the room , Ene sat beside her husband hot tears steaming from her eyes , one arm crossed chest fallen boobs,the other arm rested horizontally on the arm the rested vertically,two fingers covered her teary eyes ,while they waited for the priest .
A screeching sound of a car applying brakes outside the house announced the arrival of the Reverend father,Ogbole went out to direct the priest into the master bedroom.
“You’re welcome father .”Ogbole said bowing his head slightly to pay obeisance to the revered man of God, who couldn’t be older than than thirty , he was the assistant Parish priest of the Catholic church.He was accompanied by catechist, a man in his early sixties , whose black hairs had turned silver .
“How are you Ogbole ?” the Reverend father said.
“I am fine father , please follow me father .” The young man said , the priest and catechist followed him into the brown house , with brown aluminium roof,the sitting room was impeccably clean, though some of the couches had lost their clothes and the yellowish brown foams were exposed , the sitting room was very large , a brown room divider stood to one side of the room, with a silver coloured Kenwood CD player, with large woofer speakers .
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 111-120
they entered the corridors that led to Simon’s room , over five rooms were built in a face to face building style , His room was the first on the roll. The priest got into the room, Simon’s children made way for him to get to their father’s death bed .
“May the peace of Lord be upon this house , in the name of the father ,the son and the Holyghost.” The priest made the sign of the cross , the whole house echoed amen .
“Brother Simon is this you ?” The priest asked .
“Ye..s fa…t…the..r this is m…e oh .” Simon whispered, each word stabbed his lungs with pains .”I wa…nt to m…ma…Ke things right .” He said tears surging out of his eyes .
“Fa..ther I wa…nt you to pray …for me .”He struggled to say , the priest covered his nose with his handkerchief, the smell from Simon’s body was repulsive . “I wa..nt forgive…ness.”He said , he made long confession in the family of all the atrocities he and his friend Sunny had some , he told his family that he had no hand in Ehi’s death ,that sunny did it alone .
Ogwuche stood at the back of the room,with two fingers holding his nostrils, he fought to feel emotional, or have compassion on his father , but his heart was dead , he couldn’t feel anything, he wondered if he was just a wicked soup , because his siblings wept, especially Ogbene she cried so hard .
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 111-120
“Dear God I now commit your son unto your hands , wherever he may have sinned against you , knowingly, unknowingly forgive him , his trespasses in Jesus name.” The priest prayed.
“Amen .” The Ogar’s replied .
“If it’s your will to accept him home, let your will be done , if there’s a purpose for him to fulfill here on earth , if you could change the story of Lazarus heal him .” He prayed and poured holy water on Simon he blessed him . The catechist followed behind the priest as Ogwuche and Ogbole saw them off to the vehicle and returned back to their father .
“Please… the land at the Primary…school return …it back to the children of late…. Boniface, the land near the …..secretariat return it to Solomon Eju , please my children… Never put your…into anything evil… if… anyone look for your trouble… report to the police … don’t take laws … into your hands .”Simon gasped , he struggled to breath . He was quiet, one by one his children left .
“Please… Ene help me call Ogwuche…” He stuttered,Ene nodded and ran out to call Ogwuche walked into the room .
“Aaaarh … this life isn’t as we think it oh .”Simon said . “If I knew life would be like this… I wouldn’t have tried to force it oh … Ogwuche I know while growing , you thought I hated you .” Simon struggled to speak .
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 111-120
“Ask your mother…here , I love you above… all my children… I was just afraid you’ll be weak like your uncle my older brother … So I used to beat you and make you fight those who bullied you ,am sorry for forcing you to fight…am sorry for forcing your choice of wife … I know you hate me , please forgive me , don’t let hatred make your heart black.” Simon begged .
“I thought the priest could make you … just forget… about the girl in Gboko… but it turned to something else , the devil never gives anything for free . it hurt me to see you suffer .” he whispered.”I am dying with regrets in my heart, please forgive me my son .” Simon said Ogwuche nodded not saying a word , his arms were wrapped around his chest .
“Am sorry my son , I am sorry .”He said Ogwuche nodded . “I
Ene I want to drink water… am thirsty… I am thirsty … I want to drink water , go and bring me water … Ene go get I need to drink water my throat is burning.” Ene ran out of the room .
He began to hold his neck as he struggled to breath , Ogwuche ran to him , his eyes had popped out like someone who had was choking ,he struggled in the bed , squeezing tightly the bedsheet , it was all rumpled up in his arm.
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 111-120
“Papa ? papa?” Ogwuche ran to his father bedside,Simon fought and twisted like a cobra whose head had been chopped off ,he tossed and turned over and over , then lay quietly in bed ,he urinated and pooped on his body , before he released his struggling muscles and lay in sleep , Ogwuche sat with his father’s body , he closed his father’s eyes,that was left open when he died .
“Papa how are you walking? where are you going?” Ogbene asked she was walking with her elder sister Mary , their jaws dropped wide , how they wondered how their father was walking? somebody who had not left his bed for weeks, walking? where they were coming from , the sisters had gone to buy foodstuffs for lunch .
