Three Generations

Three generations episode 77 – finale

TITLE: THREE GENERATIONS

WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 77

The wedding dates were accepted. Josh wanted his family to quickly visit Nwadiuto’s people immediately after his mother gave her consent. They went for the introduction. Uncle Obi, uncle Onyedika, Nwakaego, Paul and Nwanneka were present alongside other extended family members. Anozie’s sisters were not excited about Nwadiuto going to Edo state but since the men had agreed, they didn’t have a choice.

Chidi was informed about everything happening. He chose not to be at the introduction. It was Nwakaego’s right to give her granddaughter out in marriage. He had ceded his rights to her and told her so.

Nwadiuto refused to work but rather began an online course. She planned to still travel to India after her wedding and remain there for six months. That was why she started the course online. Josh was fine with the plan as long as she returned to Nigeria immediately after the course. Six months was a long time for a newly married couple but Josh knew Nwadiuto would never be happy unless she fulfilled her dreams.

Josh approached Malik to be his best man as all their friends were married. Malik declined. When asked the reason, Malik told him it was because he didn’t want to be anywhere near Nwadiuto. It sounded strange to him.

“O boy, you still get feelings?”

“That babe is the devil. I hope you know who you are marrying”

“Why would you say that? I know who I am marrying”

‘You don’t know. Leave me out of your marriage plans. That girl is a terrible human being. Do me a favour; don’t tell her anything. I’m just being honest with you”

“No problem”

Josh was worried as he saw Malik looked disturbed. He resolved to ask Nwadiuto if they had a falling out he didn’t know about. Malik’s reaction and comments in the presence of other friends cast doubt on Nwadiuto. He could see the questions in their eyes. “Is he just jealous?” Josh wondered. “Or was there more?” there were questions without any answers. He asked his brother to be his best man instead.

Nwadiuto relocated to Lagos just before the wedding. Their wedding attires were ready for both the traditional and white wedding. Chioma had bought and sent her wedding gown for her with the accessories. Josh insisted on paying for it.

Nwanneka and Nwakaego agreed to a small traditional wedding to be done in the compound. It ended up being bigger than they anticipated. The news of Nwadiuto getting married had circulated the villages. All the students Nwadiuto helped to ensure they had a future came together to plan their activities on her wedding day in the village. All those that benefited from Nwanneka and Nwakaego brought gifts to them to support the wedding.

“It will end up being a carnival at this rate,” uncle Onyedika told them as he shook his head.

The villagers had to be taken care of. Nwakaego org-nized the women meeting to help lighten their load. She selected some of the women who shared food items to each group and paid them to cook for themselves and fellow villagers. There was enough to eat. Drinks were also shared in excess. That way, the caterer would attend to only invited guests.

As the entourage from Benin entered their community, all the students that benefitted from Nwadiuto received them from afar. They esc-rted them to the village chanting Nwadiuto’s name, singing songs of praise for her. It was unbelievable to Josh’s family. They couldn’t believe the crowd that came out of their homes to welcome them. All because of Nwadiuto, Nwanneka and Nwakaego. The village had never received the turnout that welcomed Nwadiuto’s in-laws.

Uncle Obi and uncle Onyedika welcomed Josh and his family into the family compound. The men went in,side to sort out the list. Whatever Josh dropped for the rites, they accepted without argument. The family presented a bride price which they accepted. Uncle Obi opened the envelope looked into it.

“This man here is Chidi, a representative of Nwadiuto’s grandmother’s family. Should we accept this dowry?” he asked.

“I do not know your family to be one that sells their daughters. We do not in our own family. Therefore, I suggest we return the money to them as our daughter, Nwadiuto, is not for sale” Chidi replied.

“We also don’t sell our daughters in our family. Our families share the same ideologies. Please take back your dowry. Nwadiuto is free to return to our home if she finds living with you unbearable” uncle Obi concluded.

“We are certain it will never happen. Josh and Nwadiuto love each other” Philip, Josh’s father answered confidently.

The proper ceremony began.

