The bridal boutique buzzed with anticipation as I busied myself checking the elegant wedding gowns displayed beautifully on the mannequins.
Joy wouldn’t have ruled my countenance today, if not of ‘deborah’ my childhood friend that had introduced her “noble” friend, and now he stood at the precipice of becoming my husband.
At first, I didn’t pay much attention to her mere talks, because I know how men are sc@ms and full of deceit.
Deborah keeps persuading me to give in to this new guy saying,
“Francis is different, vikky, he’s not like the others.
But I knew better. Men were like chameleons, their true intentions are hidden beneath charming smiles.
They sought after my family’s wealth, not my heart.
Yes!! I was the wealthy daughter of a rich man, according to my grandmother, she told me my mother d!ed during child labour.
As for my dad, that’s a story for another day.
It was as if I don’t have the luck of marriage like my peers, men keep leaving me after a month or two.
Ever since then, i buried love into six feet,
Francis was different. Caring. Kind. He treated me like a queen, and for the first time, I dared to believe in love.
Our nights were filled with laughter, dancing, and whispering of promises.
Love, they say, is blind. And indeed, it was. After just eight months, we decided to marry.
~Fast forward~
“Grandma,” I twirled in my wedding gown, “how do I look?”
Her gaze bore into me, etching sadness onto her wrinkled face.
“Beautiful as always, my dear,” she said, her voice carried a weight I couldn’t decipher.
“What’s wrong?” I stepped closer, concern knitting my brows.
“I want to give you my gift first,” she said, with a concern countenance
“And I also want to ask you something.”
Impatience surged within me.
“Grandma, the marriage is final. There’s no turning back.”
“But, my child,” she hesitated, “do you truly know this man? eight months hardly reveal a person’s true personality.
Are you sure he’ll be the best husband?”
“It’s not about that,” I snapped, my anger surprising even me.
“Deborah vouched for him”,. I retorted
He’s a nice guy.”
Grandma sighed. “Friendship blinds us, Victoria. Trust your instincts.”
I turned away, trying on gowns I wasn’t wearing, avoiding her scrutiny. But she persisted.
“Anyways,” she said, producing a wrapped square-shaped gift, “I brought you something.”
Curiosity gnawed at me as I tore the golden gift wrapper, to my dismay it was An old, or should I say an ancient old dirty music box.
Not the golden jewelry I’d expected. “What is this?”I asked after unwrapping her gift.
“It’s passed down from my mother’s mother,” Grandma said.
“Now it’s your turn to keep it, it would guide you, I gave it to your mother once, but since she’s gone, it’s yours now.”
I was astonished, thinking it would be perhaps a golden jewelry.
But I know how my grandmother will react, I didn’t waste my time, I snatched it then throw it amongst the other gifts, seeing her off.
As grandma left, I couldn’t shake the feeling why my grandma’s insignificant music box will guide me…..
Debbie beckoned to me from behind. She’d been eavesdropping on our conversation earlier.
“Don’t mind Grandma,” she continued.
“She’s already lived her life. Now it’s my bestie’s turn to be a wife.”
We both chuckled at her playful sarcasm.
Debbie picked up some expensive makeup and began dabbing my cheeks,
Transforming me into the beauty goddess I was meant to be.
“Debbie, does this gown look good on me?” Victoria asked, seeking confirmation i fit perfectly.
“You’re stealing my heart away,” Debbie teased.
“It’s just a shame that lésbians aren’t allowed here in Nigeria. Otherwise, I would have…”
Her words were cut short by a creaking sound from the opening door. It was Grandma.
“My dear,” Grandma said, “you have a visitor.”
She swung the door wide open, revealing my ex, Alex.
“What’s he doing here?” I stood up, my anger was rising.
“I’m not here to cause trouble, honey,” Alex stammered.
“I’m so sorry. Please come back to me.”
“Honey? Haven’t I told you to leave me alone?”.
My frustration boiled over. “After all the insults you hurled at your me, you have the audacity to show up on my wedding day,
Begging for forgiveness? You’re out of your dåmn mind.”
Alex remained silent, he jammed his pockets with embarrassment, trying to take something out of it.
Finally, he managed to speak.
“In case you need someone to talk to, I’m here.” He said trying to hand his ID card to Victoria.
Alex had been a member of Grandma’s church.
I was just twelve when I fell for him, and Grandma had hoped he’d be my husband.
His regular church attendance painted him as a righteous man.
