BN Prose: The Text from Last Night By ‘Kemji Ojiji
Posted on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 8:14 AMBy BellaNaija.com
I could think of nothing else other than my big day. I am no saint, but I am true to myself in many ways. I have lived a fun life, and now, it was time to put the icing on the cake. It was time to marry my girlfriend of three years. Nene and I had dated for three years and those years had been the best years of my life. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all rosy as she was a pig-headed, dogged, almost over-confident young lady. It took half of those three years for me to get comfortable and understand that we were not working in opposition, but that my Nene loved me as much as I wanted to be loved by the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. That was enough for me.
At the beginning of our relationship, we had decided not to dwell on past relationships. We swapped stories of past relationships, but in no great detail. Sometimes, the past was a heavy burden the world could do without. Along the line, I had met some people she had dated in the past and she had also met some of my own exes. No qualms at all. My woman was a gem and besides the lustful glance to the left and right once in a while, I had remained faithful to her.
I suppose you have a feel of the picture I am trying to paint. The picture of a relationship my friends envied, a woman I honored and loved and a relationship my family couldn’t wait to bless. I anxiously and impatiently waited for my big day. Now the time had come. It was barely 24hours to our church wedding. I was exhausted from the traditional wedding ceremonies of the day before. It was all worth it. Very soon, Nene and I will start a life of our own. Those Saturday and Sunday visits, fun as they were, were quite tiring. Not being able to kiss my love when I wanted because her folks might come into the living room… The stolen moments at my flat after work, just before she rushed off home. All these will be history by tomorrow. I hadn’t had sex in six months. For most men, that’s a feat. I couldn’t wait to take my bride, nice and slow…
These were the thoughts that played through my mind that Friday night. My groomsmen were partying away at my bachelor’s eve. I was too tired for any of that. I had made an appearance and come back home to sleep but excitement (or anxiety) had chased sleep through the back door. I wanted to drive over to Nene’s house. She left her phone in the car when we went to pick her dress from the drycleaners. My mum said it was a bad omen to see your wife a few hours before the wedding, so I had to control the urge. I went down to the car park and took my wife’s (saying that gives me pride) phone out of the glove compartment. I’d just turn it off and keep it at home and when she comes in tomorrow night, it’d be waiting for her.
As I got to the room, the phone beeped. A text message. I don’t read Nene’s texts, but what if it was important? One of her friend’s coming into town stranded somewhere. I flipped the phone open and saw a picture message. My woman was on top of some muscular, fierce-looking young man. My head felt light and my stomach rumbled. I read the text beneath. “Happy Married Life Pom-pom… Monday night was great. I’ll miss you, but I understand. I wish I could give you the things you want. I hope you find the security you seek. Love, Rocky.” What did this mean? I tried to tell myself this was an old picture, but I could see the scar on her hand. That happened on Saturday when Nkem, her younger sister spilled hot water on her. “Pom-pom???” How sleazy! “The security you seek?” So what was I? A provider of security? Here I was, madly, deeply in love with someone who saw me as an assurance of security. When life wanted to screw you up, it did it real hard! I felt a knot in my chest. I just closed the phone and turned it off. I curled up in a fetal position and with tears spilling down my cheeks, I slept.
The next day, like a zombie, I went through the ceremony. It would have been a wonderful ceremony if I was in a different state of mind. As I was I couldn’t be bothered. When we got back to the house, Nene busied herself with taking a shower and getting ready for ‘the wedding night sex’. I just lay in bed staring at the ceiling. When she came out of the bathroom, my wife looked like a goddess! My eyes were moved, but my heart and loins felt nothing. I passed her phone to her saying, “You got a text, Pom-pom”. She looked at me and the disgust in my eyes told her all she wanted to know. She broke down in tears. There was no need to cry. I got up and walked out of the room. It was over, just as it was beginning.
Tags: bn prose
well written. hmm, you just never know. i always wonder whether it’s better to know or not to know.
interesting ,written from a man’s perspective pls give us more BN
love it! I guess there is no part two.
This is so sad, i just cant imagine the pain this guy is feeling. No wound does not heal.
aaaa…shit!!! omg!!! (put out the part 2 already!
)
ooh no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nkem a huge improvement from the last piece.
omo men!!!! i need more!!!!!!!!! lol, sounds good
i get to imagine why women wld want to go thru a marriage just for security, does having someone has a husband define who u are as a person ? but deep within you something says you’re better off single or with someone else,,,na wah ooo
What!!! This is so sad….terribly sad. I don’t even know what to say right now.
woww..Really felt that.nice piece!
this story cant be real….shd be a fiction!!!
This is too crazy!!! There are stories and there are stories. Man! I feel so bad for the guy. Question? Why did he go through with the wedding?
I can believe it. There are stories out there (REAL, firsthand) that will shock you.
