I Am Engaged – Episode 11
(The Price of Vengeance) (Episode 11)
By
Praises Chidera Obiora
(More Stories) @ generalloaded.com
We all watched as the band of Hilux came to a sudden stop. They had parked in the distance. A soldier in army uniform who was well armed, jumped down from one of the Hilux, and walked to one of the green flashy Jeeps. He opened it and saluted as General Abdullahi alighted angrily.
“Father!” Alex muttered surprisingly as General Abdullahi approached us.
“Mustapha, what are you doing here?” General Abdullahi asked.
“I came to see my fiancee, father. She is the woman I told you about – the one I said I would be getting married to soon.”
“Which fiancee?” General Abdullahi asked.
“Kemi. See her here Baba.” Alex drew near to hold me by my shoulders.
“I planned bringing her to introduce to the family this weekend Baba. But I only wanted to propose to her first.” Alex announced
I shuddered as Alex held me. My world was finally crashing before my very eyes. My reputation before the General had been destroyed. I covered my face in shame and wept.Kindly share out stories from generalloaded.com using the floating social media icon buttons on the bottom of the screen
I still remember how General Abdullahi praised me some months back. He said I was different from all the girls he had met. According to him, I was not after the money of a man, but I was after true love and happiness.
General Abdullahi had once teased me about choosing me as a suitable wife for one of his sons. He said his sons were not like him and some of his children were even Christians.
I Chuckled that day as he spoke. I never had intentions of marrying a Muslim man or anyone from General Abdullahi’s family. I knew the General only meant to play with me, and was not serious about what he said.
Moreover, I am a christian and only wanted to marry someone I was going to share same faith and religion with. Most especially, I wanted to marry someone I loved.
Alex is a christian. He was someone who never missed church service. He was devoted to an extent. I was stunned when I realise that Alex is the Generals son.
I lifted my head and looked into Alex eyes. He stared back into mine. I had so many questions in my heart I wanted to ask. So many things were still unknown to me, because I never gave Alex the attention he deserved. I didn’t really care about his life, background or how he lived it. Why should I? when I had already convinced myself that our relationship was just a relationship, and will come to an end soon.
Alex held me firmly and rubbed my shoulders.
“But how? I… I thought you were a christian. How is the General your father?” I asked in a shaking voice.
“My mother was the first wife of the General. My mother is a christian woman. When my father divorced my mother years back, I chose to live with her. And so I adopted her religion as mine. My real names are Alex Mustapha Abdullahi.” He grinned.
I fell to the ground immediately and cried bitterly. Alex tried to lift me up, but I pushed his hands away. I was not worthy of his touch. I was not worthy of his love. I didn’t even deserve him.
“Let go of me Alex.” I tossed his hands off.
“I have acted foolishly. I have betrayed my friend, and accused you wrongly. I have let my anger take a whole of me. I have allowed myself to act foolishly. I am not worthy to have a man like you. I am not.” I cried out.
“How do you mean Kemi? How do you mean? I still love you. I swear I really love you.”
“Kai ka yi shuru.” General Abdullahi shouted at Alex.
“Keep quiet there. Love Banza.” General Abdullahi cursed in Hausa language.
“What is love? So he is the one you said raped you ko? He is the reason you came to sleep with me. So you want me to arrest my own son ko? You call him a rapist? My own son rapist? Kemi you must be mad and crazy wanlahi. Prostitute like you kawai.” General blurted angrily.
Alex let go of me and stared at me speechlessly, with his face carrying a load of shock.
“And you Temi, what did I not give you? Gaskiya I wanted to make you my wife. I love you like a daughter to me. I cherish the sweet things we share wanlahi. But you had to sleep with another man behind my back. eh. You have to sleep with Dayo ko Ayo eh. What will he give to you that I cannot. You break my heart gaskiya. Temi you break my heart.”
“Baba you know her?” Alex asked with his hands folded.
“Yes. I know her. I know two of them.”
“So this is the general you infected with Aids?” Alex pointed in shock.
“Baba she has HIV and have been infecting people up and down.” Alex announced.
“HIV? Temi you have HIV? Kin Bani chiwon kanjamu? HIV and Aids? You sleep with me all this while and give me Aids?” General Abdullahi spoke soberly.
He walked closer to her, while his soldiers followed behind.
“Temi, you make me go home and sleep with my innocent wives at home? So now all my five wives have the sickness? You put my children at risk of this virus. Temi you are wicked. You are very wicked.”