Nwakaego had asked Nwadiuto to choose the colours of her fabrics and leave the rest to her. The outcome of the decision stared her in the face. Her first outing had her looking like a goddess. She couldn’t believe her grandmother made a two piece outfit with George for her to show off her figure.

On her second outing, she wore an Igbo blouse and double wrapper george to find Josh. She found him very easily. He whispered to her “You looking amazing. I can’t believe you are all mine” which made Nwadiuto smile sheepishly.

Uncle Obi blessed the couple. He called on other members of their family to bless them which included her father, Chidi. Then Josh’s family blessed them. Josh watched as the family had quietly ins××ted Chidi into the programme without exposing anything.
The last outfit for Nwadiuto was the Bini attire. She dressed in a full Bini regalia for a married woman. Josh couldn’t believe her last outfit as they never discussed it. His mother was very happy when she saw her. She hugged Nwadiuto and thanked her for honouring their culture. She prayed for her that her presence in their family will bring only good fortune.

The entire ceremony didn’t last more than two and a half hours in total. The guests were well served and everyone was happy.

Josh asked Nwadiuto to stay back with her family until after the white wedding. Nwadiuto wondered if there was something wrong that he didn’t want her to be with him. He told her they had agreed and she couldn’t back down now.

The next day, Nwadiuto flew back to Lagos because she was upset. She wanted to spend time on her own. She wanted to be with Josh and discuss the entire event but she couldn’t as Josh wasn’t picking her calls and didn’t bother to call back.

Two days after her traditional wedding, she got a call from a strange number. When she picked up, there was someone Nwadiuto didn’t know on the line. The person said, “We have information that you are blackmailing a man who you had s-xual encounters with at the Hilton. We have you on record entering the hotel and his room and also of you exiting. We also have your accomplice on video. Blackmail is a serious offence in Nigeria.”

“If you have such a video, why are you contacting me?”

“You have something you want”

“What do you want?”

“The blackmail video you made of my client”

“Who is that?”

“We want the video destroyed”

“I don’t know what you are talking about. What video? I have no video of anyone”

“You are getting married next weekend. We will be there to disrupt your wedding”

“Feel free. I have no idea what you are talking about”

“Why are you denying it? You set up my client and did a shameful video of him. Why are you denying it?”

“Who is this person you are talking about? Doesn’t the person have a name? You are the one blackmailing me. I will report this case to the police as blackmail, intimidation and extortion”

The person dropped the phone. Nwadiuto couldn’t believe how cool she sounded while talking to the guy. She also couldn’t believe Malik would have the nerve to send someone to her. She anticipated calling him but changed her mind about it. She decided to call their bluff.

Malik wanted to hurt Nwadiuto and embarrassing her was his sure way of doing it. He had already established Nwadiuto had not told Josh about the incident. He wanted the wedding called off by every means possible to teach Nwadiuto a big lesson.

He had gotten the CCTV footage of the day Nwadiuto came to the hotel and everywhere she entered until she left. He saved the video and sent it to all their friends through an unknown number the weekend before the wedding. It circulated and eventually got to Josh.

Josh watched the video very well. It looked like she came to meet a man. Who was the man in the video? Was this what Nwadiuto was doing in Abuja? Meeting men in hotel rooms? He was very disappointed and hurt especially since all his friends had seen the video.

Some of his friends called him up and asked him what next. He told them he was going ahead with the wedding as he trusts Nwadiuto. He told them Nwadiuto had explained everything to him and he believed her. He spoke with so much confidence that they believed him.

Naomi didn’t. She could see it was weighing him down. She sent the video to Nwadiuto and told her, “Josh is heartbroken. Try and talk to him and explain this. All his friends received this video and are talking about it”

Nwadiuto watched the video and her heart sank. Why would they send this video to Josh? She knew the culprit and decided she will not be blackmailed. She waited for Josh’s confrontation but it didn’t happen. She waited for four days and he didn’t say a word to her about it. Why didn’t he confront her?

