It is almost normal everywhere for the Pastor to make that pronouncement concerning the couple and no one ever raises a hand, but this case was different.
Uche stood up slowly and Kike immediately knew she was in for the disgrace of her life.
She shifted her gaze away from him while Desmond fixed his eyes on him. He wasn’t sure if this was the same Uche Kike had always told him about, but who else could it be, especially when Feire didn’t obstruct anything?
“Young man, what is the problem?” the Pastor asked him.
He smiled faintly.
“She cannot marry him.”
At that moment, all eyes were already on Uche. It felt like the first time many of them were truly seeing someone stand up to obstruct a wedding ceremony.
Feire was scared on her seat. She held Mosun tightly as though she was the one standing beside the altar.
There was complete silence across the venue.
Even if a pin dropped on the grass, everyone would hear it.
“What exactly is the problem?” the Pastor asked again.
“Kike cannot…” He barely completed the statement before security men surrounded him and grabbed him immediately.
He kept struggling and shouting while they dragged him out of the venue.
“I guess he must be high on drugs.” The Pastor adjusted himself and continued speaking calmly. “This is exactly what we keep warning you youths against. Why would you indulge in drugs? What profit would they add to your life? Absolutely nothing.”
Kike’s parents already looked shaken on their seats.
In fact, who wasn’t shaken?
Everyone looked confused about what exactly should happen next, including the Pastor himself.
“So after it has become obvious that the young man only came here to rant under the influence of drugs, we will continue with this holy solemnization since there is no other person objecting to this union.”
The service continued.
The marriage was sealed.
They exchanged rings.
The families signed the marriage certificate.
And just like that—
they were officially married.
Desmond’s laughter throughout the ceremony was unstable.
Like GOtv signal during rainfall.
His eyes kept drifting towards Feire repeatedly and anytime their eyes almost met, he quickly looked away.
He wished the ground would just open and swallow him whole.
He already knew he had messed up badly.
Thank God Feire didn’t raise her hand or attempt to scatter the wedding.
He was also grateful that the Pastor handled the interruption wisely and still continued with the service.
“Feire is here.” Desmond muttered into Bayo’s ear.
“Who’s that?” Bayo asked.
“My ex. Have you forgotten already?”
Bayo couldn’t even reply.
The reception was already about to begin and slight rearrangements were ongoing while music played softly in the background.
“Your guy’s ex is here, Subby.” Bayo informed him quietly.
“You don’t mean it. Then who was the guy trying to obstruct the wedding earlier?” Subby asked.
“Who knows? I even feel the lady might have planted him to do all that.”
“That was a huge disgrace, Bayo. I never saw it coming. I’m used to Pastors asking that question and nobody responding. This is the first time I’m actually seeing someone attempt to stop a wedding.”
“Man, I was shocked too. The reception is about to start and we’re meant to dance in.”
“Oh.” Subby stood up.
“Can we leave already?” Feire asked.
Mosun chuckled.
“Are we not going to eat the party rice first? I feel we should at least eat something before leaving.”
“Fola, has Kike seen you at all?” Stella asked.
Fola smiled.
“She has. The expression on her face was priceless.”
“Who was that guy?” Feire asked.
“Which one?”
“The one trying to disrupt the wedding.”
“That’s the guy I told you about,” Mosun replied. “The one I said might actually be the father of the child Kike is carrying.”
“I was scared.” Stella grinned.
“Even me,” Feire added.
“I wonder what Desmond would say to you after this, Feire.” Stella held her hand.
Feire laughed softly.
“I need no explanation for something obvious. I said we should leave, this goat here wants to eat party rice.”
“Are we supposed to attend this wedding in vain? At least let us eat their food.”
Stella and Fola burst into laughter.
“That actually makes sense though.” Stella replied.
“But honestly this whole thing is funny to me. I still don’t understand how somebody could actually do this. How on earth?” Mosun murmured.
Feire hissed.
“If you are irritated by it then leave.”
“No baby, we must eat this food.”
Feire kept exchanging brief looks with Desmond from where she sat.
There was nothing more threatening than someone freezing up each time they saw you.
Her eyes alone conveyed all the words her mouth couldn’t say at that moment.
She couldn’t wait to leave the venue.
Though she participated in conversations with Mosun, Fola and Stella, her mind kept drifting back to memories and everything that had happened that day.
Eventually, they finished eating and prepared to leave.
The exact moment Feire had been waiting for.
She entered her car with Mosun while Fola and Stella entered theirs.
“Home, right?” Mosun asked.
Feire shrugged.
“Where else?”
“Aren’t we celebrating your birthday again?”
Feire glared at her.
“Celebrate birthday again? Haven’t we done enough here already?”
“Enough? Since when did you become the bride?” Mosun teased.
“It’s like they are dancing on your brain. I just want to go home and rest, dear.”
“It seems like Fola and Stella are following us.” Mosun pointed out.
Feire checked through the side mirror.
“That’s true.”
“So no rest for you, baby. The celebration continues.”
