The sound of wedding bells announced the presence of the couple. It was a Saturday morning in an autumn season. The trees in the Church compound had shed their leaves, leaving them scattered in a rather decorative manner. The rustling breeze caused the dry leaves to crack and move. The Church windows were forced to bang letting out loud noise.
  As the couple walked down the aisle holding hands, the congregation starred in excitement. The bride wore a glittering crown, her immaculate white gown was long enough to cover her silver high heels. She held her flower bouquet. On her face rests the masterpiece of a makeup artist. Rachael was wearing a beautiful smile. A smile that glowed her makeup, it came from her eyes. It was the best day of her life.
  The groom wore a dark ash suit with a bold red tie. His fitting suit was complimented with a black mirror shoe. He had a perfect haircut and a well trimmed beards. Davies struggled to resist a smile, he bit his lower lips in a way not to let out a smile, but his eyes betrayed him. Tears clouded his eyes, it was crystal clear he was getting married to the love of his life.
At the end of saying the vows. They had both answered "I do" to the Reverend's questions, it was time to kiss the bride, a kiss that lasted for five seconds after which they became husband and wife joined in holy matrimony.

It wasn't difficult for the just wedded to pick a place for their honeymoon.
Harbor Island in Bahamas was the perfect destination.  A place known for it's long pink sand beaches located along the east side of the island. The view of sunrise at the north part of the island is a beauty to behold. Davies and Rachael lodged in one of the buildings on the island. During the day, they would wear the cowboy's hat and walk bare foot on the beach singing their favorite songs. When the sun gets hotter, they would sit under a palm tree sipping coconut juice with straw from a young coconut. Rachael would lie on his chest while they talked about their future. They had both agreed on having four children, moving into a new home and limiting the presence of relatives in their home. Should they have any issue between them, they both agreed on resolving it amicably without the interference of a third party. While they were talking, Rachael complained that she was hungry, Davies replied in a sarcastic manner .."if you eat too much and get fat, I will definitely leave you for another woman.. ",  they both laughed hysterically, she gave him a light punch on the shoulder, he returned the punch by subtly pressing her breast, Rachael jerked and threw sand at him, they engaged in a lovers' combat which ended in kissing and caressing under the cold shade of the palm tree. When it got dark, they walked to their apartment with Davies carrying Rachael on his back. She promised to kill him if he dropped her.
After taking their shower, they turned off the light, the darkness in the room was illuminated with burning red candles. The room was decorated with rose flower and scented with a pleasant fragrance. Rachael wore a satin nightgown which glued to her skin and exposed her hourglass wine body. Davies was waiting in bed, he had no shirts on. As she approached him, she seductively took off her nightgown, she was wearing a lingerie beneath. Davies adjusted to make space for her in the bed, their legs got intertwined, he kissed her, bit her ear in a romantic manner, Rachael let out a subtle moan. They both got covered in their duvet. It was a long pleasurable night.

After they returned from their honeymoon, everything was perfect like the early days of their relationship. Sometimes Davies would surprise Rachael by providing her with breakfast in bed. On his return from work, he would buy her flowers and cards. Everyday seemed like Rachael's birthday.  Every night was a movie night in their home. They both went on dates during the weekends. Rachael would also make Davies' favorite food. She saw him as a husband and her hero. Rachael had her own life however. She made sure she prepared breakfast before leaving for work. She does her home chores without complains. Interestingly, Davies helped out with the chores whenever he was disposed to. The home was a happy one.
Davies works in the State government Secretariat as an Accountant. He was a qualified chartered accountant while Rachael was a teacher in one of the Federal Government colleges in the state.  Despite their busy schedule they always made out time for each other.

On one fateful day, Rachael was absorbing the fresh evening breeze. She sat at the center of a small flower garden in the compound. She was engulfed in her phone and was smiling as she punched the phone with her delicate fingers. Davies had been calling out to her but she didn't respond. Rachael forgot she left the gas cooker on, the rice she was boiling got burnt. Davies came looking for her after he had taken care of the situation. He met her in the  garden smiling while looking into her  phone. He was enraged. The thought that she was texting a man amplified his rage. He walked up to her, snapped her phone from her and inquired her of who she was texting. She hesitated and replied "nobody", at once he slapped her and questioned her for lying to him. That was the first time he laid his hands on Rachael. It felt like a nightmare to her. She needed to wake up. In her wildest imaginations she never thought a day would come when Davies will lay his hands on her. She thought of telling her mother about it but they had promised each other to settle any rift between them, alone. For days, silence reigned supreme in their home. Eventually they began to talk but not like they used to. The trust has been questioned. The foundation of every happy home.

Gradually, Davies grew the habit of slapping Rachael at every little provocation. It went from slap alone to throwing blows and punches. Rachael continued to absorb and wish everything would be OK again.
On one ugly occasion, Rachael had questioned Davies for his frequent habit of keeping late night. She demanded an explanation or he would sleep outside. Davies got apoplectic. He seized her by the throat and flexed his muscles on her defenseless body. She was badly hurt and heartbroken. Her hero had turned to a villain, a beast that can't be tamed.
Things got worse when Davies began to enjoy sex with her like a sadist. She no longer walks to the bed in a seductive way. Davies would seize her and throw her on the bed. He would go ahead to tear her underwear and make love to her like a prostitute. She was a slave in her home.
However, no matter how unprotected sex is done, getting pregnant is always a huge probability.

Sometimes, some blessings seem like a curse in disguise. Rachael fell sick. She experienced symptoms like early morning dizziness, nausea which caused her to vomit, constipation and headaches. She feared she was pregnant. She conducted the home pregnancy test using her urine. The result was positive. It was a bittersweet feeling. The plight of domestic violence and the joy of motherhood.
Rachael decided not to tell Davies about the pregnancy, she wasn't sure of his reaction.
During one of their frequent arguments, Rachael promised Davies she was going to tell everyone about his monstrous character. She also threatened to stab him if he came close to her. He mocked her as she stood in a corner of the room trembling. The knife she was holding had fallen off her hand, Davies reached for his belt, he lashed her viciously. The belt landed on her back and circled round her chest. When he gave her the last whip, the edge of the belt had gone round her shoulder rupturing one of her nipples. She was bleeding and suffered the agony of a leaking breast.
Davies left the room feeling fulfilled. Rachael knew she had made a mistake all along. She should have known that the first day a man lays his hands on a woman should be the last. Rachael made up her mind to leave the marriage. She couldn't imagine her baby  growing up in such a home.
Rachael thought about filing for a divorce and getting a restraining order on Davies. He should never know she carried his baby.
She reached for her phone to call her mum. Something she could have done a long time ago. She continued to sob as she dialed her mother's number. The caller tune echoed in her head like a message of hope to her,
"Hello Africa, happy Africans. I bring you goodnews from the Y'ello connection.."



© Edeagu Chidera