But love doesn’t always follow the script.
As a teenager, I adored him, but he abruptly changed, ending our relationship.
I pleaded, but he turned a deaf ear. The once-adorned queen was now treated worse than trash.
Debbie snatched his ID card.
“After all the pain you’ve caused, you still want to ruin my friend’s life?
Leave her in peace. Go find someone else to destroy their l!fes.”
“But aren’t you the one who…” Alex began, but Debbie silenced him, ushering him out.
“Your grandma is something else,” Debbie sighed.
“Your grandma is really something else why did she invite alex, after making up your mind, she wants to spoil my plans, I meant your wedding “.
I just don’t know what to do to my grandmother, sometimes she gets on my nerves and it’s annoying”.
Victoria chimed in, “Let’s forget about alex, babe it’s almost time for my wedding, let’s make it snappy”.
“True”. Debbie grinned, continuing her makeup dabbing.
I glided down the aisle, my ivory lace gown shimmered in the soft light.
My heart raced as I locked eyes with Francis, it was like a dream come true,
After all these years of being rejected by men, now here I am, about to be married.
The pastor asked the aged old question, his blessings floated around us,
But Francis wasn’t smiling. His eyes held a shadow, a worry that tugged at my joy.
Perhaps he feared he wouldn’t be able to provide enough as the breadwinner.
He was a graduate, longing for job opportunities, according to Debbie, but to no avail.
After the reverend father’s blessing, we stepped out of the church into the reception hall.
The room buzzed with laughter and music.
We ate, danced, and celebrated our union.
But as the hours passed, I noticed something missing, Francis’s family.
He’d never introduced them during our eight months of dating.
He would always promise that the right time would come.
Well, this was the right time, the day we became husband and wife.
Yet none of his family showed up.
Maybe they were busy or lived far away, I didn’t bother asking him about them.
Our honeymoon was such a divine as Intimacy blossomed between us, Francis proved to be not only caring but also a passionate lover.
Firstly, we moved into my father’s mansion, because Francis isn’t working yet, Plus he couldn’t afford renting an apartment for the both of us.
I had no choice than to will all my father’s property to him.
Emphazizing how much I love him, including my father’s mansion we both live in, handing over the house documents to him.
Our account was a joint account, yes, we own it together, I was so madly in love with Francis.
We’re meant to be forever, even my womb explains it, Within three months of marriage, I was pregnant.
Two weeks along, and I couldn’t contain my joy. I announced our unborn child, imagining tiny fingers and a button nose.
But Francis’s face tightened. “You have to ab0rt this pregnancy,” he said with his usual hoarse voice.
I stared at him, bewildered.
“What do you mean? for God’s sake we’re already married, what’s stopping us from having our own baby, I have been waiting for this moment”. Victoria continued.
My treasure,” he whispered, using the endearing term he always did when he wanted Victoria to obey.
“It’s not time yet. Trust me. Let’s get rid of this one.
Our village tradition forbids giving birth within the same year of marriage”.
Victoria shook her head as a gesture of disagreement.
His warm hugs enveloped Victoria as he tried to persuade her.
“My priceless treasure, I assure you will take in one more time, that way we will start afresh okay, let’s get rid of this one,
Please try to understand”. he continued.
With the anticipation of his pleading and hugs, tëars dripped down Victoria’s cheeks as Francis k!ssed the érogenous part of her ear.
Victoria obeyed him as usual, this was her fourth ab0rtion….
The urgent knocks on my door jolted me from my half slumber.
Who could be rapping at my door with such precision, exactly 10:00 PM!!.
I dragged myself up from the worn three seater chair, my eyes was still heavy with sleep.
The door swung open, revealing the familiar figure of Grandma.
She stepped inside, and I quickly swiped away the tears that clung to my cheeks.
I didn’t want her to see my vulnerability.
“Uto-obim (My sweetheart)”. she greeted, her voice was warm and comforting as usual.
“I was busy preparing moi moi (bean pudding) but I lost track of time,
I Came to pay you a visit.” She said, unwrapped the heaps of moi moi she’d brought, nestled in a black nylon bag.
The savory aroma filled the room, and I managed to find my voice.
“Awwn, thanks, Grandma. You’ve brought me my favorite dish.”
She chuckled, with her eyes twinkling.
“Hmm, my dear, it’s better you learn my secret recipe.
Spellbind your husband with delicious cooking, men of this generation love food, if you don’t do so desperate girls out there will do it”.