Meanwhile, Nwadiuto went to see Paul with the problem. She chose him because she discovered he was trustworthy and loyal. She told him what transpired between her and Malik and how she recorded him in a way that made it look like he was having illicit relations with his fellow man.

“Why did you do that?” Paul asked.

“He wants to have s-xual relations with me even when Josh and I had told him we were engaged. I wanted to teach him a lesson. I am telling you because I want to deal with him. I want to release the video so his reputation will be destroyed forever. Denying the video will make him look stupid. How do I go about it without breaking the law?”

“What does your husband say?”

“He hasn’t confronted me yet. He is also avoiding me. The wedding is already here and I can’t go ahead without dealing with the guy”

“Is he worth it? Is he worth the destruction of your beautiful relationsh¡p/marriage? I will handle Malik but do not release the video. Instead of making the video, why didn’t you inform your husband about his harassment, brought your husband to catch him red-handed? This method has cast doubt on your reputation. Your husband’s friends will wonder what type of woman are you? You didn’t think it through very well.”

“He deserved to be taught a lesson”

“Now I understand what your mother and grandmother were saying about you marrying early. The man you are marrying is not your schoolmate. He values his reputation and that of his family. If there is even an iota of doubt around you, it affects him. Did you tell your man when this happened? Why did you hide it from him if there wasn’t more to it than this”?

“I didn’t want Josh feeling I couldn’t handle situations while far away from him. If I had mentioned Malik’s visit, he would move to Abuja to be with me and protect me. I didn’t want that. I wanted him to continue to grow in his career. You wouldn’t understand uncle. I don’t want anything to bother Josh at all concerning me”

“But, he would have tackled Malik better without all the stress involved. How do we resolve this issue with the wedding only a few days away?”

“You can call him and myself and show us the video as though you just saw it and confronted me concerning it. I will explain”

“Will he believe it? I doubt if he will. He will know it is a plot. I am a man and I will handle it the best way I believe. I don’t want you defending your actions in his presence. Apologize and ask for forgiveness; that’s what you will do”

“I have heard you, sir”

Nwadiuto was happy with the outcome of the meeting. Paul called Josh to attend a mediation meeting. Josh didn’t understand what the meeting was for but still attended that evening. They agreed to meet at a place away from home.

Paul asked Josh if he had seen the videos making the rounds. Josh replied, “I am not the person at the receiving end. Nwadiuto is. I had tried to stop the downloads; a few might have escaped. You saw the video?”

“Yes, I did. There was nothing special there unless you know the lady in question. Nwadiuto would like to explain to you what the video is all about.”

“She didn’t need to involve you, she would have come to me herself”

“There is a reason why she involved me. You were silent on the matter and she was told you were hurting. Would you want to listen to her alone or you want me to excuse you?”

“She has already involved you, you can stay. What’s the story Nwadiuto?”

“Malik came to the house to see me a few days after you brought him to the house. He can late in the evening. I refused to let him into the house. He said terrible things about you and told me we had unfinished business. I decided to teach him a bitter lesson he will never forget. I got a room at Hilton to spend the night; it was two rooms that had an adjoining door. I left the door open as part of my plan. I recorded him in action. He is doing this to force me to delete the video I have of him. I wanted to release the video I have of him but Paul asked me not to but to talk to you first”

“What video? I don’t understand anything you said. What does the video sent to us have to do with Malik?”

“Watch this” Nwadiuto showed Josh and Paul the video.

Josh couldn’t believe his eyes as he watched the video. Paul himself couldn’t watch it at a stage. Josh watched the video until the end. He heard Malik begging and heard Nwadiuto’s voice. He just couldn’t believe Nwadiuto made such a video of Malik. If it ever got out, Malik would be ruined especially his business. It would be men that will come after him. It was terrible.

“Nwadiuto, you are not a baby anymore. You shouldn’t have gone this far to ruin his reputation. Now I understand why he called you a monster and refused to be my best man. I never thought something like this transpired between the two of you. When did this happen?” Nwadiuto showed him the date. “It has been a while. You should have told me. Why did you hide it from me? Why?”

