The bride 1 – end

The bride 1
…………………………….
Nneka was a beautiful girl in her mid twenties. She was born into a very
rich family of five children; three males and two females. She was the
first daughter and the third child. Beauty was their family’s natural
heritage and all the children born into the family inherited it. Their
beauty was beyond average and even at that, Nneka was the most beautiful
among the beautiful siblings. She was average in height and possessed the
right sizes of the features that distinguish females from males. Her
chocolate complexion and bulky eyes made her facial beauty more pronounced.
When she smiled, her superb dental arrangement and the dimples that
appeared on both of her cheeks were a pleasant sight to behold. Her beauty
was so irresistible that while she was still in secondary school, suitors
trooped in to seek for her hand in marriage. But her parents who insisted
that no child of theirs would go into marriage without having a university
education practically chased the suitors away.
While she was in the university, many of her lecturers had made advances at
her. Some of the unmarried ones had asked her to marry them but she
politely turned down their proposals. If not that her beauty came with
great academic intelligence which made her known as one of the best
students in her department, some of these lecturers whose proposals she’d
turned down would have forced her into giving in to their demands using her
results as baits. But her academic performance had resonant echoes all over
her department. Any irregularities in her results would have prompted an
investigation. They let her be and hoped opportunities would come for them
to achieve their aims. That never happened.
When Nneka graduated from the University, she was posted to a state in the
western region of the country for her one year national youth service.
There, she met Kunle, the love of her life. Kunle was a computer engineer
who worked in the firm where Nneka was posted for her primary assignment.
Their connection was swift and spontaneous. It didn’t take any formal
approach from Kunle nor the play of ‘hærd to get’ from Nneka for them to
start off a relationsh¡p. They just found themselves being drawn to each
other by that natural force called Love. Within a few months, their
relationsh¡p blossomed into something beautiful and pure.
The first time Kunle took Nneka to his parents’ house, she was warmly
welcomed. The charming aura of her personality diffused into the atmosphere
and everyone seemed to be induced by it. They were all happy. Kunle was
surprised when his mother’s countenance didn’t change when he disclosed
that Nneka was from the Igbo tribe. His mother had constantly warned him
never to marry from any other tribe except theirs (Kunle’s family’s). But
on meeting Nneka, the story changed. She (Kunle’s mother) rather started
advising him to hasten things before Nneka would change her mind. Whenever
she said that, Kunle would laugh out loudly.
Sadly, eight months into the national youth service, Nneka’s father died.
His death dealt a heavy blow on the entire family. Nneka was the most hit
because she was her father’s favorite. During this period of mourning,
Kunle provided tremendous support to Nneka and her family. He tried his
best in filling up the vacuum Nneka’s father’s demise created in her life.
As time went on, normalcy gradually returned in her life and she moved on.
A few months after Nneka completed her national youth service, the two love
birds decided to tie the knot.
A date was fixed and they started making arrangements concerning the
traditional legalization of their union. Being an inter-tribal marriage,
the arrangements were not the regular ones. Many things were debated on by
both families before consensions were reached. Also, Kunle, the groom was
tutored on what to do, how to do them and when to do them on the day of the
traditional wedding. It was indeed a hectic period for the couple and their
families. But in all, the two individuals who were about to consolidate
their union were very excited about everything. Love they say conquers all
and theirs conquered the stress they went through in making their special
day a memorable one.
Finally the D-day came. The excitement in Nneka’s family compound was
electrifying. Their first daughter was getting married. Varieties of food
had been prepared by the women. The disc jockey was playing some beautiful
music. Nneka’s uncle who stood in for her father and her kinsmen had long
gathered. They were drinking some palm wine while they waited for the
arrival of their in-laws. Some guests and villagers had also gathered in
wait for the commencement of the occasion. A little after mid day, Kunle
and his people arrived in their colorful attires. They came carrying the
items stipulated in the marriage list given to them by Nneka’s people. Not
long after their arrival, the occasion started. Smoothly, the occasion
proceeded until it was time for the bride to come and great her would be
in-laws.
The ‘asoebi’ girls had lined up as they’d rehearsed and were waiting for
Nneka, the bride to come and join the train. While they stood and waited,
they heard the sounds of clattering objects in,side the house. Before they
could realize what was happening, Nneka ran out in the open where the
guests, her family and her would be in-laws were. She was unclad except for
the thong which covered her genitals. Her bare plump br-asts were bouncing
as she displayed a show of insanity. She had gone made on her traditional
wedding day.
What happened next?
Find out!!!
The bride 2
………………………………………
At first, everyone was surprised. I took a few seconds before they
recovered from the shock and sought to do something. Kunle was the first to
run to Nneka where she was scattering the canopies and held her. She pushed
him away with so much force that landed him on his buttocks. Nneka’s
brothers and some of the kinsmen then surrounded and held her down before
taking her into the house. They were many murmurs among the people present.