Nkem ‘Ijanikin”? Good one girl!!! Looking forward to more from you!! This piece was deep!
Is this story true??????????? i can’t believe it happens.
i don’t even know what to say! Can you forgive?
Can you forgive?
wot would i do if it was me.
OH MY GOSH I LOVED IT!!! but bella, u neva do a follow up to the stories … u always leave us hanging… for example: we havent yet read the conclusion to the last 2 prose novels u put up… pls du try n put the conclusions up… thanks
oh my gosh……
dat was gewd!
My Gawsh!
So why marry her?
a lot of Nigerian women get married for security…i guess the have had their mothers and aunts ring it into their ears
omg wow!!! GOSH!
Wow this is a nice one! I should look you up if you are an author. I would love to read one of your books!!!
Is it silly to ask whether this is a true story or not??? I know things like this happen all the time, but I want to be sure. It is very interesting
Good stuff…but why did he go thru with the wedding when he was eventually gonna call it off n e way? I don’t get it.
WOW. dat is deeeeeeeeeeeep. messed up. that is y it is important to put GOD first he will show u, who ur true and life time partner is or direct u to ur right partner, bones for bones, joints for joints and the perfect key that unlocks u.
I think they are meant to be short stories for the purpose of making us hang… I wish they continued but hey, thats literature.
Abi oh. I know of a girl that hooked up with her ex when she went to London to shop for her wedding. Of course his friends told him and he called it off. Her dad is super rich, Sunny Ade had been booked, Oba of Ife had confirmed, big men had confirmed, what to do, what to do, her dad had to buy him a “frog eye” benz quick quick. Of course they were BOTH not smiling on the day. I wonder if they are still married.
Hmm things is really happening in this life, I need advise about this.
nkem this was really lovely…wat a way to betray her soon to b husband…can imagine wat he must hav felt…hope d story doesnt end here?..itz efe:-)
This is a very interesting piece nkem and amazingly it does happen…………………….i loved d end……………it was d end just as it was just d beginning……………….d woman will live a miserable life!Nkem,kip it comin……………….nice one
Why did he marry her? its our society’s expectation! “you have to be married, at all costs…. even if your partner is disloyal and has no regard/respect for you and your relationship.
I guess its the same reason why a woman in the same position would go ahead and marry a man even though she knows or even catches him cheating on her!!
i honestly think he is spineless actually he should not have married her… ( but then he had to go with the “expectations” family, society
( SPINELESS!!!!)
She can be crying all she wants now, she obviously had been having it off with “rocky” while he went on a “starvation” diet!!!! poor man!
The real question is :
why is she crying? is it cos she is truly sorry or cos she was caught!!!
u should have poured hot pepper on her eyes……or better still mixed maggi, crayfish, and hot oil and poured it in her eyes!……foolish gyal!…am angry now….lol
This makes no sense as far as i’m concerned, why did he marry her? To be miserable for the rest of his life? or what?
OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!
Stories like this do not need continuations. The rest would be cliché, the girl pleads for her lad back, blah blah. Nice story tho, Bella .
Niceeeee. Gosh you just gotta love it when the cards come crashing down on a cheater. They always think they are invincible. Exposing her on their wedding night?….oh boy….the possibility of her ever recovering from that? close to zero.
HOLY COWWWWWWWWW!
thats physical abuse abeg. And what do you suggest for cheating guys?
My question is simple.. why did he go through with it? that is the difference with us black people and our white counterparties. The latter would have called if off without even thinking twice, but us,we think of the “Jones” and what they would say so we stick it out against all better judgement, she clearly is in love with someone else but he broke.. So she needs him for the money. whatever happened to Love? People this is reality and its sad to even see what this man has started, a life of distrust, and disloyalty, he been keeping himself all this while and she been giving it out – shoo…I’d have walked out and left her sorry ass at the alter.. Rubbish!! but nice story all the same Bella, keep it up..
Ole Boy…. That nah baaaadddd thing man. I feel for u man… Guys & Girls open your eyes, and pray to God cos these days, the things wey dey happen that we don’t see is baffling. Sometimes it’s best not to find out at all… sometimes it’s best to be naiive.
loll… very nice story. Security doesn’t necessarily have to be financial, it could just be that she wants stability and the security only a real man can bring and she doesn’t feel like she’ll get that from mr texter. They should talk things over abeg and get over it. Life is too short to be unforgiving.
Instead of maggi, use Knorr cubes…lol
clearly shes jst not d woman 4 hm,he shld’nt hv pretended in d first place.nyc story anyway,
nyc story,clearly shes jst nt d woman 4 hm,its sad thou bt he shldnt ve pretended it was soo soo wrong marryn her.
hahahahahhaaha beautiful story luv d rocky and pom pom lol cant get over that lol
Oh dear! what a brave but very foolish guy.
Well done Kemji, very nicely written.
Why did he go ahead and marry her?