Millions of thoughts ran through Desmond’s mind as he was dragged out from the trunk of the car and led into a room.
His face was still covered with a mask and his hands were still cuffed behind him.
They forced him onto a chair and tied him tightly to it with his hands still cuffed at his back.
The pain was unbearable.
If they could at least remove the handcuffs and only tie him to the chair, it would be far better than the agony of having both his wrists twisted painfully behind him while still being restrained.
His head dropped as he kept groaning softly in pain.
Then he heard one of the men speaking on the phone, informing someone that “the package” had been delivered successfully.
Immediately, his mind concluded it had to be Uche.
He knew Feire too well.
No matter how angry she was, she could never do something like this to him.
“Please… who is doing this to me?” he asked weakly through the pain.
“If I hear one more word from your mouth…” a harsh voice thundered beside him, “…I will blow your brains out. Consider this your final warning.”
“Does he even have a brain to blow?” another sarcastic voice replied and the men burst into laughter.
Desmond shivered on the chair.
Who wouldn’t?
Despite all the terrible things he had done, he still couldn’t imagine anyone going this far against him.
He listened to their footsteps moving around him, perceived cigarette smoke thick in the air and heard the constant clinking of cans.
It felt like they were simply waiting for whoever sent them to arrive.
Kike entered her father’s car crying uncontrollably.
“Just take me home.” she muttered.
“What is going on?” her father asked immediately. “Where is Desmond? Why are you here alone? What exactly happened?”
The questions kept coming one after another.
Kike remained silent briefly.
She didn’t even know where to begin.
Her father looked genuinely worried.
In fact, he personally came to pick her up himself.
“Let’s just leave this place first,” she said finally. “Before they come back for us too.”
Her father started the engine immediately.
“Who are they? And where is Desmond?”
“They took him away after dropping me there.”
“Who took him?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know him, Dad.”
“Was it the same guy who stood up during the wedding?”
She shook her head.
“No. But I think he sent the man who came for us. He disguised as our driver and drove us there before dropping me and taking Desmond away.”
“Did he collect your phone too?”
“I left my phone at home.” she replied quietly. “I don’t even know if Desmond had his own phone with him. We could have at least called someone or let whoever called hear what was happening.”
“Who exactly is the man?”
“I don’t know him.”
“I’m talking about the one who interrupted the wedding.”
“Oh… him.” She wiped her face quickly. “His name is Uche. We dated before. He has been disturbing me not to marry Desmond. I always had a feeling he might show up today, but I never imagined he would go this far.”
Her father brought out his phone immediately and dialed a number.
“Hello, D.P.O, good evening.”
“Hello everyone!” Fola clasped his hands together to get everybody’s attention. “Good evening.”
“Good evening!” they chorused.
His eyes caught Feire standing quietly at a corner of the living room in her wine-coloured gown.
She looked beautiful.
Radiant.
Glowing.
He had seen her earlier already, but ever since then he had found it difficult taking his eyes off her again.
Everything about her seemed to press deeper into his heart.
Perhaps this was truly what people meant by butterflies in the belly.
“We all know why we are here today, right?” he grinned.
“Sure!”
“Yes!”
Different voices answered.
“That is because of the beautiful OAP, Tombri Feire. Am I right?”
Cheers filled the room.
“So I would like the celebrant herself to step out properly and bless us with her beautiful face once again.”
Everyone clapped loudly.
Mosun stood close to the dining area wall smiling proudly.
Earlier before they stepped out, she had warned Feire repeatedly that if Fola proposed, she must not disgrace him by saying no.
She had done everything possible to prepare her mentally.
She also explained how Stella mobilized the event planner and arranged everything within such short notice.
Honestly, she felt proud being part of the surprise.
She winked at Feire immediately she stepped toward the centre of the living room.
Feire shook her head and smiled.
“So… how do you feel today?” Fola asked her.
She nodded slowly.
“I honestly don’t know how to explain.”
Cheers erupted again while she lowered her head shyly.
“Just explain with one word, Feire.” Fola held her hand gently.
She shrugged.
“I feel loved. I’m so grateful for all these. I honestly never saw—”
“Hold on, Miss.” Fola interrupted playfully. “We only asked how you feel, not for a vote of thanks.”
Everybody burst into laughter.
“At this point, I want everyone here to say something about Feire before we proceed to the next thing.” Fola announced.
“We’ll start with you, Gloria.” He pointed at the lady seated close to the door.
“Is that all?” the police officer asked Kike.
“Yes.” she nodded.
She had already changed into a round-neck shirt and black trousers before the officers arrived to question her.