Her words sent me into a fit of laughter.
“Not just laughing, child,” she continued.
“You’ll understand when the time comes.”
I nodded, wiping my eyes discreetly.
“Okay, okay, Grandma. Thanks for stopping by.”
I took the bag of moi moi into the kitchen, feeling her eyes on my back. But before I could walk further, she called me back.
“Victoria,” she said, her tone was serious.
“It’s about Alex, He apologized, seeking your forgiveness.
As a Christian, find it in your heart to forgive.”
I frowned. “Why do you like Alex so much?” I blurted out. “We can never be together.”
Grandma patted my hand. “It’s okay, my angel.
I understand.” She rose to leave, but not before adding,
“You’re leaving so soon? Without me even offering you a drink?”.
I protested, but she insisted she’d only come for a brief visit.
“My regards to your husband,” she said, and I almost spilled my secret right there.
But no, no grandmother would want to hear about her aborted great-grandchildren, I thought to myself as I see her off
~THE NEXT DAY~
Victoria sat alone, contemplating her pills to terminate the fifth abortion, the pills clenched in her trembling hand.
God had blessed her marriage, she thought to herself, but at what cost?
Tears traced paths down her cheeks as the weighed the pain against the risk.
Just as she was about to swallow the pills, a sharp pain gripped Victoria’s belly, as she winced, clutching her tummy.
And then debbie burst into the room.
She saw Victoria’s struggle, Without hesitation, she drove her to the hospital.
The doctor’s words was a cruel blow as he dropped the bomb shell.
“Ma’am, your womb had been damaged so badly, am afraid you won’t be able to conceive again”.
“Haaa,” I cried out, raising both hands to my head.
“Deborah, I’m doomed.” I spilled my heart to her, about Francis and his family’s tradition, about the impossible choices I faced.
Debbie enveloped me in a hug. “It’s okay, babe. I feel your pain.
Francis knows what’s best for you……”
“It’s well, you can always adopt from the orphanage, there’s nothing new in that .”
Debbie said, still enveloping Victoria with her bear hugs in front of the sterile hospital corridor,
The doctor’s voice interrupted their tearful embrace, pulling Victoria away from debbie.
“We still need a proper check-up on you ma’am,” the doctor said, leading Victoria into the stark white ward.
Debbie assured Victoria she would wait till she get fully discharged, making Victoria at ease.
Victoria lay on the narrow bed, with her pulse echoing in her ears.
The doctor’s gloved hands administered his injection, and the world blurred before Victoria.
When Victoria woke up, the room was dimly lit.
The clock on the wall stubbornly displayed 10:00 PM.
She was discharged from the hospital, but she realized Debbie was nowhere to be found.
Her phone read ‘Six missed calls from Grandma’ on her phone.
Why was Grandma calling at this hour? she soliloquize as she tried Debbie’s number, but it went unanswered.
“Why would Debbie just leave me all alone without even waiting for me, does that mean she can’t sacrifice a whole day because of me,
Well, it’s not her fault”. Victoria sneered as she tried dialing Francis number but
Francis phone too, remained elusive, his phone keeps ringing endlessly.
Victoria stumbled out of the hospital, to her surprise, she couldn’t find her car outside, it’s almost as if Debbie had taken it along with her.
Without wasting much time, Victoria boarded a commercial bus passing.
******
Her eyebrows furrow at the sight of her car teleported back home, and the main gate wide open, her heart sank.
“Francis must have returned home”. she thought to herself, hurrying toward the house.
But the living room was eerily open, and Debbie’s sandals lay abandoned on the mat.
Confusing clouded her mind at the sight of Debbie’s shoes.
“Why would Debbie leave me alone in the hospital just to come back to my house?”.
As she tiptoed toward her bedroom, Victoria heard muffled voices.
Debbie’s voice was in ecstasy, along with a man’s moan which seems familiar.
“I hope it’s not what am thinking” Victoria’s heart began to race as she tiptoed into the bed room upstairs.
Alas, Debbie and Francis were in the middle of intimacy as Victoria’s scream pierced through the air.
“Dee…bie,” she managed, then turned to Francis. “What’s happening?”
“Love is happening,” Debbie spat, anger flashing in her eyes.
“Victoria, you’ve always kept me from the sweet fruits of life since we were little even till now,
Well, I’ve had enough. There’s nothing wrong with sharing.”
