Chapter Thirty-Three

Three months later, Joe visited Bianca at school and asked for her hand, in marriage, to which she agreed without thinking twice. She told her father, and he gave the go-ahead on the note that Bianca really loved Joe. Joe also loves her. And there was a clear reason he had let her in. She was almost through with school, so marriage would be the clearest option for her. She told the vice chancellor also, but he had mixed feelings about the marriage proposal.

The marriage ceremony was fixed after her first semester exam in order for Bianca to write her exams without fatigue and also to enable Joe to finish the stipulated payment for paying her bride price.

During those periods, she was in school. Bianca wanted it to be a secret. That is, until that glorious day. But her plan failed tremendously when James Brin came to her during her long stay in the library and warned her seriously about the marriage.

"Don't think I don't know. I know everything about you. You can't hide it," he said with a grimace face.

"What the heck are you gibbering about?" she uttered.

He chuckled at her words and then growled, "Oh, so I am gibbering. I will show you the meaning of it." He said, unzipping the bag he had come with, "Do you remember this?"

Bianca looked at what he held in his hand and stared back at him, gazing and squinting through his eyes.

"Take a look at it; this is a court marriage certificate; your signature is there. If you hate disgrace, quit the marriage, or I will send you and your future husband to prison. I promise that."

"Why have you changed? I thought you said you'd turned a new leaf; what's the deal with all this?"

"Oh, is that what you mean?" he giggled. "So, you thought I would be looking and folding my hands at a bastard snatching my proposed wife away from me."

"But this was done all out of fear that I might be raped."

"If you don't quit that marriage, I will leak your nude picture to the whole wide world to cast their lustful eyes on you." He mockingly laughed at her.

"And once you try that, you would be imprisoned; bet it with me."

"When you know my father, you dread me."

"Do you mean his corpse?" she laughed.

He looked at her, raging and burning with anger inside of him; he wanted to do something nasty to her but kept his head calm. "The last time you said something like that out of your mouth."

"Don't think I can get scared; with all this, if you kill me, you lose and I win."

"If that is what you are thinking, I pity your image after you have gone."

She laughed out loud.

"You marry Joe, who has been secretly committing evil behind you."

"How?"

He laughed, "Do you think he would marry you and you would live forever? I laugh at your stupid innocence."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Joe worships the goddess, and for him to appease her, he offers his loved ones to her. Every two years."

"I would prefer that I, Bianca, be sacrificed to the goddess instead of marrying you, a drug maniac who engages in illicit drug use."

"You would continue losing people who feed you with this rubbish statement."

She felt a shrill of coldness as soon as she heard the word and pondered whether he was the one to be involved in Mary's death.

"Who do you think I have lost?" she spoke out.

"I'm just guessing."

"Those guesses of yours are too expensive. I will never lose someone vital to my life."

"Are you sure of what you are saying?" he laughed again.

Bianca's mind rummaged. She squinted straight at his eyeball, her thoughts racing: "James Brin should be a suspect in Mary's death," she reasoned.

"Then, if I am not sure, can you remind me?" She asked suspiciously.

"Back to the discussion," James reversed.

Bianca wondered if James Brin really knew what he was saying or if he was just making a wild guess. She became devastated. She wasn't any longer interested in having a discussion with him. For the past few years, she has felt as if she were conversing with a murderer. A silent murderer. She wished she could see Mary and get more details about him.

"Do you think Joe has something good for you in mind? I'd rather see his plan fail than see him marry you," he laughed. "You are a gold, but Joe doesn't have those eyes on you. He is seeing you as a well discovered sacrifice."

"I appreciate it; no matter what you say, I am getting married to him," she said about leaving.

"You are free to do whatever pleases you, but bear in mind that after all the marriage ceremonies, your home would not be discovered. I have a marriage certificate with your signature on it. You can marry wherever you want. I would assure you that your home wouldn't be discovered. Bet that with me."

She hissed and walked out of the library. When she got outside, her walking speed slowed dramatically. She mulls over James' repeated words in her mind. "Your home wouldn't be discovered." She thought of it. Her subconsciousness gave a lot of meaning to the word. To her, nothing was the best answer. The word still kept recurring, like a decimal that was divided by a mistaken number. The further she slid out of it, the more the same thought entered her mind. She imagined herself to have studied literature; this wouldn't be a task to delve into for a long period of time. She thought of informing Joe, but it looked childish, telling him to interpret a word, as if she herself hadn't attended school before.

James is deadly; what step would he take? A chameleon never has a stable colour. It changes when it wants to, as with James Brin. Who pretends to have change but does it when he pleases, trying to lure me. Now that he is dissatisfied with the string of doom I am pulling towards him, he is now trying to ruin my marriage. What else can I do to escape from his trap. She thought.

********************************

The environment was cool and serene if not for the music that kept banging into people's ears; the car parks were wide enough to contain hundreds of cars in them; and the surroundings were large and extremely big. People were in their masses, situated around the vicinity. Flowers were dropped in every nook and cranny. Then the M.C. ushered in the bridegroom.

