Ghost wedding
Episode 4
Sonia called her mother on phone, telling her she and Steve would return two days later. She was so happy and called on Henry to come and listen to their conversation, she turned on the phone speaker to enable Henry hear every bit of the conversation. To Henry’s amazement, he heard nothing sound coming from the phone speaker, but his mother was smiling and laughing at the conversation between she and Sonia. The call ended and Henry expressed his shock.
“Mum, why were you laughing and smiling. And you were responding as though you were talking with someone?”.
“Are you okay Henry? It seems to me you nee-d a psychiatrist. Do you mean to say you weren’t hearing Sonia speaking on the phone? A conversation I had to turn on the phone speaker to be loud and clear, something I heard so clearly?. My son, this is not ordinary, I think I have to call a psychiatrist before this gets out of hands”. His angry replied him.
“Mummy”. He called in a sober tone. “plea-se, don’t be offended. I know you may find it difficult to believe me, but it is the truth. I’m not insane, I know what I’ve been seeing lately. Believe me mum, I heard nothing from you people’s conversation. Something happened today in my office”.
At this point, his mother was calm and was re-ady to listen to him. “What happened son?”. She asked.
“Mum, you won’t believe what I saw today in the office”. Henry told his mom.
“What did you see this time around? You always see things”.
“Mum, this is no jokes, though I decided not to tell you things I see anymore. But the more I tried to keep them to myself, the more pressure I get to say them out. Today in my office, I felt very pressed. But instead of using the office restrooms, I don’t even know the f0rç£ that pushed me and decided to use an uncompleted building behind my office. I saw something like a ghost. She just stood there staring at me, mum, she looks so much like Sonia”. His mum cuts in immediately.
“God forbid, Chukwu aju. Can’t be my daughter, come Henry, you are beginning to annoy me with all this your hallucinations. Don’t you come to me anyday to tell me such ru-bbish again. My daughter and Steve will return safe and sound. I’ve told you to st©p all this hallucinating Henry, it is beginning to upset me seriously. When your father returns from his journey, he has to take you to a psychiatrist. Thank goodness he will return tomorrow”. She got up and left Henry still seated.
“No one is believing me, everyone thinks I’m mad. I love my sister and wants her alive, but I have to say the things I see”. He echoed as his mom walks away. Sonia’s room is next to hers, while she was trying to open the door to her room. The door to Sonia’s room opened and closed itself with a heavy f0rç£ and she was terribly afraid.
Similar situation has been pla-ying out in Steve’s house, where his mother and sister has been on loggerheads over the things she sees. Henry appears to her more than Sonia appears to Henry.
She walked up to her mum to talk to her once again, the things she’s been seeing. And this time, her brother was around with the mom as she was on phone with Steve. Abigail was surprised seeing her mum talking, laughing and demonstrating like someone who has gone mad. Her brother also laughing and contributing to the conversation once in a while, it appeared the phone was placed on speaker to allow him be p@rt of the conversation. But Abigail heard no sound coming from the phone, she sat in awe and allowed them finish with the conversation.
When they were done discussing, the mom turned to her.
“Madam seer, why are you looking like someone who just saw a ghost? I hope you heard all we discussed with Steve your brother?”.
A surprised Abigail was too shocked to say anything, she sat and was b!tt!g her f!ngers-xpressing her shock.
“What is wrong with you?”. Maurice, her brother asked. “Is everything okay? Ain’t you happy Steve will be coming back in two days time?”. He asked, yet Abigail answered nothing.
“This attitude of yours is beggining to upset me Abigail, honestly I no longer find it funny. How will you be acting like someone who has gone mad?. The mother asked angrily as she bur-sted into tears. “It is time you st©pped all these, else I will be f0rç£d to take you to a psychiatrist.
Maurice moved close to his mom and held her, telling her to st©p crying as he vented his anger on Abigail.
“I can see you are loosing your mind, this strange behavior of yours will have to st©p. If you do not st©p, I will help you st©p it. St©p acting like a mad woman, st©p ma-king everyone feel uncomfortable in this house. I won’t warn you again”. He turned to his mom and wiped her tears with his hands. “It’s okay mom, st©p crying. I will handle the situation before it gets out of hands”.