“What exactly happened to Uche after the bouncers took him away from the wedding venue?”
She shrugged.
“I can’t really say. I think they only threw him out. I’m not sure they beat him.”
“Can I have every detail you know about him? And also every detail about Desmond’s friends.”
“Okay. I can give you Uche’s address and phone number and also his sister’s details, but I honestly don’t know much about Desmond’s friends.”
“Alright then.” the officer replied. “Let’s begin with Uche.”
He turned around.
“Sergeant, write everything down.”
“Yes sir.” the younger officer stepped forward immediately.
“So what happens now, officer?” Kike’s father asked.
“Our prime suspect is Uche based on everything she has said. We’ll begin investigations immediately and apprehend him first.”
He smiled confidently.
“Don’t worry. By tomorrow we should already locate…” He paused briefly, trying to remember the name.
“Desmond.” Kike supplied quickly.
“Yes. Desmond.” He snapped his fingers. “I assure you.”
“Thank you.” her father replied. “Please handle this as quickly as possible. We are counting on you.”
“Trust us, madam.” the officer assured Kike’s mother while standing up. “Give us twenty-four hours.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m in pain, please…” Desmond begged weakly. “I’ll cooperate with you people. Just loosen my hands.”
He heard footsteps approaching him and briefly hoped somebody was finally about to help him.
Instead—
the short man pressed a burning cigarette against his knee.
Desmond screamed instantly as the heat burnt through both his trouser and skin.
“Please!” he cried out.
The men laughed loudly while he trembled in pain and tears.
“I’ll give you anything you want!” he begged desperately. “Just remove the fire!”
“We only asked for one thing and you failed to provide it.” one of them mocked. “So why should we believe you now?”
“Please… what exactly do you want? I’ll give it to you!”
“Shut the hell up!” the harsh voice thundered again.
“Okay… okay… I won’t talk again.”
The cigarette was finally removed from his leg.
“You’re busy begging for your hands to be free when you don’t even know whether your stupid head will still remain on your neck tonight.” the man laughed.
Desmond kept trembling.
His leg burnt badly.
His hands ached terribly.
Sweat soaked through his body beneath the mask covering his face.
At that moment, he no longer even knew who to suspect anymore.
Pain swallowed every other thought.
He was willing to do anything just to be released.
He had no idea where they brought him to or how anyone would ever locate him there.
As he sat there sobbing quietly, another phone rang.
One of the men answered.
“Should we just skaba him?” the voice from the other side asked.
Skaba?
Desmond didn’t fully understand the word, but he knew it definitely meant nothing good.
“Okay. Make we leave am here then.” the man replied before ending the call.
Then he whistled loudly.
“Guys, make we dey go.”
Desmond didn’t dare say another word again.
At that point, he genuinely feared they might set him ablaze alive.
“Marriage is not just a ring worn or a paper signed.” Fola began softly.
The entire room grew quieter immediately.
“It is not something to endure. It is something to savour.”
He took a slow breath.
“It is the union of two hearts beating as one. Two people willing to sacrifice for each other’s happiness and wellbeing.”
His eyes stayed fixed on Feire.
“I have grown enough to understand that marriage isn’t child’s play. It takes commitment, sacrifice, pleasure and passion.”
He smiled faintly.
“Marriage is so beautiful that if it existed physically in nature, it would probably look like a rose constantly unfolding beneath warm sunlight.”
The room became still.
“Perhaps that’s why we give roses to people we love and decorate sacred unions with them.”
He paused briefly.
“Feire… I don’t want to say ‘till death do us part’ because honestly, if I had a thousand lifetimes, I would want every single one of them with you.”
Then slowly—
he went on one knee.
Cheers exploded immediately around the room.
Mosun rushed closer instantly while Stella stood beside Feire smiling widely.
“Say yes!” they kept whispering excitedly.
But Feire stood frozen.
Confused.
Troubled.
Lost.
Images of Desmond and Kike flooded her mind instantly.
She didn’t know if she possessed the strength to hand her heart over to another person so quickly.
At least—
not immediately.
She was scared.
At the same time, she didn’t want to embarrass Fola publicly in front of everyone.
Mosun’s words echoed repeatedly inside her head.
Still—
she remained confused.
“Tombri Feire…” Fola looked directly into her eyes.
“Will you marry me?”
Feire glanced briefly at Mosun and Stella who kept mouthing yes repeatedly.
But her face didn’t carry the same excitement as theirs.
She swallowed hard.
Then finally—
“No. I’m sorry.”
And immediately—
she rushed outside.
Silence swallowed the room completely.