“Because you wouldn’t have approved and I didn’t want you falling out with him because of me. I handled him the best way I knew how and taught him a lesson not to talk shit about you again”

“Malik would have gone all out to destroy you just so this tape would not be released. I know you told him you had sent it to people but it wouldn’t have deterred him. You took a big risk, my dear. We had both agreed, we wouldn’t hide anything from each other. I was hurt when I saw the video and I somehow suspected it was Malik’s doing. I asked him and he denied it completely. I managed it by saying I knew about your trip to the hotel. Some of my friends might not believe me but they can’t say otherwise. As long as you didn’t go there to be with another man inappropriately, I am happy but this is too much and also very dangerous. You take very amazing risks. Ok. Send me the video, I will show it to Malik and warn him off you for good. If I sort that out would you please delete it for good”

“I will. Thank you and I am very sorry. I thought he will just leave us alone”

“He would have if you had informed me came to the house. Now I know why you changed accommodation. I thought taking unnecessary risk was a phase it looks like it is part of you. Or did you want to see what he looked like?”

“I had already seen it; what was the big deal? There is nothing special there, you are a far better lover. I just wanted him never to say nasty things about you. What type of girl did he take me for? Why would he believe I would agree to sleep with him when I had agreed to marry you? What does he take me for? That was my anger”

Paul at his stage talked to them and asked to be excused while they made up. He told Josh to know how to handle the situation before it gets out of hand.

“I will not do anything before the wedding. I don’t care what anyone thinks. It is after the wedding and honeymoon I will deal with him. I want him to see his threats have no impact on me. I will meet with them as though nothing happened. I know how to treat his f-ckup”

After Paul left, they sat together and talked. It had been a long time they did that. Nwadiuto had lost some more weight and looked much taller than he could remember. There was some tension between them. Nwadiuto asked to leave while Josh smiled at her struggling with resisting her emotions.

“Come here. Do you think I will allow you to leave like that? I warned you not to allow us to meet. Let’s go back to the house”

“I want to go back with you but it’s just three days away and I know you have plans for me”

“You didn’t tell me you liked BDSM. I could have a few tricks up my sleeves”

“As long as you are the one in handcuffs. I like to be in control”

“I am shocked. How can your husband be in handcuffs while you are in charge? Don’t you know I am the head of the home and in charge?”

“Save that for your mother and the church. I will dominate you.”

“Don’t worry, handcuffs wouldn’t be involved. Blindfolds would be. Some pain too. Are you ready for a honeymoon of adventures?”

“I am always ready as long as it is with you”

“I love you. Please stop taking risks. I would have forgiven you if you had s-x with Malik. That’s how much I love you. Not telling me is where the problem is. You need to tell me everything. We should have no secrets between us. Please, let us practice this. No secrets and this will make us stick together forever. I promise you”

“Ok. I believe you.”

Nwanneka and Paul’s house was a beehive of activities as Nwadiuto was getting dressed to get married. Their parents had refused the court wedding alone and insisted on a church wedding that involved a catholic church wedding. The reception was at a waterfront. They wanted only a hundred people present at the event and also the reception wouldn’t last for more than two hours.

Well, it didn’t work that way. Josh’s crowd was more than the hundred they wanted. His friends and colleagues. Nwadiuto got only close friends and relatives involved. They set up for two hundred people and Nwakaego insisted on using a transparent marquee where they could see the water. She would have preferred a hall but then they got what they wanted.

Nwadiuto got ready. Her reception dress was packed. She wore her beautiful off white bodysuit styled illusion gown flocked with delicate floral designs. The delicate flowers covered part of her sleeves, her bosom and most of the dress. The veil was attached to her hair. She looked extremely beautiful and elegant. Her mother and grandmother cried when she stepped out. Her aunties were consoling them as they saw their daughter stand so tall like an amazon.

“This Nwadiuto was the reason we were bonded as a family. Look at her now going away from the family. She has made all of us proud. See how beautiful she is. Nwadiuto, bold, confident, fearless, intelligent, smart, and daring. Josh is a very lucky man. His family will be blessed with Nwadiuto there.” Auntie Uloma praised her.