Francis struggled to break free from Debbie’s grip.
Shocked and betrayed, Victoria ran out of the room, as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Victoria couldn’t bottle the whole issue alone, “Grandma must know of this, I can’t d!e in silence”.
She said, roaring her car back to life as she sped away.
Tears trickled down her Victoria’s cheeks as she held the steering wheel.
To her greatest surprise, her grandmother wasn’t around, only the nine years old boy, grandma had brought from the village to assist her in doing some domestic house work.
“Kelechi how are you?” Victoria said with tears visible on her eyes.
“Fine ma, grandma was rushed to the hospital, this morning”.
“What!!! What happened to my grandmother?”
“She asked me to prepare bread and omelette with Milo,” Kelechi explained.
“I called her repeatedly, but she didn’t answer. I tried your number, too. but No response. So I asked the neighbors for help.”
Without hesitation, Victoria raced back to the hospital kelechi had located where her grandmother was taken by the kind neighbors,
Tears blurred Victoria’s vision. as the nurses and doctor shook their heads, unable to speak.
“NO!!,” Victoria cried, pushing past the doctors.
“My abuela is sleeping. Let me through!” She said as she tried to reach her Grandma’s bedside,
“Not now grandma, please don’t leave me in this cruel word,
You promised to teach me your secret recipe for moi moi, please wake up,
Grandma. I’ll marry Alex, just like you wanted.”
But Grandma remained silent, her eyes was forcefully closed.
The one person Victoria could confide in was gone. The weight of reality settled heavily upon her….
Victoria tears flowed like an unrelentless river.
The doctors and nurses moved with solemn grace, wrapping her grandmother’s l!feless body in a pristine
“Grandma please stand up, your Victoria need you the most now, I need you”.
Victoria keeps repeating those words, with the anticipation of her cries that filled the air,
The nurses tried to console her at the heat of her pain but their efforts were futile.
The nurses left Victoria at the sterile corridor as she refused to be consoled by any of the nurses.
The figure that stood right in front of her, made her wipe her tears with her left Palm, it was little kelechi.
“Aunty Victoria, his grandma really gone? “? he queried abruptly, expecting a fast reply from her.
‘Yes my abuela is gone”. Victoria managed to gather her wits, enveloping the little lad whoes eyes are already inviting tears.
Both kelechi and Victoria embraced each other like mother and son with tears trickling down their cheeks uncontrollable.
Some kind strangers offered sympathetic glances, while others simply shook their heads in empathy.
“Doctor what happened to my grandmother?”. Victoria freed herself from kelechi, standing up to the doctor as he beckoned on them.
The doctor’s face etched with compassion.
“Your grandmother’s passing,” he continued. “was a consequence of her overthinking.”
As the doctor spoke, Victoria’s phone buzzed incessantly. she didn’t pay much attention at her phone,she was still lost in the raw ache of her grandmother’s loss.
But the messages on her phone keeps popping up every two minutes interrupting the doctor’s conversation.
Victoria’s trembling hands took hold of her phone from the bag, to check what it was.
Victoria froze on the spot, with her eye balls wide opened.
“Jesus Francis had k!lled me”. she said, dropping her Mobile phone as if it was a hot coal on the ground.
The screen revealed a debit alert of five million naira from her father’s company account.
Victoria’s scream hung in the air like a storm about to break free.
Fueled by anger and pain, Victoria ran out of the hospital as she hopped into her car along with kelechi who help in picking her phone from the floor.
When Victoria got home, she there was no sign of Debbie and Francis in the house.
“Where the hell are those Båstards!!”. Victoria bärked, scanning the entire room, still fuming.
Kelechi went to the refrigerator to get water for Victoria.
During Victoria’s search for Francis and Debbie, a knock on the door made her rush, thinking it was them.
To her surprise, two police officers were standing right in front of the doorstep.
“Good day, ma’am,” one officer began.
“We’re from the bank. Mr. Nkwokedi has defaulted on his loan for six months.
As collateral, he pledged this house to us, You have just twenty-four hours to vacate.”
Victoria’s world crumbled, she couldn’t believe her ears. Tears flowed like molten lava down her cheeks.
Was this a dream or a nightmare?
Victoria throw herself on the floor, as kelechi tried consoling her.
Desperate, Victoria dialed Francis number, but to no avail.
Victoria began packing her luggages along with kelechi,
During the frantical packing, Victoria stumbled upon her grandmother’s music box.