Temi looked at me as the General spoke. In her eyes were tears of sorrow.
“Kemi, you slept with the General because you sought revenge?” She asked.
I nodded my head and sniffed. I was full of regret for my actions. I felt like ending my life at that moment.
“You mean you did this to get back at me? Kemi you are my friend. You should know I will never hurt you. I can never hurt you. Why didn’t you come to ask me first. Why?” Temi shouted.
“I was hurt Temi. I felt betrayed by you. Seeing Dayo coming out of your house this morning made me mad. When he kissed you, I was angry. I hated you at that moment. You know me Temi. You know me well. You know how angry I could get. I acted without thinking.
“Yes you did. You acted foolishly. Now see where you have landed us. Just look at your life and mine now. I only did all this to get you a well deserved revenge Kemi. I should have told you from the start. But how could I. It will sound foolish to you.
“That was the second Time Dayo was coming to visit me. That was the second time we were having sex too. I didn’t do this for myself Kemi. I didn’t. I did it for us.” Temi explained bitterly.
Temi was still talking when the General snatched a gun from one of his soldiers and pointed it at Temi. On impulse, I stood up and jumped to push Temi away, but the bullet he had fired, hit me at my lower back.
I fell to the floor like a collapsed building. Alex ran towards me to hold me. I watched as Temi tried to run away into her car. But General Abdullahi, turned angrily in her direction. He pointed the gun at her head and fired another gunshot. The bullet drove straight into Temi’s head and she fell down flat beside her car.
As I slowly faded away, I saw General Abdullahi walk away into his green Jeep with his band of soldiers. He sped away, leaving the lifeless body of Temi, and a wounded me helpless on the floor.
I struggled to keep my eyes open. I tried really hard. But the last thing I saw was Alex making phone calls, and urging me to stay awake.
He shouted bitterly and shook me rigorously, as my eyes slowly closed.
*****************************
I have made mistakes in my life as a woman. I have taken wrong decisions that have turned back to hunt me. I have sought vengeance and had to live with the repercussions of my actions.
Temi lost her life instantly after the headshot by General Abdullahi. She had paid the Price of vengeance when, she died without making peace with her maker. She died without seeking forgiveness from the general or from all those she had infected her with Aids.
General Abdullahi couldn’t live with the stigma of a murderer. The news went round of a General in the army, who was infected with AIDS, and had also infected his five wives with the same virus, only to murder the woman who had infected him and live her friend crippled after missing his first shot.
General Abdullahi ended up committing suicide in his hotel room. He was found dead by his security guards few weeks later.
And as for me, I lived with my own price. It was a costly price I had to pay. The gunshot to my back, damaged my spinal cord. Doctors say I was lucky to have survived the shot. I now have to sit on a wheel chair for the rest of my life as a crippled woman.
I tested positive for the virus months later. But that was something I had already expected from the beginning.
What broke my heart the most, was when I realised that just three weeks after General Abdullahi’s death, I was pregnant and carrying his thirteenth child. I had forgotten to take the contraceptives that very day, and was now paying the painful price for my negligence.
The good news was that General Abdullahi reviewed his will before he died. A clause was contained in his will. It was a clause stating that my unborn child was to be taken from me, and given a portion of his property and money. He was also to be sent to the best schools money can afford.
This clause was to be effective only if I ended up being pregnant for him. If I wasn’t, such properties should be sold, and the money be given out to charity,
Like a flash, Nine months passed by, and it felt just like nine days. Hakeem Abdullahi has been born. Family members from the Generals family, have been coming to pay me visits at the hospital.Kindly share out stories from generalloaded.com using the floating social media icon buttons on the bottom of the screen
Alex was one of the first to visit me. He had come with his fiancee, Aisha. When Alex announced that he was engaged to her, and their marriage was fixed for next month, a feeling of regret covered me, and tears rolled down my face in tiny rivulets.
That should have been me if only I had taken the right steps and decisions. That should have been me being engaged to marry Alex, if only I had given him a listening ear and not taking rash actions. If only I had let go of the past, and had forgiven all those who had hurt me.
But here was I, a helpless, crippled, baby mama infected with Aids, and left to suffer for her actions.
I was paying the bitter price of vengeance.Kindly share out stories from generalloaded.com using the floating social media icon buttons on the bottom of the screen
The End.
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