MY HUSBAND’S BROTHER

On a Friday afternoon, there is a house that has eight bedrooms, four bathrooms, two kitchens, a small old library, and a huge open great room with a curved wall of windows. The house also boasts curving stairways that provide a stunning view. The library's interiors are still exquisite despite decades of neglect and haphazard maintenance, but the property is in disrepair due to the high cost of maintenance. The house may seem abandoned, but 20-year-old Maizah Igwe and her aunt Masara Igwe live there. In the bedroom of the young woman, the big doors are both open, leading to a medium-hung balcony that has no posts or other visible supports. There's a built-in seating with a small table. This small balcony, partly enclosed by a railing, offers a clear view of the lush green forest. Once a well-manicured lawn adorned with vibrant flowers, it has been left untended for years. A petite woman is sitting on top of a railing with both her hands holding onto the steel. It's not an intelligent decision to be sitting on the fence as she could fall off the balcony or on her back on the marble floor inside the balcony. She is wearing her mother's vintage wedding gown, which has a timeless charm. The dress is adorned with lace, sequins, hand embroidery, pearls, and a footrail. It looks like it was worth a lot in its time. She also wears a chignon hairstyle, a classic and sophisticated look that's been in fashion for centuries. This style involves twisting the hair into a knot or bun at the nape of the neck and securing it with hairpins. Also, her hair is adorned with shimmering silver and white jewels. She looks beautiful and elegant, but her expression seems gloomy even though she's supposed to be happy on her special day. It's unclear what might be troubling her, and one can't help but wonder who could be so evil as to sadden such a young woman. Her legs were both hanging on the other side of the ledge. Looking down from five stories above the streets of Centurion, she can't help but think about suicide. She will undoubtedly die, especially if she lands on her head on the solid concrete, but also, with her fear of heights, she will probably die before her body hits the floor. She continues looking at the concrete ground, and she can't help but picture how her body would land. The time it would take for her heart to stop. If she dies instantly, she probably won't feel pain. Especially if her head splits open and her brain goes everywhere, she will likely be brain dead or brain splattered. In her case, after a few seconds, her heart will stop beating, and she will depart from this world. The worst-case scenario is to survive a fall, become paralyzed, and suffer through the pain. But is she willing to retake the risk of paralysis? Who's going to assist her and tell her that the higher the fall, the likelier she is to die instantly because if she survives, the pain will be even greater than imaginable? Well, no one will tell her, just like there's no one by her corner to give her the speech about cherishing life and stuff... But then again, if she is considering suicide, that means she has already cherished her life, and who is going to stop her from escaping reality, which may be more painful for her than anything else? "If I ascend into heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there," She murmurs with her eyes closed, her head tilted upwards. After a few seconds, she releases a long, deep breath and slowly opens her eyes. Above, the clouds are still grey but without the denseness of yesterday, allowing patches of blue to form. Gaps widen and close. One slides right under another, and as always, they change shape. She quickly shook off those horrible suicidal thoughts, moved away from the ledge, and stepped inside the balcony. She goes out for fresh air, yet she ends up thinking about suicide. As she steps off the railing back to the balcony, her right foot lands on top of her dress, but she doesn't notice. He's still trying to figure out what to do with her life, but one thing is sure: as long as she's still alive, she's getting married whether she wants to. It has been decided unless she can suddenly win a lottery worth millions or magically transform papers into banknotes. Still, both things are an eagle flying above clouds on a stormy day. "Maizah! What are you doing? Stand straight. The guests are waiting for you!" Says a beautiful petite woman in her early forties as she takes long strides with her two-inch heels clicking as she walks towards the balcony. The young woman quickly fixed her posture, but the moment she rose, the side of her dress next to her ankles ripped. Hearing the ripping sound, she looked down at the dress with a frown, but before she could do anything about it, she was dragged by the older woman back inside the bedroom. "I was just waiting for you, Auntie, so I thought I should get some fresh air to calm my nerves." The young woman named Maizah answers with a slight smile on her face while following Aunt Masara "Those people will not wait any longer, My dove. Do you know Elijah.." Aunt Masara pauses, collecting her thoughts before speaking again. "Your uncle used all the money I gave him to rent a large tent for the wedding." Aunt Masara huffed in annoyance. "Oh no! At least it's not sunny today, but what did Uncle do with the money?" Maizah answers with a frown on her face. "That pig! bought a cow with four legs." Says Aunt Masara, pacing around the room. "Hm! But a cow has four legs, Bambi. I don't think it's going to be a waste. besides, there are even more guests than we anticipated, so I don't think there's anything wrong with a cow." Says Maizah, trying to calm her aunt. "A LIVE COW MAIZAH. Elijah bought a live beast." Aunt Masara answers with pure horror as if the cow chased her. "Who's going to s*******r a massive and aggressive cow? Ever since it was delivered, it chased people and then ran straight into the forest. They have been searching for it for hours now, and I don't even think that was a cow. It looked more like a Buffalo?" Says Aunt Masara in thoughts as she reminisces what she had experienced earlier when the cow was delivered. " It can't be a Buffalo. There's no way that money grabber can get a Buffalo, but how did he get a live cow on such short notice?" Maizah asks, but her aunt's mind is still where her short legs are running away while the cow is chasing her. "Anyhow, someone can just shoot it. It's much easier and more effective that way. Also, there's still a wire around the yard so that it won't get far," Maizah replies confidently, but the furrowed brows on her face betray her. She is confused about the situation with the Buffalo look-alike cow, and she is also worried about her guests sitting outside with no tent. Some people don't like being exposed to the sun for such a long time. What if they start leaving before the wedding even starts? As for the 'money grabber,' Maizah refers to her Uncle Elijah. He loves money so much that he used to take Maizah's pocket money when she was a kid. Yes, there's nothing she was going to do with the money, but still, he shouldn't have taken his niece's money, but then he did. He said he was keeping it for her, but he never gave it back, so since then, Maizah has given him the nickname 'Money Grabber.' "Let's just focus on the wedding, little dove. I will take care of that fierce beast of a cow." Aunt Masara answers with a hissing at the word 'cow,' but she gives Maizah a reassuring smile as she moves toward the veil hanging on the big mirror. "Okay, let me put on my shoes," says Maizah, walking towards the chair next to the dressing table. She sits while taking off her plush slippers and putting on white floral lace pattern ballet shoes. They have no form but a single bow on the front. They are pretty much comfortable. It is more accessible to bend them in half or even roll them up. After finishing her shoes, she wears white gloves while her aunt helps her with a veil. Feeling like she got everything done, she looks at her aunt with a big grin, and she surprisingly looks gorgeous and happy for someone who just had suicidal thoughts a few minutes ago. "So, how do I look?" She asked her aunt while twirling slowly so that her aunt could get a good look at her. Aunt Masara's eyes were fixated on her face with a teary-eyed smile. Of course, she didn't notice the ripped dress at the ankles. "My little dove. You are the most gorgeous bride the world has ever seen." Says Aunt Masara with a sparkle in the eyes. The world? Hmm! "Oh, Bambi. Thank you so much." Maizah replies warmly as she hugs her aunt like it is the last time they see each other. A few seconds later, Maizah picks up her bouquet and slips her free arm inside her aunt's arm, and they start walking side by side. "Has the groom arrived?"