Simon turned to his daughters with a straight face .”Go home now your mother is looking for you , go and tell her I’m going, that she shouldn’t worry everything will be fine .”Simon said , he changed his direction, not saying another word ,he walked into the bush . It was a strange behaviour from their father ,they hurried home .
Only to meet a wailing party, relatives had run into Simon’s house when Ene lifted her voice in agony. She wept so much that her head ached . Ogwuche and the other men took his body to a morgue near Otukpo, a meeting was fixed for burial arrangements.
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 111-120
“You’re looking beautiful . such a beautiful lady with brain .” Terfa hyped Dooshima , she smiled .”Go up there and bombard the crowd with your super intelligence.”
Terfa said , helping Dooshima dress her wig one year ran on bird wings , and the and the set of law school graduates were gathered in the International Conference Centre Area Eleven Abuja . Amongst the three thousand students who had graduated,
Dooshima couldn’t believe her eyes that she had the highest score amongst the one hundred and twenty first class students, could see the pride burning in her father’s face in the crowd of well wishers who had come to call witness their family members being called to bar .
Professor Gamadi couldn’t miss the opportunity for anything in the world to see his angel ,his love and prodigy, become a lawyer.
Dooshima’s siblings and mother were at the conference centre they all cheered her on . The pastor held a small celebration party at his Asokoro home , Dooshima’s colleagues from law school joined her , among them was Terfa . For over six months their course mates thought they were dating , but Dooshima had been bitten by a python twice , she feared men .
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 111-120
Terfa had been there for her , his family was always in her house , they were almost like a family , but fear of another heartbreak terrified her .
“Dooshima I know your story , I know all you’ve been through. My parents have already approved and given me go ahead , that’s if you would accept me , we won’t waste time dating,we’ve spent a year together as friends apart from the fact that I’ve known you in the church from children’s church.”Terfa said , the two of them had left the noise and celebration in the sitting room, and were sitting on a bamboo chair at the quiet garden of the mansion.
“I’ve a child Terfa . I don’t want anyone to come in between myself and my child .” Dooshima said arms folded over her bust as though she was freezing cold .
“Dooshima I’ll accept Shiana as mine , we both came from money , what could we lack? we can get her ten nannies if that’s what you want .”Terfa said .
“Uhhhhm Terfa I won’t be able to forgive you if you break my heart the third time , I won’t survive it , I’ve not been lucky with men .” Dooshima warned .
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 111-120
“I promise you Dooshima I will treat you like the air I breathe.” Terfa promised .
“That’s cool , I accept your proposal.” Dooshima said ,Terfa felt like a floating bed , he jumped up from the bamboo chair.
“Dooshima did I hear you right ?” He asked stunned and awestruck.
“Yes isn’t that what you want ?” Dooshima asked ,Terfa took off his suit and threw it into he air . He rushed to hug Dooshima ,she put an arm in front of her . “No way , no kissing, no embrace , no touching until after marriage .” Dooshima said .
Still overjoyed Terfa beamed with joy . “I agree your wish is my command .” he said , they went back into the house together to continue the party .
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 111-120
Terfa suddenly knelt before Dooshima , and produced a purple ring box from his pocket , he opened it . And held the ring out to Dooshima .
“Dooshima I remember the first day I saw you at the law school , you triggered a flame in my soul , it kept growing till I couldn’t contain it , please Dooshima today before your parents I want to ask will you be my wife ?” Terfa asked Dooshima nodded , tears poured out of her eyes .
“Yes I will .” Dooshima gave her finger to him, he put the ring on them , there was a riotous revelling in the house , they all danced and celebrated Dooshima and Terfa’s Double wins .
The burial was in full swing, local drums beat as the women sang and danced , Simon’s body lay in the casket , a white Cotton wool squeezed into his nose , he was wearing a white lace native , with white gloves and stockings,inside the white interior of the casket , his body had gone darker.
Agada and family were there , he was running up and down shouldering the financial responsibilities of the burial , Ogwuche was invincible, he was even ashamed seeing his uncle’s sons , he felt like an embarrassment, the young men were doing well , they drove expensive cars , Owoiche already had three children, his brother had two , they spent lavishly on their uncles burial .
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 111-120
Simon’s body lay outside in a small canopy , the whole compound was lighted up with bulbs ,they had hired a big generator, there was a power outage that night .
The Christian mothers group that Ene belonged to came to the burial , beating drums and singing beautiful,but was Idoma songs about heaven and death .
“Ogwuche how are you doing?” Agada said , he sat on the bench with Ogwuche , he was sitting alone from the people ,arms folded across his chest .
“Am fine sir .” Ogwuche said , unable to look at his uncle’s face .
“So what is your plan Ogwuche? will you remain in the village ? your father is now dead, your wife has ran away? Won’t you go and find your child ?” Agada asked his nephew.
“Which child ?” Ogwuche asked, the children he knew about had died . “Uncle I don’t understand what you’re saying .” he was bamboozled and dumbfolded
“Ogwuche is it that you completely forgot about Dooshima? she has your child ,a very beautiful girl Shiana is her name .” Agada said .
THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 111-120
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