Chapter 4: Wedding Cancelled, Family Shame

I no fit accept am. I no fit let my girl suffer like this.

Every night, I dey wake, dey look her face, dey wonder if e go ever smile again. I dey beg God for miracle, but my faith dey shake.

I try different lawyers, even go court ask, but everybody talk the same thing: na civil case.

From Ikeja to CMS, I waka. I dey meet different people, but all of them talk say, "Oga, na civil matter."

My wife mind begin spoil. She no fit sleep, and if she sleep, na nightmare she dey get, dey shake for my hand.

Her eyes red every morning. She dey shout from sleep, dey hold me like say demon dey chase her. I no fit count how many times I wipe her tears.

She dey cry, dey tell me say life too hard. Every time she close eye, na pain she dey see.

Sometimes, she go lock herself for toilet, dey cry low. Her voice dey hoarse. She go say, "Why God? Why me?" I go dey outside, dey beg her, "Come out, abeg."

Psychologist talk make we dey keep her busy, give her work wey go make her feel useful—make she no dey idle, else her mind go wander.

We pay one young woman for estate, make she dey do cleaning, but my wife dey insist say she wan cook, wan do small business for inside house. We allow her, dey encourage her make she get sense of purpose.

Our wedding dey near. When she sad, she go focus on wedding plans, try forget her pain.

She dey buy ribbon, dey cut small card, dey write guest list. Sometimes, I go hear her dey hum small song, then quiet go enter her mouth again.

Sometimes, she dey happy, dey pick flowers, book venue, even design wedding entrance by herself.

The day she design wedding entrance, she call me come look am. I smile, hug her, dey thank God say maybe, just maybe, she go heal. Her laugh dey faint, but I dey hold onto am.

But life no be film. Life dey push good people reach edge.

Every time I see her smile, I dey fear say e go vanish any moment. E be like say life no wan let us rest.

As wedding near, my in-laws call us come house.

Na Saturday morning. Their parlour full with visitors. My chest dey beat as I hold my wife hand, we dey go face her parents.

The smell of egusi soup dey drift from kitchen, but nobody get appetite.

My mother-in-law just hand me big brown envelope.

The envelope heavy, e cold for my hand. Everybody quiet, even wall clock stop to tick.

I open am. Na cash full inside.

Bundles of five hundred naira notes. I look my wife, she look me, eyes wide with fear.

She say, "This na the bride price una give us before. I dey return am, plus some money as my own compensation."

Her voice no shake, but I see water for her eye. The room cold, even though sun dey hot for outside.

I confuse.

My mind scatter. I dey look my wife face, dey try understand. My hand cold, like say dem pour ice for my blood.

She sigh, talk say make we cancel wedding.

Her sigh heavy, like person wey carry load pass her head. She no look anybody for eye.

My wife shock. She put all her effort for wedding, now na to cancel?

She cover her mouth with hand, eyes red. Her dress still dey wet from morning tears. I see her fingers dey shake.

My father-in-law bring phone, drop am for table.

He no talk, just slide phone towards me. His hand steady, but I see pain for his eyes.

I look screen. Na their estate WhatsApp group chat. One neighbor post video—my wife inside wedding dress shop, as dem dey strip and beat her.

The chat dey hot. I see messages dey fly, some with laughing emoji, some dey curse.

For the video, my wife dey cover herself, dey beg people no record, but dem no send, just dey record her shame.

I watch am, pain cut my chest again. My wife dey beg, but nobody fit help. The same video wey I try delete from my own memory.

The person wey post the video still write: "For wedding dress shop for Palm Grove Road, side chick and man come snap wedding picture, wife catch them, strip her, even pikin vex slap the side chick."

As I read am, my head dey turn. The lie big, but people dey believe because video dey.

Me and my wife shock. Na lie full everywhere.

Her hand dey cover mouth, her eyes blank. She dey whisper, "Why? Why me?"

But as the story twist, the video dey make sense for people eye.

Na so people dey believe anything for Naija once story sweet. Nobody wan find truth.

She even add crying emoji, write: "Even small pikin sabi protect mama. This woman na home breaker. Make una share am, expose this ashawo, na everybody work."

Group chat scatter.

I see hundreds of comments. "She don spoil another person home!" "Make police catch am!" Even people wey no know us dey add insult.

Everybody dey insult my wife.

Somebody even write, "Na thunder go fire this kind woman." My wife dey cry, her papa dey look ground.

People just dey follow crowd, nobody reason the matter.

Na so we dey for this country. Nobody dey reason reach ground. Once story sweet, dem go believe.

One neighbor reply with only 'Gbam!' Another drop 'Na wa o, this Lagos people sha.'

I scroll, no see any reply from my in-laws.

I dey look for any word from her mama or papa, but na silence full everywhere. Na only strangers dey judge.

I ask my mother-in-law, "Why you no talk the truth?"

My voice small, almost whisper. My wife dey hold her chest, dey look her mama with red eye.

She say, "I no fit talk. Thank God you use bridal makeup that day, so neighbors no recognize you. As long as I no talk, dem no go know say na my daughter."

She talk am soft, her face hard. I see wetin pain do to family. My wife dey shake her head, like say she dey fight madness for inside.