“Yes, it was the discovery of Nwadiuto as Nwanneka’s daughter that eventually created this bond that can never be broken. See the child we made Nwakaego suffer because of making her proud. She graduated top of her class. She is still helping her students in the village to do well academically. A child that is not older than twenty-five has taken up responsibilities that men and women shy away from. I pray she will be more successful than her mother and grandmother. Your husband will not die young. You will bear many children, both male and female. Your husband will love you and put you above others. Your children will honour you. People will sing your praise. When you were born, your mother and grandmother were ashamed. Today, they stand tall and proud of what you have achieved. You have become the child people use for reference. “Look at Nwakaego’s granddaughter Nwadiuto who was born at home. Her mother supported her daughter who went back to school and became an engineer. See the child Nwadiuto, she has brought so much joy to the family.” The pregnancy is not the sin; it is just evidence of the sin. Nwadiuto is an example of something good coming out of sin. We are proud of her” auntie Chinyere added.

Uncle Onyedika cleared his throat and said, “I remember when I was called and informed Nwadiuto was born. I was heartbroken. I felt Nwanneka’s life had ended with this mistake. Mama Nwanneka is a strong woman. She told me not to worry and assured me she would take care of everything, I should just keep the secret. I agreed. She took Nwadiuto and Nwanneka with her to Port-Harcourt. Sent Nwanneka to school to further while taking care of Nwadiuto. When the secret was exposed, she didn’t fret. It was as though she had seen the future. Nwanneka finished school and got married to a man who loved her. When the man died, she has gotten married to another man who loves her even more. Now Nwadiuto has brought honour to the family. She is marrying a man who loves her too. He told me more than ten times when he asked for Nwadiuto’s hand in marriage that he loves her. We don’t need anyone to tell us he loves her; he had proved it a long time ago. I didn’t want Nwadiuto to marry outside Igboland but I wanted her to marry Josh. She deserves to be with Josh as they both love each other. The bond they share I didn’t see with her grandmother and my brother or Nwanneka and Chike or Paul. Their bond is special and very strong. Josh isn’t going anywhere. He loves Nwadiuto. So, I implore you, ladies, not to get involved in their marriage unless invited. Don’t interfere or make suggestions. Leave them alone. They can handle their challenges and differences. I trust them. Do we agree? Mama Nwanneka and Nwanneka?”

Everyone agreed with him. They sang Nwadiuto’s praise as they left for the church service. Nwadiuto made a stop on the way to the church. She entered the hotel and asked everyone to wait for her downstairs. She went up the elevator with her chief bride’s maid. They knocked at the door and it was opened to her.

“Nwadiuto. O my God, you look so beautiful”

“Do I father?”

“Yes, you do” Chidi replied with tears in his eyes. His wife came and hugged Nwadiuto.

“I wanted you to see me before we get to the church and also give me your blessings”

“My child, the first fruit of my loins, my blessings will always be with you. We love you dearly. And we pray the rest of your life will always be happy. Your marriage will be blessed with love, children, and plenty. You are already blessed Nwadiuto. I love you, child”

“I love you too,”

“Hurry, we don’t want to be late. Let’s go downstairs”

They arrived at the church thirty minutes before the service was to begin. Josh was there with his family. Nwadiuto was present with hers. She walked into the church esc-rted by uncle Onyedika. She wanted him to do the honours because he was an integral part of her growing up.

She walked up to Josh who was all smiles when he saw her. He couldn’t stop smiling. She looked amazing and he couldn’t stop himself from hugging her and whispering to her, “You look so beautiful”. Everyone in the church laughed and cheered when he hugged Nwadiuto.

When asked, “Who gives this lady away in holy matrimony?” by the priest. The entire family, Nwakaego, Nwanneka, Paul, Chidindu, Kasiemobi, Obi, Onyedika, Chinyere, Uloma, Chioma, Chidi and his wife all stood up to say, “We do”

Josh’s family were amazed at the amount of support Nwadiuto had. His mother couldn’t believe how loved and treasured Nwadiuto was. It was obvious she wasn’t raised by her parents but by her community. It was amazing to see the love being shown to her. Even the wedding expenses were shared by her family members. Josh’s family had to put their feet down and share in the responsibility. At the church, it showed how united the family was.