At the sight of seeing the box, the once worthless object became worthy,
As memories flooded back, the day she married a th!ef, her past mistakes now causing her Soo much pain.
“I have been such a f00lish granddaughter, if only I could correct my mistakes”.
As soon as she finished her statements, a dancing ballerina came out twirling with a backup mysteries music.
Victoria could see eight digits materialized numbers before her eyes, almost like a cryptic message suddenly pop out from the box.
“What’s that aunty Victoria?”. kelechi queried from behind interrupting Victoria’s curiosity of the music box.
“It’s nothing”. Victoria managed to rally out words, as she switched smuggled the box inside her luggage.
“It’s just a little gift from abuela”. Victoria continued, cleaning her tears hanging on the left side of her cheeks with her left palm.
“Are you done with the packing?”.
“Not yet ma, I just came to check up on you ma”.
Victoria managed to smile “Yes, am fine”. kelechi was about to take is live when Victoria called him back.
“What really happened to my grandmother, how did it happen?”.
Kelechi stood still, staring at Victoria.
“Just like I said earlier, grandma told me to prepare bread and omelette for breakfast,
After I was done cooking, I also boiled water for tea, then went to wake her up from her sleep,
But she refused to wake up, I was so scared, so I decided to call you, but you weren’t picking, I had to call the attention of the neighbors instead”.
kelechi final stopped, then move closer to Victoria.
“The doctor said she died because of thinking too much, he’s right, and I think I know why “.
“Why” Victoria furrow her eyebrows trying to hear more from kelechi.
“You do?”.
“Yes, I think it’s because of Mr alex “. he continued.
“Since the day you got married to uncle Francis, grandma’s behavior had changed drastically,
She talks with Mr alex on the phone more often, I had been eavesdropping at their conversation and am sorry about that”.
“It’s fine, you were just curious “. Victoria managed to cheer him up.
“Does he still comes visit grandma?”.
“No, he doesn’t come visit since last year, we don’t know his whereabouts any more “. Victoria let out a big sigh.
“It’s okay, we will talk about this later, hurry up, let’s make it snappy “.
Victoria and kelechi went Back to grandma’s house along with her luggages.
It was already 9:45PM when they finish packing, and by 10:00pm they were back at grandma’s house,
Arranging Victoria’s luggages back, she instructed little kelechi to go sleep because it was already late, she will do the arranging herself.
After some time Victoria too got tired as she tried leaving the luggage for tomorrow’s work, and most importantly, calling her lawyer.
She felt it would be good sleeping at grandma’s bed,
There all her tears will flow, she laid on the bed sobbing, when suddenly a familiar music began to play in the middle of the night.
It was Grandma’s music box playing by itself.
Victoria sprang to her feet as she knew she wasn’t done checking the strange object, as she was interrupted earlier by kelechi.
The strange music along with the dancing ballerina made Victoria to laugh and cry at the same time.
“Grandma is really good at keeping old artifacts”. she said, soliloquize to herself.
Her curiosity piqued, she fixed her gaze on the materialized number that’s was set to the current date.
“That’s strange, how did the box knows today’s date and year?”.
Still intrigued by the music box, she swiped the numbers to her exact birth date, ’07/07/1994′.
Alas, Victoria’s eyes grew heavier, and before she knew what was happening she found herself sitting on the bed in a labour room.
Confusion clouded her mind instantly, as she tried checking around, she could see babies sleeping in cribs.
Victoria was about panicking, with the box still lying beside her.
“Am so sorry for your lost Mr Williams, the nurses tried their very best, but we lost her in the icy hand of déath but your baby is fine, she’s inside”.
Victoria quickly hid herself behind the exit door, holding the music box, spying on the upcoming intruders.
She couldn’t believe her eyes, the man her grandmother had portrayed to be her deceased father as a child in portraits was right in front of her, watching him in tears carrying a baby the doctor had directed him, it was Victoria herself as a baby.
“If you may excuse me”. the doctor said, walking out of the exit, Victoria followed the doctor as she avoid being seen coming out of the ward.
“Excuse me sir”. Victoria called out from behind, stopping the doctor, please where am I?”.
Confusion was written on the doctors face, as he thought she must be lost.
“Randol General Hospital”. he replied staring at her strangely.
“What year?”. “we’re in 1994, hope no problem miss?”. the doctor retorted still glaring at her.
“Not at all”. Victoria replied, walking out of the exit door, leaving the doctor on the spot.
