STIRRING DEEP INTO THE VOID

WHAT HAPPENED A DAY BEFORE MY TRADITIONAL WEDDING

My wedding had experiences, and it was from one funny experience to another. I was wondering, “Why all these occurrences. Thursday, the 13th of April 2017 was the day of my wedding. I was running around, trying to find a way to get some of my friends to help me out in anchoring the program since I did not have enough money to hire an MC. Therefore, I had to call one of my friends who was my junior in the university, with whom we do music together, and his name is Semaj. When I called him, he told me he is somewhere around Itakam stadium close to Epkemed road, before they turn to Atadaw, immediately before the Assemblies of God church Atadaw branch. Therefore, I took a bike from around the D-division police station where I squatted in my friend Sirhc’s house. The search was for my best man who helps me dearly. Sirch’s house was not too far from the Retlehs of Glory church Idrukam. When I got down to the place where Semaj described that I could meet up with him, I had to place a call through and he picked up and told me he was on his way. Therefore, I rushed to the bank that was opposite the position I was standing to make use of the ATM. After using the ATM, I stepped out of the bank premises and saw a friend, by the name of Noslen, who was my mate at the university, and we were so happy to see each other again since we had not seen each other for quite a long time. We got talking and were very happy to see each other again. I told him that my traditional wedding is the next day, and he was like, “Why didn’t you inform me all this time?” I had to apologize and gave the excuse of not having his phone number. We were standing on the road, before Semaj’s arrival on a bike. I bade Noslen farewell and we parted ways. Therefore, I had to rush down to pay the bike person who brought James. We were happy to see each other again; because it has been a long time since we last met. That morning I was very, very hungry and had to open up to him that I am famished and told him let's go across the road to eat something in front of Itakam stadium. So right there, we got talking and I had to call another of our friends, Ava who stays in the north bank and I told him I am in Idrukam and my traditional wedding is the next day, he was very excited. I asked Ava to take a bike and meet us in front of Itakam stadium, so he did that and when he saw me, he was very excited while I stepped forward to pay the bike person. I intended to find a way to cover up the lapses of not being able to pay to hire an MC and since my friends are into music, I just thought, we could improvise to do something and it would be fun. Therefore, while we were still talking, Semaj told me one of our friends was also present, his name is Peter and we placed a call through and before you know it, Peter was with us. So I ordered food, that morning I had to make fufu (which is an African delicacy made out of fermented cassava) because I was very, very hungry. After we had finished eating, we got talking and planning what we could do to make my wedding a success. So we finally resolved, that Semaj and Peter will anchor the MC, so for them to know the location, we had to arrange to leave the Itakam stadium area to my wife’s place around the Polo club, somewhere around the commissioners’ quarters. While we were waiting to leave, standing at the roadside waiting for bikes to pick us up, a car came from behind and climbed up my left leg and I was shouting! The person who was driving the car did not even know we were behind him; he just entered his car and started reversing. People were shouting! That he had someone’s leg, but he did not even know what was happening, and I could no longer endure the pain but was just screaming, he saw from his side mirror that my friends were shouting and were furious at him, so he had to apply the brakes and came to a stop. He pleaded that he did not see us standing behind his car and that got me thinking, how? I did not even argue with him, because I already knew there was a deliberate orchestration to stop my wedding. When did he enter his car that we did not see him? While we were standing behind the car, there was nobody inside the car and we were standing behind it, which means if someone walks in, we must see the person. In the course, while he was telling me sorry, my friends told him, " My wedding is tomorrow, " and what came out of his mouth was, “Something is after you, but God will give you victory.” As God will have it, I thought I would have sustained a fatal dislocation, but to my greatest surprise, not even a scratch, and before then, I had already told Semaj the series of attacks on me and asked him to join me in prayers. It was as if, everything was working against my marriage. We all left that place for my wife’s house, but my mind keeps pricking me that there is a gathering against me. I was supposed to leave for Opkuto that day to see my family and return that same day since my traditional wedding was the next day, but I heard a voice in my heart of hearts (ear), “don’t go”. I did not understand why it was so abrupt, while I was still contemplating, the weather instantly changed, and it started raining. However, in my mind, I was waiting for the rain to stop, so I could travel to Opkuto. That was how I did not travel again that day, but from what I felt, if I had gone, I would not have come back alive, but somehow, the voice I heard in my heart of hearts saved my life. The attacks were so obvious and that day of my wedding, I learnt there was an Alekwu traditional function in my village and that was the reason for the person who was supposed to represent my dad not being able to make it. It was from one challenge to another, but I was kept in order.

On the day of my white wedding, the car we were supposed to use, all of a sudden refused to start, we did everything in our power for that car to start, and it refused. We have to call a mechanic to check what the problem is, but in the end, we could not find anything and the time had already gone. For that reason, I had to rush home, because my wife was already in the church calling me. I was frustrated and confused because my wife was just putting serious pressure on me. I took the bike from that NUJ area in Apkna quarters Idrukam, straight to my friend’s place. I could not even organize myself anymore; I just wore my wedding suit like that and started running. I got a bike, instead of going in the car, I went on the bike and when I got down, my wife was already furious. Fortunately, for me, I met with a brother by the name of Odo and I asked him to join me, since my best man had not come, because we both went to look for the car together, so he had to allow me to use the bathroom before him, so he could meet up with me. Therefore, Odo joined me and we marched into the church and sat down and that was not what we planned, but the benevolent one brought Odo as a backup for Search who was the best man. Then my wife also marched in, I was under duress because of the way everything was going haphazardly. It was later that my best man walked in, Odo now relocated from the position he was sitting, while Search now took his place, with some of my friends who now joined in the groomsmen. My childhood friend Francis was also present after we had not seen each other for a very long time, since we left secondary school. It was a memorable day for me, but full of mixed feelings. My best man and I were looking good and my wife looked good, with her striking beauty, even the officiating minister confirmed that by telling us we looked good. The benevolent one brought everything to pass even as promised and did not fail me. It happened so that in the end I will not be obligated to any man, because the glory goes to the one no one can see. My wedding was a success.

Marriage is not your project, don’t take it personally, by thinking it is the function of your bank account, it is the function of your faith account, for that is the only currency to activate ceaseless supply, even at the last minute when everybody must have lost hope of the possibility of things working. The benevolent one is truly good and does not work the way men work.