At the reception, Nwakaego outdid herself. She insisted on handling the venue and she made it worth it. There was more than enough to eat and drink. Nwadiuto changed into a beautiful bodice lace dress that was lined just above the knee. The rest of the dress at the bottom was see-through. It was playful and fun. Josh wore a pair of light blue trousers and a white shirt which was buttoned down and he folded the sleeves. He put a colourful handkerchief in the pocket of the shirt. It was a classic look that caught everyone’s attention.

The reception didn’t take much time as Josh had insisted. They cut the cake, fed each other, had their first dance and that was it. It was short, simple and very interesting. The guests were entertained and there was enough to eat and drink.

Immediately after the closing prayers, Josh’s family brought Josh and Nwadiuto outside. They gave the couple a brand new SUV as a gift. They both thanked his family. Nwadiuto’s family told them they would hand over the gifts for Nwadiuto the next day at Josh’s house when they come to know his place as custom demanded.

Josh whisked Nwadiuto away. He took her to where it all started. They went to the beach house where he first saw her. He liked her the moment he met her. He thought her crazy and all. He wanted to always remember where it all started.

It was a very memorable night for both of them. They were so excited and at the same time, they consummated their marriage without any distraction. Nwadiuto couldn’t stop staring at her rings. She couldn’t believe she was now Mrs Nwadiuto Osasogie. She looked at Josh who had fallen asleep beside her. So she would lay in his arms every night shamelessly? Josh was all hers.

She knew Josh was hers long before they became a couple. She mistook her love for him for sheer likeness. Chinenye didn’t attend her wedding because she believed Nwadiuto made a fool of her pushing her to Josh while she had an interest in him. She wasn’t listening to her heart then. And Josh never made any move to show he had an interest in her. Now her heart belonged to him and him alone.

They woke up late the next morning. They got ready and left for Josh’s home. When they got there, only his family members were there. Uncle Onyedika had called Josh’s father to inform him they would be coming to perform the rite. They decided to meet in the eldest family member’s resident in Lagos. They met at Josh’s uncle’s house.

When Nwadiuto’s family arrived, they came with two trucks. They had come to see off their daughter. There wasn’t any household item missing in the trucks. Even Nwadiuto was embarrassed. Uncle Obi and uncle Onyedika addressed the family.

“Where we are from, we esc-rt our daughter to her new home. Everything she will need to run her home is made available. Both of them will start their lives with brand new household items. We have done that for our daughter Nwadiuto as it has been mandated. Her grandfather, who is our brother, would have done the honours today but since his demise, we have supported his wife and child. This is our responsibility to Anozie’s granddaughter and we have fulfilled it. Please, take very good care of our daughter”

“This is too much. We have such traditions too but this is extravagant. While at it, you should have gifted them a house to complete it” Josh uncle said obviously embarrassed.

Uncle Onyedika replied him. “You are right; the gift is incomplete. We are gifting Josh and Nwadiuto their first house together. These are the doc-ments to the property and there is a lawyer here to oversee the signing of the doc-ment”

The Bini people were speechless; they didn’t expect this. Philip, Josh’s father, asked everyone to come in. Nwadiuto couldn’t come in because she was in tears and held onto her husband. He understood how she felt. She knew she was loved but this was too much. Josh allowed her to gather her composure before they went in,side.

They went to each member of Nwadiuto’s family to thank them for the gift. Then, they went to each member of Josh’s family to also thank them. The rite was performed and food was served.

Nwadiuto went back home with her family to pick up her luggage. Josh was to pick her up and then they would go back to the beach house. Everyone was there including her father Chidi and his family. He gave Nwadiuto an envelope to be opened when she got home.

