It was already midnight and Deji wasn't home yet. He said he had to stay back and do some work with his boss, "why will this woman want to work extra time today of all days", he had lamented when we spoke earlier but i told him to relax, work and then come home to me because there was a surprise..
Four hours passed... I stared at the dinning table that held the cake, wine and some decorations. I also made Gbegiri and Tuwo for dinner, the were Deji's favourite. I remembered my sweat, the times i'd almost sustained one kitchen injury or the other and tears gathered. I wasn't much of kitchen person, i cooked once in a while but i wanted to make today memorable as our first valentine as man and wife, instead of the classy restaurant i earlier planned, i decided to do something different... Make my own restaurant with candle light's at home, it looked perfect but it was going to waste.
1:00am.... I became restless, because i had tried to reach Deji severally but he didn't answer, i was angry. I have heard stories about husband's who cheat, "could my Deji be cheating"? I tried hard to shove that thought from my head but i couldn't, i was in a rage. I began to destroy everything i had decorated, i took the remaining part of the cake into the freezer and went into the bedroom. I looked at myself in the mirror, i was beautiful, i didn't lack any endowments, why would my husband cheat within six months of being married .. The thought drove me crazy, i unzipped the red gown i had purchased the previous day which was also part of the surprise, i don't wear short dresses and Deji always wanted me to so i bought this dress as a surprise, now its ruined.
Our marriage had been quite rocky, its only six months but there were loopholes everywhere, we didn't date for long, we met at a friend's party and was married within three months perhaps that was why we disagreed a lot but we were cool today, why would he consider cheating on me. I was a stay at home wife because i haven't gotten any job yet, Deji was cool with this at first but soon he began to act like i had forced him into the marriage to make myself a liability, he indirectly threw insults at me during arguments but we never slept a day quarrelling, we'd always make up before the next day and now he is cheating, everything impossible in normal eyes was running through my head, "but we had settled this our differences of disagreements for over two months now so why this". More tears flowed, i stood naked facing the mirror looking for any possible excuse my body was lacking but didn't get any answers because i wasn't thinking straight at the time.
I stared at myself some more in the mirror before heading for the bathroom.
1:30am.... In the bathroom,water splashing all over me from the shower ... I didn't know whether to cry or not, then i heard my ringtone but i ignored it, if Deji was at the gate he'd have to wait a little longer as punishment for making me waste my time waiting for him.. I stayed a little longer in the bathroom before i got out, i wrapped the towel round my body and sat on the edge of the bed to check my phone, i had five missed calls from Deji, he also sent an sms, i open it waiting to see what his excuse would be.
"They want to kill me,run open the gate"....... I was in shock as i read the text one more time, i didn't understand what was happening or what to do. I called him severally but no answer then i called my sister, she and her husband came over after 30minutes only to meet my Deji stone dead in his car with bullets pierced into his chest just by our gate.
The only thing i could remember was seeing my husband's lifeless body and screaming.. I had passed out and just woke up with a bad headache on a hospital bed, i made to stand and to enquire about my Deji but the nurse asked me to be still as moving now isn't good for my condition, she muttered something and the only thing i heard was, your pregnancy.
I was shocked, i couldn't believe the day i found out i was pregnant was the same day my husband died..
This would have been the best valentine present, i blamed myself everyday for Deji's death, for not picking his calls and for denying my child his father because of my stupid conclusions.
Its Eleven months already and my husband's killers are working freely while i and my new son suffer.
I looked at my son, smiling and whispering to his ears "we would surely revenge daddy's death" and the priest said, "name this child"...?
And i named him Deji.....
Ifunanya Ononiwu (c) 2017
Hate took away Deji. Love brought him back.
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