Victoria’s heart began to beat faster than the average human as she noticed the music box was set to her birthday, as the song resumes along with the ballerina’s dance.
“This is crazy, I can’t be in the past, or am I hallucinating?”. Victoria soliloquize as she glued her eyes to the enigma.
After observing the box more keenly, she intentional swiped the dates to her wedding, her eyes became heavy once again.
“I’m not here to cause trouble, honey,”
“I’m so sorry. Please come back to me.”
“Honey? Haven’t I told you to leave me alone?”.
The Arguments going on sounds familiar to Victoria, she could recognize her own voice in the middle of the heat.
“In case you need someone to talk to, I’m here.”
The door was opened as she could see Alex walking to the exit.
The hiding Victoria was about to stop Alex to apologize but Debbie came out of the bride’s room.
“Can you imagine that, you want to spoil my plans I had already laid” .
Victoria quickly retreat back to hide.
She saw Debbie trashing Alex’s ID card in a near by waste bin, as she returned back to the bride’s room.
Victoria immediately retrieve Alex’s ID card from the trash, pocketing it inside her jacket,
She made her way to the exit door to meet alex but she had already loose track of him.
“I need to end this rubb!sh once and for all, this is my only way to stop myself”.
She raced back to the bride’s room, unfortunately for her, the room was empty..
Victoria immediately take the route to the church, as the wedding commerce, she walked past the congregation, shouting at the top of her voice,
“STOP THE WEDDING……!!!”.
The whole congregations jaw dropped at the sight of such wonder.
All eyes rested on Victoria as she beckoned to the uppermost aisle with great rage.
“Stop the …..”. but she never finished her statements, Victoria found herself back inside grandma’s room.
“What just happened?”. she thought to herself, I need to go back there to end this.
Victoria toiled with the music box aggressively trying to find the materialized numbers,
But to her utmost surprise, she couldn’t find the it, almost as if they had vanished.
“What’s going on with this stup!d box,” Victoria sobbed so loudly that her cries woke little kelechi from sleep.
“What happened ma Victoria”. he queried with the state of confusion displayed on his facial features.
But Victoria keeps screaming and wailing, causing kelechi to anticipate with her cries, thinking she must have missed her grandmother the more.
“It’s okay ma, everything will be fine,” he assured trying to calm her down.
“Am so sorry I woke you up,” Victoria apologized, seeing kelechi off to his bed.
Making sure he was fast asleep, Victoria began to walk around the house aimlessly in loop, soliloquize at every corner piece.
“What’s the purpose of this music box if I can’t change my past?”.
Victoria queried, staring daggèrs at Grandma’s birthday portrait hanged beside the mirror.
“I nearly stopped my wedding, why can’t I change my fate?”.
Victoria continued asking the portraits on the walls questions that couldn’t be answered.
Victoria decided to go back to sleep, Forgetting everything that had just happened,
Perhaps she was just hallucinating, or maybe her grandmother’s weird music box must be driving her nùts.
She was about to go to bed when she noticed the bulge in her Jacket pocket,
Alas, alex’s ID card she had retrieved in the past from the waste bin reflected in the current world.
Victoria couldn’t contain her joy, the music box didn’t enable her to change her past but it helped in retrieving the ID card.
The next morning, Victoria didn’t waste time in contacting alex, they made arrangements to meet each other.
Victoria transpired everything that had happened to her, Francis and Debbie,
How they had planned on using her as a pawn to her father’s wealth and property, and how she had enrolled for an ab0rtion.
“Am so sorry you went through all those” alex said with the most comforting and pitiful tone.
” I was only a f00l believing Deborah’s lies about you being a pr0stitute”. he continued.
“I made a serious mistake, and I will want you to forgive me”.
“Even through, you didn’t do anything wrong, I let my anger consumed me, instead of allowing you to explain yourself.
I was just manipulated by Debbie’s words
Rather than listening to my inner voice”.
Victoria replied, with the anticipation of mild sobbing.
“I have been waiting for this moment to come, even till tomorrow”. Alex continued, smiling and sobbing along with Victoria.
“What do you mean?”. Victoria chipped in with tears on her eyes.
“I already know we were both destined to be together, no matter the circumstances”. he replied.
“Are you !nsane, who will marry a stup!d woman like me as a wife, don’t even think of it,
We’re not destined to be together”. Victoria retorted sobbing and crying.
