Short story: The Ominous Wedding

Irene got up on the morning of her wedding, overwhelmed by an ominous feeling of despair and absolute dread. Everything seemed surreal, as she purposelessly looked around the exquisitely furnished bedroom. It was one of the many in the family-owned mansion, with a rather eerie proximity to the beach. It was presumably where she would be spending the rest of her life, and although she had prayed and longed for this day, she was utterly petrified for reasons she couldn’t comprehend.

Perhaps it was the conversation I had with Richard the previous night. She thought to herself.

“Irene, it’s finally your big day.” Irene jumped, startled by the voice of her maid of honour, who had been sleeping peacefully beside her.  She wasn’t certain when she had woken up, but she wished she hadn’t, as her introspection had been interrupted, and she still wasn’t sure of whatever was bothering her.  “Finally, you’re getting married.” Omotola continued with a wide grin, which only caused Irene’s heart rate to pick up. “You are marrying the man of your dreams and from today, you are going to be a wife. No longer a miss, but a ‘Mrs.’”

“Tola, I’m not sure I’m ready for this,” Irene commented after a few minutes, deciding to share her thoughts. The smile immediately faded from her friend’s face and was replaced by a look of confusion.

“What do you mean by that?”

“In all honesty, this is not the type of wedding I want. I am a Christian, who is supposed to be married in a church, not a suspicious ceremony at a beach because of some lame tradition that honours a sea goddess.” She replied with a pensive look.

“Oh, I completely understand how you feel Irene,” Omotola expressed, her smile returning. “Just think of it as a dream wedding every girl desires. Forget the traditional thing, you are going to have a spectacular wedding on the beach. Think only about the man you are about to marry. He is exactly every girl’s spec. He is tall, dark, handsome, smart and very wealthy. Who cares about what he believes in? You are going to have a perfect wedding that will be the talk of the town for many weeks. Everyone would certainly envy you.” Omotola concluded convincingly.

Irene nodded. “My husband-to-be indeed seems very ‘perfect, but even that makes me feel quite unsettled since no one is truly perfect. I just can’t seem to shake off the thought that he will make me worship whatever it is that his people are serving after the wedding. I am beginning to regret blowing off Segun and going for Richard.”

“What Segun? Oh please!” Omotola exclaimed, rolling her eyes. “He is overly religious and has no money. He can’t give you the future you deserve.” Omotola said, exasperation evident on her face.

“He did tell me that he feels called to be a minister of the gospel, and that’s why he did not join the corporate workforce. That does not mean he doesn’t have a future.” Irene defended.

“Does this mean you’d rather be a broke pastor’s wife than spend your life swimming in gold? I don’t even understand why in the world you are thinking of another man on your wedding day.” Omotola expressed, in seething annoyance. “Besides, I don’t know what you’re complaining about. Richard is also a Christian. I mean he goes to church, doesn’t he?”

“I know he goes to church, but the last time I went to his house, I saw a lot of suspicious items that bore semblance to those used for traditional fetish purposes. Also, the fact that he suggested this very traditional wedding, makes me feel like I’m signing a demonic contract that I can’t break out of.”

“Why are you planning to get out of a marriage that hasn’t even happened? Isn’t it supposed to last forever?” Omotola retorted.

“I know it is, but it’s not just about the marriage…” Irene’s response faded off, as she contemplated telling Omotola about what had made her overly suspicious. “Alright Tola, this is all about the frightening conversation I had with Richard last night.”

“What conversation?” Omotola asked.

Before Irene could respond, a knock on the door interrupted. It was the make-up artist whom Richard’s mother had recommended as the ‘best in the world’. Omotola quickly gestured for Irene to go into the bathroom for a shower, assuring her that she would listen as soon as she finished with her makeup. The time spent in the bathroom, however, only caused much anxiety for Irene, as she began to wonder if Omotola knew more than she was saying.

The cane that broke the camel’s back for Irene, was the fact that the makeup artist had insisted on calling her ‘Queen’ for reasons unknown to her. It was the same name Richard had called her the previous night when he explained to her that she was coming into a family of the deep sea to become a queen.  At the time, she had thought that it was a figure of speech that meant she was marrying into a wealthy family. Since Richard was the sole heir, it made sense that she would be the “queen” of the family. The way he had said it, however, made her feel very unsettled. The fact that the make-up artist called her the same name, and gave her a sort of unusual reverence, chilled Irene to her bones. She began to fear that the wedding was an initiation into something of an occult nature.

After moments of pondering on it within herself, she began to wallow in the guilt of choosing to marry Richard, since greed had been her true motivation. Segun had been very good-looking and gentlemanly, but she hadn’t given him a second thought, because he wasn’t as rich as Richard. Irene realised that the deceitful cares of the world had swept her off God’s will for her life and she was in the wrong place, getting married to the wrong person. She felt tears threaten to fall as the makeup artist worked on her face. She began to realise that it was too late for her.

Suddenly, a second thought struck like a lightning bolt. It wasn’t too late. She wasn’t married to Richard yet.