Some of the women cried out of sympathy while others discussed the possible
causes of Nneka’s insanity. Gradually, the guest dispersed as the chief
celebrant had become a mad woman. What a way one’s special day went sour.
While these commotions were taking place, Nneka’s mother sat where she was.
She was too shocked to move a limb. Her facial expression was indifferent
as she watched her first daughter running around unclad in front of the
crowd on her wedding day. She just moped like someone who’d been hypnotized
or under a spell. Her mind was vague with no thoughts of what was happening
running through it. She was in that state for a while before letting out a
loud scre-m. After the scre-m, she collapsed to the ground and became
unconscious. People rushed to her side and took her into the house where
efforts were made to resuscitate her. After she regained consciousness, she
started crying and making some heartbreaking comments.
When the commotion died down, Kunle made arrangements for his people to
return to their bases while him and his brother stayed back, probably to
help find out the reason and possibly solution to the darkness which had
befallen the love of his life. In his heart, he was convinced that someone,
somewhere, who didn’t want the progress of Nneka’s family had made a
spiritual projection to stop Nneka from getting married. This supposed
person he swore to find and deal with. He was determined to go to any
length in finding and punishing the person who had inflicted such pain and
shame on the woman he loved.
Have you read shalewa the bad girl?
Time passed with no solution coming up. Kunle had gone back to his base and
was visiting whenever he could. Each time he visited, he’d sit with Nneka
in the room where she was bound on both hands and feet. He would cry
bitterly as he watched what had become of his woman. The once beautiful
Nneka had become a ghost of herself. Her bulky eyes had sunk in, her firm
br-asts had become almost placid, her glowing skin has sores and her hairs
were falling off. She would be snarling and talking to herself. Sometimes,
days would pass without her sleeping at all. The more Kunle saw Nneka, the
more heartbroken he became and the more determined he became in finding a
solution to Nneka’s problem.
Around the town, many people peddled many rumors and gossips concerning the
cause of Nneka’s madness. A set of the gossipers had it that Nneka was from
the marine world and had a husband there. They gossiped that her marine
husband struck her with madness because she insisted on getting married in
the physical realm. Another sector of the rumour mongers said that Nneka
was an ‘ogabnje’ and that ogbanjes are not allowed to marry mere humans,
thus her madness was projected to prevent her from doing so. This set
buttress their claims by insisting that it was only a person from the
ogbanje caste that could be as beautiful as Nneka was.
Another set, mainly made up of men whose advances Nneka turned down in the
past peddled another rumor. They said that Nneka was using her beauty to
defraud men. They further claimed that she promised to marry a man and
absconded when she’d liquidated the man. Thus, out of anger, the man struck
her with madness. All these rumour, lies and gossips were mere speculations
as no one knew exactly why the beauty queen went mad.
Time went by and solutions were sought for in different prayer houses. Most
of the supposed men of God gave false prophecies and provided fake
solutions. Some sold fake sacramentals to Nneka’s family and duped them
huge amounts of money. These fake prophets told many lies concerning the
cause and solution to Nneka’s condition. One of these fake men who defraud
people using the name of God came to Nneka’s family house on invitation and
requested to have some time alone with her. He claimed that he needed to
pray against the violent spirit which was tormenting her and wrestle with
it (the spirit) physically if need be. They (Nneka’s people) obliged and he
was led into the room where Nneka was. He (the fake prophets) started
shouting in form of prayers. He shouted for a while before he went mute.
After a while of going mute, he started mo-ning softly. It was then that
one of Nneka’s brothers opened the door and found the ‘prophet’ having a
carnal knowledge of mad Nneka’s body. So much for a prophet who’d come to
wrestle with evil spirits.
It got to a point that Kunle couldn’t take it anymore. He decided it was
time to seek for solutions through traditional means. This decision of his
was not welcomed by Nneka’s family. They insisted that there is nothing God
cannot do and that if it is the will of God, their daughter, Nneka would be
healed. After a long time of dialogue and facts presentation, Kunle was
able to convince Nneka’s family to try a herbalist who practised somewhere
around his base. Arrangements were made and Nneka was transported to the
herbalist’s home in the company of Kunle, her mother and her eldest
brother.
At the herbalist’s home, after some incantations and greetings to his gods,
he (the herbalist) threw his ‘awön ohun elo afòśè’ (divination materials)
and looked at them keenly. He stared at the pieces of bones, sticks, cowrie
and other items he’d thrown on the ground for a long time and shook his
head in pitifully. He looked up and stared at Nneka with the same pity in
his eyes.
He then went ahead and told them the cause of Nneka’s madness.
What did he tell them?
Find out!!!
The bride 3 (the end)
…………………………………………………….
“Her father is the cause of her madness”, the herbalist said with a pitiful
face. Immediately he said that, expressions of surprise appeared on the
faces of all present, except for Nneka who was busy displaying her
incoherent p-ntomime. In their individual minds, they wondered how Nneka’s
father who was long dead could be the cause of her madness which started
months ago. While the others were still reasoning the shocking ass**tion,
Nneka’s brother stood up angrily and made to leave. In his mind, he was
convinced that the herbalist was another conman who used trial and error
method to dupe his vulnerable clients.