Am not the right woman for you, because of my blindness for love, from the person who doesn’t even love me, my f00lishness made my w0mb dāmäged due to the numerous abortions ….”.
Alex shushed her then envelope his arms around her,
“That doesn’t matter anymore, what matters the most is you’re here with me”.
The car horns from the gate made Kelechi leaned against the living room curtains, wondering whom it might be.
Aunty Victoria didn’t take her car along, she had Left her Toyota Camry at home, so who might that be, little kelechi wondered as he went to Open the main gate.
At the sight of the grey car parked right in front of him, little kelechi already know it belongs to Mr alex, the little lad couldn’t contain his joy.
“Uncle Alex! uncle Alex!”. kelechi chanted as he scampered towards his car with great joy.
“Wow, you’re now a big boy”. alex teased, caressing the lad with his hands.
“You’re already back from school?”.
Victoria queried, beamed a smile at kelechi who keeps jumping around with excitement of seeing Alex.
“Yes ma, not quite long”. he replied, as they all Went inside.
Alex suggested they should both get married as soon as possible,
Victoria was against his idea of marriage, because she knows she wouldn’t be able to give give birth to a child, but Alex assured her everything would be fine.
Three months later, Victoria and Alex got married, their wedding was a grand one as Victoria could see Alex’s family members including his mother, telling Victoria how she had been waiting for her son to give her a grandchild.
She felt uncomfortable in the wedding, knowing fully well she was unable to give birth, she had told alex to let her suffër for her pun!shment, he shouldn’t get himself involved but Alex keep persisting, comforting her and putting her at ease.
After their marriage, alex came up with the idea of IVF (in vitro fertilization) maybe that way they would be able to have their own child, with the help of a surrogate mother.
“This is your chance to be a mother”,
Alex said, assuring Victoria it would turn out well.
“But what if it doesn’t work? and it’s way too expensive, and I don’t want you to waste your money on me, you have better things to do with it”. Victoria said with mild sobs.
That’s the reason why I told you to marry another woman…”.
Alex shushed her, telling her to stop saying such unpleasant words.
After much insisting, they both volunteer to enroll, unfortunately for them their first attempt was naught.
Victoria told alex to quit, it’s better they adopt than spending huge amounts on IVF.
She had already accepted her fate, but he persisted for a second time to enroll for the laboratory fertilization.
Luckily for them, the transplant was a success.
Alex paid for surrogacy, as the doctor planted Victoria’s fertilized embroyed into the surrogate mother.
During these months, the scan revealed Victoria’s fate, she would be a mother.
As the days passed, the surrogate mother began to complain about the pregnancy, it was too heavy for her to bear,
They made a re-scan of the pregnancy at six months, the results came out to be triplets.
Victoria couldn’t believe her ears, she nearly fainted, even through she couldn’t experience maternity, but she’s still the biological mother to the triplets, and it turns out they were boys.
~TWO YEARS LATER~
It was a sunny morning, Victoria and Alex had to purchase baby food from a nearby supermarket along with the triplets.
They were out of the supermarket when Victoria spotted a fîlthy crippled Lady who happens to be Debbie.
Victoria was surprised to see her, she fumed with so much intensity and hatréd,
She was about to order her arrest but Alex pleaded her to let it go, karma already served her right.
“Victoria my dearest friend please forgive me”. that’s what Debbie could say, “It’s the work of the devil”.
“What happened to your leg”. alex queried, shooking his head in dismay.
Her and Francis were catching fun with Victoria’s stolen car, to the extended of being extremely drunk while driving,
The car fell into a cliff filled with huge trees with vast branches,
The car got squashed to nothing, Francis d!ed at the spot, while Debbie’s legs got amputated due to the deep !njury.
She explained her nemesis in tears, just then she took glimpse of the babies.
“Nice orphan babies you got”. she said
“Can I carry?”. Victoria läshed at her instantly,
” Don’t even try anything stup!d or else I will order your arrest
And point of correction, they’re not Adopted, those are our biological children besides you don’t need to know everything”.
Victoria retorted, as she drove off with her husband and children, leaving Debbie on the spot.
Tears dripped from Victoria’s eyes, she was happy, the family she had been craving for is finally here,
If only she had listened to grandma’s advice, perhaps she would be here to carry her grandchildren.
Even through grandma’s music box wasn’t able to rewrite her past, it still helped on its own.
We can’t change the past, but we can only learn from them, and create a better future….
THE END……