While he was still speaking, the door that leads to Steve’s room opened and closed with a heavy f0rç£ and everyone looked terribly shocked. She quic-kly opened her door and rushed into her room
Sonia’s father returned the next day and his wife told him all She’s been going throu-gh with Henry. She told him everything as they sat on the be-d discussing.
“Henry have been giving me so much fears since you traveled, he’s been acting very strange”.
“What has he been doing or acting?”. He asked.
“He’s been telling me he sees Sonia appearing to him on several occasions. He even claimed she spoke with him some days back”.
“This is not funny at all, has he gone insane or what? Don’t worry, I will talk with him in the morning. Even though I’ve dreamt a number of times seeing Sonia appearing to me in a white apparel, but I take them as just dreams. I will talk with Henry and know what his problem is”.
“plea-se do, you really nee-d to talk with him. What you’ve been having are mere dreams, you are missing your daughter, that’s all”. She answered him.
He smiled and held her hand. “I think you are right, I’ve really missed my baby girl. I’ve been in t©uçh with them, and I’m happy they will return tomorrow”. He said smiling and holding her close to him to begin the act of be-droom, when they heard same sound on Sonia’s door. With footsteps walking around the corridor, but they waved it, thinking it was Henry. Then they got into the act of husband and wife.
The next day, Steve and Sonia returned. But Henry was observing a different Steve and Sonia from the ones he used to know.
It’s been two weeks since Sonia and Steve returned from their journey and so many strange things have happened in both Sonia and Steve’s house. One fateful afternoon, Sonia had gone out to see Steve, Henry and his mother were discussing in the sitting room when they noticed something strange.
“I’ve been noticing some strange behavior from Sonia since she c@m£ back from the journey with Steve. So many things about have changed, she acts very strange and funny sometimes”. Said Henry, Sonia’s brother.
“You are right son, I’ve been having some bad dreams lately, especially since the day she left on that trip with Steve. I saw them involved in a ghastly autocrash, but I prayed against it. I even called her and told them to be prayerful. Since she c@m£ back, I’ve equally been noticing so many strange things.
The other day, I wanted her to help me do something in the kitchen. So I went to her room to wake her up, she was de-eply asleep, I had to tap her severally before she got up. What surprised and scared me most was that I didn’t br@nch anywhere, I went straight to the kitchen from her room. Guess what Henry, Sonia was alre-ady in the kitchen before I got there”.
“Hmmm! Mum, I’ve seen worst than that”.
“I am beginning to get worried, I think we nee-d to see a spiritualist”. His mum told him.
“It hasn’t gotten to that mum, let’s still observe her some more”.
While they discussed, they both felt a heavy f0rç£ around. A shadow walked throu-gh their middle, because they sat opposite each other. They sat staring at each other in shock, she was beginning to reason with Henry.
Episode 5
Remember it is for better for worse, in life or in death. Nothing shall separate us from one another, I love you with everything in me, I am re-ady to be with you always”. Steve told Sonia, as they sat discussing in Steve’s room.
“I can’t have another better than you Steve, I’m glad we still found ourselves together in this new world. You are my everything, I loved you in the past world, I love you in this world and will continue to love you if there’s another world after this”. Sonia replied.
“We nee-d to act a little like humans, seems they are beginning to notice we are not”. Steve said
“Yes, you are right. Our marriage is the paramount thing here, the only reason we c@m£ back. After that, we shall return to the world we belong. But we have to be joined together here before going back to our world. We have to act like humans, you are right”. Answered Sonia.
Abigail no longer says what she sees, because others have started having a glimpse of what she was talking about. Likewise Henry, he no longer says anything, his mom especially have been seeing things. It bec@m£ clear to everyone what Henry and Abigail have been saying all along.
One month gone since Steve and Sonia c@m£ back from their journey and a lot has happened. Everyone in both families had seen things that got them scared at one point or another. The preparation for their marriage got intensed, announcements were made in television stations, radio stations and print media outlets. It was a marriage ceremony that would bring together the high and mighty in the society, t©p government dignitaries and people from all works of life.
One afternoon, Steve’s mother paid Sonia’s a visit to tell her most of the things that’s been going on in her house. Both love birds were supposed to be at their working places at the time, Sonia had left the house in the morning for work, same as Steve. But She (Steve’s mom), left them both at her house, they had returned and said they were both given permission to go and continue their marriage preparations. So she left them at home for Sonia’s house to discuss with her mom.