"We now kick off the programme by inviting the members of their immediate families to take a seat in the aisle."

Several attendants rushed out of the building to usher them in.

They came forward, walked along the aisle, and took their seats on either side of the altar. The processional began with the bride's mother (a woman who represented that role) and was followed by the groom, groomsmen, paired-up wedding party, flower girls, all in their traditional blue attire, and a ring bearer. A well-known solemn song began as the bride made her entrance, escorted by her father, who gave her away to the groom.

A loud ululation roared up among the audience as Joe embraced Bianca. Then the music diminished and finally stopped.

"We welcome high-profile guests, the VC of the University of Ibadan and his entourage, who came to witness the union, sir," he said.

The VC stood up and waved his hand to everybody in recognition of his identity.

"Yes! We also welcome other guests, but time wouldn't allow me to call everyone, but you are highly welcome."

A loud clap flowed in and stopped abruptly.

"We also welcome everyone who witnessed the union. We all say a big thank you."

After the words of welcome, the MC flipped a book he was holding in his hand and gave some thought to marriage. He also told everyone about Joe and Bianca's love story.

Then the MC handed the microphone to the Vice Chancellor to offer some insight into the marriage ceremony. The VC stood up to a roar from the audience, which diminished when he began speaking.

When he was through, a roar followed as he stepped down and gave the microphone back to the MC.

The MC addressed the couples and told them the responsibilities of marriage and the sanctity of the vows they were taking.

"We are now entering into the exchanging of vows. Who will be the first to begin the vow? The bride or the groom?" he suggested.

The audience wildly contested for the first person to start the exchange of vows.

"Alright, the first person would be the groom, do you know why?"

"No," the audience echoed in unison.

"Okay, because he is the head of the family."

Joe stood up; he was dressed all in a blue suit, with a flower in his breast pocket, and he was given the microphone to speak. He smiled and readjusted his mouth position, and then he began.

"Joe Kemery, I now take you to be my wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy relationship of marriage. I promise to love and comfort you, to honour and keep you, and I will be yours alone for as long as we both live," he vowed.

A long cheer followed.

Joe handed over the microphone to the MC.

"The bride will say her vows next."

He handed the microphone to Bianca. Bianca collected the microphone, she remembered James' words, "Your home won't be discovered," which rang in her mind.

As she was about to speak, a gunshot thundered in the air. The building shook. Everyone became tense. Until the security officer calmed them down and assured them, the programme could continue.

Bianca took the microphone, tears trickled from her eyes, she cleaned it immediately, and she started her speech.

"I, Bianca Kemery, take you, Joe Kemery, to be my husband, and I do promise and covenant, before God and these witnesses, to be your loving and faithful wife in plenty and in want, in joy and sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live. Amen."

The audience repeated "Amen" together with her.

A romantic song took over.

"Gunshots can't stop these beautiful wedding ceremonies with our lovely couples."

"Yes, oh!" the audience cheered.

"The next item on the agenda is the ring exchange," the MC announced.

The ring bearer came forward and handed a double ring to the groom and the bride, respectively.

The groom stepped forward and placed the ring on the bride's finger and said: "With this ring, I wed you and pledge my love now and forever."

Bianca also did the same routine.

"Now, the main thing, the official marriage, is about to take place."

Everybody cheered and jubilated. While Joe and Bianca looked at one another and smiled.

"May you kiss the bride," the MC said.

Joe went closer to Bianca and gently dragged her head nearer to him as they kissed each other.

They all clapped and jubilated while the kiss was going on. Some took their phones to take photos and videos of the two of them.

A slow romantic song followed, after the official seal of Joe and Bianca's marriage. Following the unity ceremony, there was a candle ritual. Bianca lit up her candle while giving it to Joe simultaneously, then they stooped to the floor and lit the candle standing between the both of them. This was to show their unity and the unbreakable bond they have for each other. Eventually, the wedding ceremony was wrapped up with a prayer from an invited pastor as the ceremony came to an end. Then the MC officially pronounced them married to the guests and also to the audience. Music began, a well-known solemn song wishing the couples a bright, happy, and prosperous future ahead of them. The audience joined in the song. Bianca and Joe finally walked out of the aisle.

"Bi-Bi," Lucky called out.

Bianca was surprised and turned back, where she discovered it was a voice she knew very well. She stopped moving and looked, trying to trace where the voice was coming from. Suddenly, Lucky came out of nowhere and embraced Bianca immediately. They wanted to disentangle both of them, but Joe signalled them to stop and allow both of them to have a conversation.

"Please, we need you back. Come and resume your service in the house, as always." Bianca said, disentangling from the warm embrace, that they were in.

"I would," said Lucky. "In fact, expect me next week; I wouldn't disturb this beautiful recession."

"All right," Bianca said as she continued walking down the aisle, waving at him.