“Come let’s leave this place. I should have known they are all the same”,
he almost shouted at his mother as he was about carrying Nneka. His mother
who shared his opinion was about getting up when the herbalist said “your
father made a pact with a coven for his riches. He sacrificed your sisters’
marriages for his wealth”. Nneka’s brother turned around immediately and
faced the herbalist inquisitively. Kunle and Nneka’s mother focused their
gazes on the herbalist as well. The herbalist moved his divination
materials again and continued. He told them that their father had a
covenant with a coven that none of his female children would get married in
exchange for riches. He also disclosed that his (their father’s) death was
orchestrated by the coven because he was making efforts with another coven
to annul the covenant he made. He further revealed that their father would
have died if any of his daughters got married but since he was dead
already, the coven struck Nneka with madness to stop her from getting
married.
When they heard that, they were weakened. The thoughts and convictions they
had earlier had been all false. Their belief that someone was fighting
their family from the outside was wrong. All along, the problem had been
from the man they’d looked up to for saftey. The man they’d wished was
around to help find solutions to his daughter’s problem. It was indeed a
heartbreaking revelation. Nneka’s mother burst into tears and Kunle tried
to console her.
Nneka’s brother paced the room as he was lost in thought. He couldn’t
believe that the man he’d been looking up to could be such a monster. He
couldn’t believe that the man whom he’d loved all his life would be so
callous to use his daughters’ happiness for his selfish gains; mere wealth.
As they were all engrossed in thoughts, the herbalist jolted them by saying
“unfortunately, I can’t proffer solutions to this problem. If there are any
solutions, you must seek for them from the Supreme being who made earth and
everything in it. Only him can rescue your daughter from the coven which
holds her sanity”. After saying that, he gathered his divination materials
and stepped outside.
His statement plunged them into more confusion. They had known the cause of
their daughter’s predicament but the only man who was able to reveal that
had no solutions to offer. It was as good as when they were in the dark.
They carried Nneka and left the room which served as the herbalist’s
consulting room. As they walked past the herbalist where he sat outside
snuffing tobacco, Nneka’s brother reluctantly asked him “which supreme
being are talking about?” The herbalist looked up and responded “there is a
being that owns the earth. He gives and takes life. He gives wisdom and
talent and wealth. He designs human destinies. He can do all things. People
seek him in different ways. I seek him using my herbs and ‘awon olun elo
efòśé and others seek him through means they believe is more effective. But
to find him, you must seek him sincerely and spiritually”.
With this little lecture from the herbalist, Nneka’s people knew
immediately that he was talking about God, the Supreme being. The creator
of the heavens and earth. He who began before the beginning. The all
knowing and all sufficient God who suspended the sky with no pillars
holding it’s weight. The one who takes no permission to do whatever he
wants to do. He whom every power in the heavens and on earth trembles at
his feet. The impossible specialist. They were convinced that since that
uncommon sermon came from the herbalist, seeking God in truth and in spirit
was their only hope of rescuing their daughter from the grip of the coven
where her father had deposited her destiny. have you read coolval stories?
They left there and went home with a different view to their problem.
Instead of patronizing fake prophets who they earlier believed would just
pray out the spirit tormenting their daughter, they resorted to attending
church programs and participating in the process of liberating their
daughter. They declared fasting for themselves and tried so much to rid
themselves of sins. They effectively adhered to the Bible verse that says
“the hands of God are not short neither are his ears deaf to hear our
prayers, but sins separates us from him”. They sought for God in truth and
in spirit. At intervals, they invited the church’s prayer warriors team to
pray for Nneka. Severance of any ties linking their family to any coven was
their major prayer point.
They continued in their new prayerful lifestyle and hoped on God for
breakthrough. One day, after their night devotion, they had retired to
their different rooms when they heard Nneka shouting. They hurried to the
room where she was kept and found rolling on the floor scre-ming. “My head!
My head! Leave me alone!”, she kept shouting. As she shouted, her family
members started praying. While they prayed, Nneka’s mother fell on her
knees and called upon God in tears. She challenged God to show his
supremacy over every spirit holding her daughter’s sanity. After a while,
Nneka stopped shouting but her family members kept praying. While there
were still praying, they heard Nneka faintly calling on them to unbound
her. They reluctantly check and Nneka was healed. Their joy knew no bounds
when they heard Nneka asking why they bound her like a mad person. Their
prayerful and righteous approach had yielded results. The covenant had been
broken and Nneka was free.
It took months for Nneka to fully recover from the physical effects of her
affliction. She got married to Kunle in a court wedding after her kinsmen
were given their rights in money. They have won.
Is there any weapon more powerful than the combination of prayers and
righteousness?