Nwadiuto was still overwhelmed with emotions when she came back downstairs with her luggage. She looked at her loved ones who had proved themselves to her today. She called her mother, grandmother, uncle Onyedika, her father Chidi and his wife into a room. She wanted to talk to them privately.

“I don’t know if I deserve all the love you have showered on me. I can’t believe how loved and appreciated I am.” Her phone rang and she answered it. It was Josh and she asked him to join them in the room they were in. He joined them and she continued. “I haven’t been the best daughter or granddaughter. I know I have been rebellious and stubborn. But somehow in my subconscious, I held on to the values you imbibed in me. Like I told my mother and grandmother, I didn’t go looking for my father, I met a woman dressed in the white garment in the market. She approached me and said some things to me. She was the one who told me about my father and told me his name. I didn’t bother looking for my father when she told me until Josh encouraged me to by sharing his story. That wasn’t all she said. She told me to ask him to pray for me which he did without knowing why. Dad, you don’t know how I felt that day. You and your family treated me so well; you had just met me for the first time. I love you and I always will. The woman mentioned something important that day. She told me I shouldn’t marry an Igbo man and a young guy. If I do, he will die at a young age like my grandfather and stepfather. She said my husband is not Igbo and he is not young. I questioned her further. I didn’t believe her so I was sort of making a jest of her. She said something that day, she said, “He will stare you in the face and you wouldn’t know he is the one. If you marry him, both of you will live very long lives and prosper. But all these can only be possible if you find your father first. I met Josh not long after this encounter and we became friends. As I said, I didn’t believe her until Josh suggested I find my father. Together we found my father. Why we had to find my father was explained by the chief priest. I began to take what she said seriously at this stage since she gave me my father’s name. When Josh and I decided to date, I saw her in a dream smiling at me. I found it strange. It happened like magic. Josh proposed to me and I accepted and then we had serious opposition to our union. If I had mentioned this dream to all of you, you would have all signed off for me to marry Josh. But I refused to play that game. I decided all of you will get to know Josh, see why I love him so much and in turn love him too. Today, with all your wonderful gifts to both of us, I accomplished that. This marriage was ordained by God almighty. Thank you for loving me and my husband. You did the right thing without coercion. I promise you, we promise you, you will never regret your labour of love in our lives. May God reward you”

Nwadiuto’s mother and grandmother were speechless. They couldn’t believe Nwadiuto could keep something so sensitive away from them. Their joy was that they didn’t need to worry about Josh’s life being cut short as the revelation so far had come true.

Uncle Onyedika said to everyone “Let us pray.” And then they all prayed together.

On their way to the airport to catch a flight for their honeymoon, Josh sent a clip from a video to Malik with the message, “Guy, you no try. You tried to sleep with my woman and when she blackmailed you into leaving her alone, you decided to tarnish her image. She told me everything. I am deleting this video. As I delete it, so are you deleted from my life. If you make any attempt to contact me or my wife again, you will regret it. If anything happens to any of us, the full clip will go viral. As long as you keep your distance from us, your covetousness is safe with me”

Malik saw it almost immediately. He replied, “I messed up big time bro. Please forgive me. I will keep my distance. Happy married life; she is so worth it”

Nwakaego fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow. She saw Anozie. He laid on the bed with her.

“You have done well. You have made me proud” Anozie announced to her.

“We should have done this together. I feel so alone. My work here is done, when can I join you?”

“Your mission isn’t accomplished yet. Nwadiuto will have children. Who will take care of them? She will be too busy pursuing success to pay much attention to them. Chidindi and Kasiemobi are also there. Who will help Nwanneka? What of Onyedika? If you leave now, he will fall apart; the family will be disintegrated. You are still needed. You haven’t fulfilled your destiny yet. Relax, we have eternity. I am so proud of you. Nwakaego, you never disappointed me. This is the only place we can meet for now”

“That is settled. I will wait. What’s next?”

“Take each day as it comes. You will see your fourth generation. Unfortunately, Nwadiuto is the only female in the generations you will witness”

“Thank God. I don’t want another Nwadiuto. One Nwadiuto is enough for a lifetime”

THE END

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