She got the greatest shock of her life when she got there. While she was about entering the house, Steve and Sonia were walking out putting on different clothes from the ones they wore when she left them about an hour ago. They wouldn’t have gotten there before her, because she was sure she drove straight to Sonia’s house, br@nching nowhere. She stared at them in shock as they walked pas-s them as they greeted her.
She got into the house shivering, Sonia’s mom noticed appeared shocked and shivery. She walked to her, held her and helped her to sit. She tried finding out from her what the problem was, but she remained shocked saying nothing. Then she allowed her to relax and come back to herself. After about an hour, she was stable and then they talked.
“What is it my in-law? You appeared very shocked when you walked in here, what is the problem?”. Asked Sonia’s mother.
Steve’s mom, looking around the house, still a little in shock spoke in a very low tone. “I saw Steve and Sonia walking out while I was entering the house”.
“Yes, they’ve been here since morning, though Sonia left for work this morning, but I was shocked to notice they were home. I personally locked the doors and went into my room, later on I started hearing voices coming from their room. When I checked, they were the ones. I’m still wondering how they entered when everywhere was locked”. She answered in shock as well.
“You mean they’ve been in this house?”. Steve’s mother asked again in shock. “Yes my sister, they just left few minutes ago”. Sonia’s mom reaffirmed.
“I simply do not un-derstand what is going on my in-law, Steve and Sonia c@m£ back to my house, claiming they were told to go and continue their marriage preparations by their offices. They c@m£ back since morning and have been in the house, as a matter of fact, I left them at home coming here. This whole thing is becoming scary, so scary. My house is has been like a horror zone lately, at nights mostly you’ll be hearing Steve discussing and laughing alone”.
“My sister, same thing is going on in my house. It has been a different Sonia since she c@m£ back from her journey. Just yesterday, I was seated here fixing my nails. She walked pas-s me, but didn’t greet unlike her. My head was still bent to my legs as I was busy with the fixing. I noticed her heels where not tou-ching the ground, I remember when we were little children, we were told it is only spirits that does that. Me I am confused oooo, I don’t even know what to do and my husband is not always around”. Sonia’s mom added.
“Oh! You too have noticed that? Hmmm, I don’t want to believe what I’m thinking, and I also don’t want to believe what my daughter Abigail was saying before and when they traveled. Because their attitudes are justifying her fears”. A shaky Steve’s mom added.
“My son Henry don’t even want to listen to me again expressing such fears, because he was always saying the things he saw and I kept shutting him up. My sister, let’s continue observing them. And their wedding is one month away”.
Henry wasn’t home at the time of Steve’s mother’s visit, it was just the two ladies at home. Sonia and Steve had gone out as it was clear to them. Yet, while they were discussing, sounds and voices were coming from Sonia’s room. The women summoned courage to find out what was going on in the room, they discovered Steve and Sonia in the room. Both ladies took to their heels, struggling who gets out of the house first.
After the incident, Steve and Sonia bec@m£ calm, they no longer acts strange. They acted like humans and the tension doused for a little period of time.
Andrew is the man who sat next to Steve and Sonia during the journey and one of the survivors. He remembered all that transpired and could recognize both Steve and Sonia anywhere he sees them. One fateful evening, he was in his house watching TV. An announcement was made about a forthcoming wedding and pictures were displa-yed. To his greatest shock, it was Steve and Sonia’s pictures. As confused and shocked as he was, he couldn’t pick the d@t£ and venue of the wedding. But prayed it is announced another day.
“I remember these two very well, we were in the same vehicle together in that journey. Even sat next to each other. They were so pla-yful, that was even what drew my attention to them. Yes, I heard him call her Sonia and she called him Steve. I also remembered they were buried in a mas-s grave alongside other casualties when no one c@m£ to identify their corpses. I attended that burial from the hospital where I was treated of the little injuries I sustained. How come they will be getting married? Is this a dream or something? I pray this announcement is made again”. A confused Andrew said to himself.
Episode 6
Days and weeks went by, calm returned to the families of Sonia and Steve. They acted calmly and the preparations for their wedding went on as usual. The venue for the reception was sorted out, invitation cards were distributed to friends, relations and colleagues. Announcements were made in television stations, radio stations and the print media twice everyday.
By this time, Andrew had gotten the d@t£ and venue for the wedding and was eagerly waiting for the said d@t£ to come.
