Written by Joyce Wafula 2012-08-06 09:15:00 Read 1756 Times

Lillian shone in her bridal gown that Saturday morning. She was beautifully adorned and glowing. Full of great anticipation, she waited on for her fiancé and troupe to come and pick her. She was waiting to wed her long time fiancé; Francis. Her mother spoke to her in low tone, possibly giving her daughter some final tips on how she should sustain her marriage to ensure it lasts despite tribulations and marriage wrangles.

“Take good care of your husband my daughter; never leave him hungry even for a single day. Be persevering and be a good wife, just as I have been to your father and you see we are still happily married.” Lillian’s mother was possibly whispering thee words to her ears.

The ceremony was to start that morning and neither Francis nor his team wanted to be late. Their vehicles soon pulled up at Lillian’s home to pick her and her team to the church where the ceremony would be conducted.

In church, vows were exchanged amid ululations from both sides as they celebrated the union their children had brought them. There were handshakes and smiles everywhere. It was certain that was a success as everyone spoke words of blessing and long life to the newlyweds.

That evening after the ceremony, Lillian and Francis took a flight to a beach hotel where they had made prior preparations to spend their honeymoon for a week.

Late in the night, Francis started showing some health complications, bleeding profusely that left Lillian in a desperate state. She could not tell what had suddenly befallen her husband. Amid confusion and tremble, she sought help from the hotel management who called an ambulance and rushed Francis to the nearest medical centre.

Blood cancer

As fate would have it, Francis succumbed to death in the wee hours of Sunday morning leaving Lillian a young widow. She could hardly believe that ‘till death do us part’ had come as sudden as she watched in disbelief the lifeless body of her one day husband 

Report from the doctor revealed that he had died from blood cancer. The young widow was surprised why her husband had kept it a secret and never revealed to her what was a threat to his life. She wondered why he had not spoken a thing about it during their four years of engagement.

Downcast, Lillian composed herself and sent word to the two families about the turn of events. Her own family responded first when her mother, father and two sisters turned up immediately at the hospital mortuary to try and find out what had really happened. Lillian got a rude shock when not even a single family member of her husband’s side turned up, she could not tell why. She led her family to their new home she was to settle with Francis and advised to have a rest. She pondered over her thoughts as her tear glands let go off more and more tears down her cheeks. Her family was by her side consoling her of her mishap.

She said to herself that her husband’s family must have known what ailed their son and together they kept it  a secret; it hurt her more. They also must have known it had come to a later stage because it was not a shock to them when she called at their house to give them the sad news

Forbidden

Later that evening her in-laws turned up breathing fire and pointing accusing fingers at her claiming all she wanted was their son’s accumulated wealth. They further accused her killing their son so as to inherit the wealth. The young widow was thrown out of the house together with her family. She was forbidden from attending the funeral preparations or the burial of her husband claiming that she had killed him. It was the most challenging part of her life as she had no option rather than join her family in the village. Events slowly reoccurred to her; on Friday, she had been a single lady, became a lawfully wedded wife on Saturday and a widow on Sunday; how things change!

Back in the village, the young widow tried much to forget what she had gone through. She really found it hard to fit in; just a few days ago her friends had bid her goodbye as she walked down the aisle, now she was here back with them. Whenever she passed a group of people, she heard mummers at her back, young children pointed fingers at her whenever they saw her. It hurt her, it surely did. She made a decision to seek divine intervention and in church she found all that. God became her closest friend whom she talked to from time to time.  She joined the Praise and worship team in her church, and her weary soul slowly regained life.

Time heals all wounds. Lillian would tell you that this is true. Two years after the ordeal, Lillian had put the past behind her and focused on her life. Peter, the youthful pastor saw the beauty in Lillian and they became close friends. She shared with him a story of her life, he felt sorry for her but all the same proposed to marry her. After two years of courtship, wedding bells; for Lillian and Peter were ringing.

The wedding date was fixed; Saturday 15th December was the big day for the two. Preparations were ongoing and the once down cast Lillian was all smiles inviting friends and relatives to their joy on the big day. But whispers were all over. People warned Peter to distance himself from Lillian as they accused her that she would kill him just as she had done to Francis. Lillian could not tell what these people meant. Francis died of an illness and she had no hand in it. God was her witness.

Friday 14th December, eve of the wedding and expectations were high than before. Lillian and her team moved up and down making their last preparations on their outlook. They looked stunning after the process and eagerly waited for dawn. On the other hand, Peter and his group of friends were all busy rushing here and there to ensure that vehicles that could ferry people on the following day were in order.

Another death

Having ensured that everything was perfectly in order; Peter did not want to work late into the night and so wanted to have enough rest ahead of the following day’s event. He parted with friends whom they were to meet again in the wee hours of the morning to go to Lillian’s home. Just as he was crossing the road to his apartment, he was hit by a ruthless over speeding truck that rolled on him leaving a heap of mess; a sympathetic sight in a pool of blood.

The day was here, dawned beautifully, no one aware of what had befallen Peter. The blissful bride shone and smiles were all over. Deafening ululations could be heard everywhere. Lillian’s mother was not left out; she could not hide her joy, just like any other mother wouldn’t.  Warm tears of joy fell from her eyes feeling good that her daughter was finally going to be happy.

Time for departure to church was quickly approaching and the bridal team was set. Neighbours were all over the compound, talking in small groups. The clock ticked on half past ten and there was no sign of Peter nor his team. At eleven, Peter’s best man came over, with so many questions written on his face. He had come to inquire if Peter had shown up at Lillian’s home that morning.

That was quite unusual. He was supposed to know where Peter was. He said they had parted last evening and had not seen any trace of him as they tried to look for him that morning in vain.

It left many with questions. Had he been kidnapped or something? But as time went by, definitely things were not so good. Lillian had started to wear out and makeup slowly fading. She could not tell what her fiancé was up to. His mobile phone could not go through. “Had tragedy struck him?” she pondered. God could not allow something bad happen to her AGAIN.

Search troupe went all over but Peter was nowhere to be seen. The last place they decided on the mortuary after failing to find him in hospitals around. At the nearby district mortuary, they were in rude shock after noticing Peter’s body as it lay on the floor in a pool of blood. How could they break the sad news to Lillian?

Ill fate

Word went round about this woman who keeps on ‘killing’ sons of men in the name of marriage. Lillian knew she was clean; she had not actually killed anyone. It was just ill fate, striking again and again. But the village had a different view of how things were getting on. They advised her mother to take her for cleansing to appease the gods citing that she as unclean and they must be angry with her. Lillian could not take it, she knew it was just bad luck and hoped that one day light would shine on her path in search of a life partner.

She bitterly asked God why things took that unusual course. She was sorry and bitter at the same time. She had warm thoughts of Francis, so kind at heart and full of smiles and Peter, a vibrant young man were six feet underground gone forever; unbelievable!

Though tragedy struck her in search of a husband, she did not give up. Her beauty attracted more men but they retreated when she told them a story of her life. They knew they would certainly go through what their premiers had; they would die….  

Happily ever after

Time went on and John a devoted praise and worship leader saw a jewel in what people termed as a stone. He promised to stand by her. Their church wedding was wonderful and celebrated by many, with others criticizing how it will end. “She cannot sustain a marriage; doesn’t everybody know what is expected of this”? They concluded.

Now settled and happy, Lillian retells her story from time to time, happy with John and proud of their three children; Mary, Joy and Sammy. She only wishes her mother could have lived longer to see her settled, but she’s watching from above and happy for her too.

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