“I need to use the restroom, please.” She told the middle-aged woman, as a half-baked plan formed in her head.

The woman nodded and bowed. “Alright my queen”

It took Irene all the self-control she could muster to keep from running out of the room. She instead walked as majestically as she could, into the luxurious bathroom and locked the door, hoping to carry out her plan. She intended to flee from the house, then call Richard, to inform him that she was calling off the wedding. She looked around frantically, searching desperately for a way out from her self-imposed incarceration, but the burglary proof on the small window that seemed like her only chance of escape, dashed her every hope.

She sat heavily on the closed lid of the toilet and stared hopelessly at the ceiling. She allowed tears to flow freely from her eyes, not caring that she was ruining her makeup. She wished that she could go back in time and make the right decisions. After several minutes, she heard the voice of the makeup artist calling for her, but she ignored the woman, deciding that she would not leave the room till the wedding day was over. In the next few moments following, there was cacophonous pounding on the door of the bathroom, as family, friends and unknown voices attempted to lure her out of the bathroom. The tumultuous noise on the other side persisted, even when she refused to respond or open the door.

Suddenly, the loud knocking sounds on the bathroom door stopped abruptly, and the only sound Irene could hear, was the erratic thumping of her heart, as great dread befell her.

“Irene.” A familiar resonant voice called to her. It was Richard, and the voice, she had once considered alluring, seemed more deadly than a poisonous viper. “Enough of this childish behaviour. Come out now!” He commanded sternly, causing her heart to beat faster. He had never spoken that way to her in the past.

“I will not.” She responded. The whimper in her voice betrayed the fear she was feeling. “I know that this is not an ordinary marriage ceremony.” She hoped and prayed that Richard would deny her words and assure her that she was being delusional. However, after a few minutes of silence, he spoke up.

“This only makes things easier. At least I don’t have too much to explain.”  Irene felt chills all over her body as Richard confirmed her fears.

“The engagement ring on your finger was the first step. There is no turning back from this point.” He said with a chuckle that made goose bumps rise on Irene’s arms. She glared at the golden ring with a huge sparkling diamond stone and tried to take it off, but it didn’t budge. She twisted and pulled at it but it stayed glued to her finger.

“Open the door, Irene! Now!” Richard said in a fierce tone that felt to Irene, like a dagger piercing through her heart. “If you don’t, I will break it down! Irene! Irene!” He began to call out, raising his voice.

“Oh Lord, please help me. God! I need your help” Irene cried out desperately, as Richard began hitting the door. She shut her eyes, shaking in trepidation and silent cries to God.

“Irene… Irene!” She jumped when she suddenly heard Omotola’s voice from beside her. She opened her eyes and noticed that her surroundings were completely different, yet still quite familiar. She sat up on the bed of her university dormitory and saw Omotola staring closely at her with concern. She immediately looked at her ring finger and was relieved to see that it was empty.

She wiped the sweat off her face and hugged her friend and roommate. “Thank God it was all a dream.” She exclaimed.

“What sort of dream made you drench your pillow with sweat?” Omotola asked, rolling her eyes.

“It was a terrible nightmare that…” Irene was interrupted by a knock on the door. “Are you expecting anyone?” She asked and Omotola nodded. “Yes, I told you we were expecting a guest this morning. I don’t know why you overslept.

She opened the door to a very tall, handsome, and frighteningly familiar man. “Irene, this is the guy I’ve been wanting to introduce you to. His name is Richard.” Irene felt chills go down her spine.

“Hi Irene, it is a pleasure to meet you, my queen,” The deep familiar voice, made Irene scream and reflexively jump in a startled manner.

She looked around her and noticed that she was alone. She blinked as she slowly recognised the familiar walls of her room. This time, she had to pinch herself to ensure that she wasn’t dreaming. There was a knock on her door, and she held her breath, expecting the worst. To her utmost relief, it was her mother.

“Irene, are you okay? Why were you screaming? Were you having a bad dream again?” her mom asked. “I have told you that you need to pray more. Alright, get up and prepare for our morning devotion. We can discuss your dream afterwards.” Her mom said and shut the door without waiting for a response.

Irene looked around considering the words of her mother, as she deliberated why she had screamed so loud. She looked up and down as reality hit her…

She had completely forgotten the dream. Not even a trace of the dream came to mind.

She sighed and got off the bed, trying her best to recall what it was that had caused such a reaction. Another knock on her door caused her to jump reflexively. It was her mom again.

“Also, I forgot to tell you, last night, I got a call from Segun’s mom. She’s going to come with us to pick out the souvenirs for the wedding, so we need to hurry with our morning routine.” Irene nodded staring lovingly at the modest sterling silver ring Segun had given when he asked her to marry him. Somehow, the ring on her finger and plans for her wedding made her feel like she was forgetting something. After pondering on it for a few minutes to no avail, she shrugged, deciding it was nothing of importance. She went along with her mom, happily counting down to the day she would be married to her beloved fiancé.

Hope you enjoyed this short story with its twists and turns haha… I wrote this a few years ago, and only just revamped it, so I decided to share. Please tell me what you think.

Faith

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