Feire hissed loudly.
It was already past five in the evening.
Kike and Desmond were finally set to leave the wedding venue for their new home after all the dancing and celebration.
Kike recovered quickly from the shock of seeing Uche and Fola.
Desmond, however, still hadn’t recovered from seeing Feire.
The two entered the vehicle and the driver drove off.
“Who was he?” Desmond finally asked.
Kike smiled.
“You should know already, Desmond. Thank God he didn’t succeed in whatever he came to do.”
Desmond chuckled weakly.
“Do you think he won’t come back again sooner or later?”
Kike shook her head.
“Can we stop talking about him, Des? He is a closed chapter. Today is supposed to be about us. Don’t let that imbecile ruin this day.”
Desmond sighed.
“I just feel this isn’t over yet.”
“It can never be over anytime soon.”
They both heard the driver’s voice suddenly.
Then laughter followed.
Desmond and Kike exchanged frightened looks immediately.
Silence filled the vehicle while the car continued moving at the same speed.
“Hello?” Desmond managed to speak.
“I said it cannot be over anytime soon.” The driver repeated and laughed again.
Then suddenly—
he halted the vehicle by the roadside.
The abrupt stop tightened fear around both of them instantly.
“What do you think?” the driver continued. “That this whole thing would end today?”
Kike and Desmond tried studying the driver’s face carefully but he kept facing forward.
He didn’t look familiar.
Kike watched him closely, wondering if it was Uche, but it clearly wasn’t.
“Who are you?” Desmond asked.
“Nemesis.” He replied and laughed again before kicking the engine back alive.
“If you know what is good for you, maintain silence. If anybody touches a phone, nemesis will catch you faster than you think.”
“Who—”
“Shut up!” He banged the steering wheel angrily at Kike.
The car turned into another street.
The area looked deserted—
new sites,
few completed houses,
many uncompleted buildings,
and bushes everywhere.
Eventually, he stopped the vehicle beside a thick bush and came down.
He walked to Kike’s side and opened the door.
“Come down.”
Desmond tried opening his own door too.
“I was talking to her, idiot!” the man barked immediately.
Desmond slowly removed his hand from the door handle and swallowed hard.
His mind raced wildly.
Who exactly was this man?
How did he replace the original driver allocated for the wedding?
Was he sent by Uche?
Or—
by Feire?
He dragged Kike deep into the bush briefly before returning to the vehicle.
Then he drove off with Desmond still inside.
“Our own journey is just beginning.” He laughed. “Fasten your seatbelt.”
Then he accelerated.
Feire’s wish simply refused to come true.
All she wanted was to go home quietly and sleep.
But she was wrong.
Mosun, Stella and Fola clearly had other plans already.
Only now did she realize that was probably why they insisted on staying longer at the wedding reception.
Her living room had been decorated beautifully.
Not excessively—
but enough to make the occasion feel special.
As she stepped inside, she almost felt like a stranger in her own house.
Her colleagues from work stood there clapping and smiling brightly at her.
She needed no explanation to know this was Fola’s doing, obviously with Mosun’s help too.
“Thank you.” She moved around hugging them one after the other with genuine smiles on her face.
She truly appreciated the effort even though she never planned for such an atmosphere that day.
“I know you have always been a crook, but how exactly did you people arrange all this?” Feire pinched Mosun lightly.
“My friend keep quiet and go change your clothes.”
“Why? What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
Mosun shrugged.
“You don’t behave like a lady sometimes. Come on jare.” She dragged her towards the room.
Outside the house, Fola and Stella remained beside the car discussing quietly.
Fola still looked unsure about proposing that day.
He feared she might reject him publicly in front of office staff and turn him into a discussion topic on radio the following week.
“Guy, man up.” Stella encouraged him.
“I haven’t even apologized properly for lying about your identity.”
Stella shrugged.
“Would you just enter that house and do what you need to do? Who knows if another staff there is planning to ask her out too?”
Fola’s eyes widened.
“You think somebody else might also propose today?”
“It is called proposal, Fola. Don’t spoil this moment. Enter there and shoot your shot.”
“Don’t you think today is the wrong day?”
Stella glared at him immediately.
“If I hear pim, I’ll blow your brain off!”
Desmond heard the warning as the vehicle stopped again.
The driver stepped out holding a gun.
He walked to the back seat and opened the door.
“I said get down!”
“Yes sir.” Desmond shivered as he stepped down.
The man brought out handcuffs and ordered him to place his hands behind his back.
Desmond obeyed immediately.
Sweat already soaked through his blazer despite coming from a fully air-conditioned vehicle.
The man blindfolded him with a black cloth and shoved him violently.
Desmond landed hard on the floor.
The environment was silent—
another bush entirely.
He was dragged up roughly and pushed into the trunk of another vehicle parked nearby.
“Let’s move, guys!” the man shouted before slamming the trunk shut.
The car engine roared to life.
Inside the darkness of the trunk—
Desmond realized he was finished.