Henry got home one evening and decided to speak with Sonia his sister about their wedding preparations. But he noticed something strange that struck him. (Dream sequence).
“Baby sis”. He called smiling. “Yes big brother”. Sonia answered with a bright smile on her face, revea-ling the dimples on her cheeks.
“How far have you guys gone with the preparation? I hope the invitation cards are still remaining? Most of my friends have not gotten”.
“Yes big brother, we have more than enough to share. You have truly been there for us, God will bless you richly”. She paused, shook her head and tears rolled down her face.
“What is the matter Sonia, is everything okay?”. Henry asked.
“I wish we could be together forever, we have limited time here and our time is not far from now”. She said still crying.
Henry, confused and lost. “You are scaring me and I don’t like it. What are you talking about? What time are you talking about? plea-se make me un-derstand.
“I love you Henry, when the time is right, you will un-derstand. But be strong and know that I will always love you, in my new world, I wish to still have you as my brother”.
Henry, getting more confused and tensed responded. “I honestly don’t un-derstand what you are talking about, I really don’t and wish not to un-derstand. What new world are you talking about Sonia? This joke is an expensive one, just st©p it”. He made to get hold of her to make her st©p crying, but he felt nothing. He tried to hold her but couldn’t. “What is going on Sonia?”. He asked apprehensively.
“When the time is right, you will un-derstand. When the time is right, you will un-derstand. When the time is right, you will un-derstand”. It kept echoring until Henry woke up.
He woke up and ruminated over the the dream.
“I don’t un-derstand this at all. What is actually going on? The more I try to un-derstand what is going on, the more confused I get. Hmmmmm! Anyways, time shall tell”. He was lost in thought, not knowing his phone had rang severally. It was Abigail, Steve’s sister calling. When he saw the missed calls, he dialled her.
“Hello Henry, been calling you”. She said. “Yeah, so sorry my dear, been slee-ping”. Henry answered. “How are you?”. He asked.
“I’m fine Henry, there’s something I’d really like us to discuss. When will you be chanced?”. She asked.
“Can we see this evening? If that’s okay by you?”. Replied Henry.
“Okay, this evening will be fine. Let’s meet at the eatery close to my house”.
“It’s ok Abigail, when I’m leaving the house, I’ll let you know so you can start coming”. Henry answered.
“It’s ok Henry, I’ll be expecting your call”. She said and ended the call.
– Later in the evening –
They met at the eatery as agreed, Henry got there before Abigail who arrived few minutes after Henry’s arrival.
“Welcome Abigail”. Henry said, pu-lling out a chair for her to sit. “Thank you Henry”. She answered as she sat.
Henry ordered for cu-ps of ice cream for them, it was heat period and they nee-ded something chilled. They got discussing.
“Thank you Henry for coming”. Abigail said as she sips from her cu-p of ice cream. “You welcome dear, I had to come because I actually nee-ded to see you as well”. Responded Henry.
“That’s nice”. Said Abigail. “The reason I called you here is this. You know in our different families, you and I are seen as people that are insane. They don’t believe in anything we say, especially when Steve and Sonia wanted embarking on that journey. Last night, I had a dream where Steve told me strange things”. She paused to look round if anyone was close listening and Henry paid more attention hearing her said he (Steve) told her strange things in her dream.
“I was discussing with Steve in my dream and he told me they (Sonia and him) only returned to finalize their wedding preparations, that they would be returning to their world after the wedding”. Henry couldn’t hold himself, as he interrupted.
“Are you for real Abigail?”. He asked expressing shock. “Yes I am, responded Abigail.
“Hmmmm, this is strange. I had same dream. As a matter of fact, I was in that dream when you were calling. That was why I didn’t answer you until I got up from sleep. My sister Sonia told me same thing in my dream. Abigail, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”.
“Henry, if I tell you that I’m not confused, then I’ll be lying to you. How come you and I are always getting similar or same revelation or seeing same things? Steve told me in the dream that “when the time comes, I will un-derstand”.
“Hmmmmmm! What is going on? That was the last thing Sonia said to me before I woke up. As a matter of fact, the words kept echoring even after I’d woken up”. A shocked Henry said.
“Like they said, when the time comes, we will un-derstand. Let’s wait for the time to come”.
“Yeah, waiting for the said time”. Henry answered as they had their ice cream and other things before leaving.
Tbc….