STORY: The Black Marriage - Episode 10...

THE BLACK MARRIAGE - EPISODE 10
Andy jerked Sonia’s hands away with so much force that her
hands hurt. He stood up looking totally confused and
alarmed.
“Jess, it is not what you think” he managed to put the
words together though he was totally devastated and
confused.
Jessica was not sure she could hear anything that was being
said. The scene before her was so frightening and she was
hearing loud screaming in her head. She was not sure what
was going on.
Sonia adjusted her cloth and jumped up. “Yes, it is what you
think Jessica. Your womanizing husband here was trying to
rape me”
“What?” Andy’s head rotated.
Jess was just frozen to the spot.
“I came in looking for you and all of a sudden he grabbed
me” she made a teary face.
“You are insane woman; what the hell is your game here?”
Andy was roaring and he wished he could beat the living
daylight out of the woman. He faced Jessica. “Jess, you
have to trust me. I can never do this to you; never”
“Oh yeah? Then tell me, why did you both do a one year
contract wedding then?” Jess gasped, now listening
attentively. How did Sonia know? Andy was bewildered. “You
did not want to marry the woman brought by your father
because you can’t bear being tied to a woman. You like the
idea of sampling every skirt that comes your way and that
is why you chose gentle and unappealing Jessica, while you
go on with your escapades with other girls”
“If you don’t cut this bull shit, I surely would lay my hands
on you”
“Oh, just like you were about doing before Jessica entered?”
Jessica felt this cold chill that would not go away. Her
blood seemed to freeze. “Tell me, is that not the reason
why you don’t stay in the house? You go out very early and
come back very late using work as a pretense, is that not
because you have concubines all over the country? You were
with a woman at Convy Hotel some days back, what were you
both doing? It must be the wild thing right?”
“What is all these? She is one of our major contractors”
Andy saw red at the infidelity accusation.
“Oh, really? I came majorly to talk with Jessica about this
but it is no longer necessary. Now I see that Jessica has her
eyes open and tries to dress appealingly so I would not be
surprised if you have gotten into her pants already”. Andy
did what he had never done before; he swung his hand and
slapped Sonia’s face so hard.
Jessica could take no more; she turned and fled the house.
“Jess… Jessica” Andy ran after her with his heart racing
with dread. He caught up with her and held her hand.
“Leave my hand” she yelled, snatching her hand forcefully.
He held her shoulders, forcing her to listen to him.
“Believe me Jess; I don’t know what is going on here. Sonia
came and-”
“And what? Jumped on you?” she laughed sarcastically. “You
know what Andy, I am done” the tears that she had been
guarding against started coming and she started rubbing
them away furiously. “I knew from the start that this was
a huge mistake. Yesterday, last night, this morning;
everything was a mistake. A stupid, irredeemable mistake,
but it is fine.”
“Jess please, don’t say that. Don’t do this” Andy pleaded
and his heart bled when he saw her furiously wipe away her
tears again.
“Don’t worry, I would not do anything or take anything. The
20 million; I don’t need it”
“Jess…”
Jessica started walking away, and then started running. The
waves of the hair she had just fixed bounced after her.
Andy was about to run after her when he remembered that
Sonia was still in the house. The anger that bubbled in him
was so intense that he charged into the house smashing the
flower vase that stood in his way. He searched the entire
house but did not see Sonia. She must have sneaked out
while the couple was arguing. He swallowed hard, still trying
to come to terms with what had just occurred. For the first
time in years, something new occurred in his life that
brought joy to his heart and it shattered before it even
begun. He grabbed his car keys and his shirt and left in
search of Jessica.

Jessica walked the side of the road as rain poured down. She
was just going like a robot. She was not sure if her brain
was working at all. Events of the past just replayed in her
head like the clips of a movie’s advert. This was not the
first time that she would find her man with her best friend.
The first man she ever dated her cheated on her with her
best friend. The horrifying scene of catching them in the
act flashed through her mind as she walked, oblivious to the
rain that had glued her cloth to her skin. Being left at the
altar and the death of her entire family still remained the
most horrifying of her entire life until this evening but as
she walked the sad road, she could not remember ever
feeling this broken in her entire life. Sonia’s words kept
coming and coming until she felt she was going to go crazy
but she just kept on walking. No part of her body felt alive
as she walked on the darkened and wet road, not even the
legs that carried her.
She did not know if she should put the blame on Sonia. She
had come visiting and almost got raped in the process. Tears
rolled down her cheeks ceaselessly but no one would have
noticed since the rain water was all over her face. Her purse
which she took to the saloon was clutched in her hand as
she held it like a weapon at her side. She had no idea where
she was going but she just went wherever her feet led her
to.
“Jessica”
Jessica heard her name being called but she did not even
think of answering. She just went her way. Andy came out
of the car, leaving it at the middle of the road. He had been
searching for some time, moving the car slowly in order not
to miss her and had become apprehensive and terribly
worried when the rain had started.
“Jessica, Oh my God” he murmured as he ran after her in
the rain. Within seconds, he was also wet due to the
velocity of the heavy rain. He got to her in no time but she
would not stop walking. It was as if she could neither see
nor hear him. “Jessica please, for the Love of God, stop
this. Don’t hurt yourself like this” Jessica was shivering as
she walked but she did not even seem to notice that she
was shivering.
“I am so sorry Jess but please, let me take you home” he
held her hand. “Please”
She turned her head sharply as his hand touched her. “Get
your filthy hands off me this minute” Andy did not let her
go. “Home?” she asked. “Which home? I have no home” she
shivered. “Especially not in your house”.
“Please Jess, even if you are going to hate me, I would not
leave you out here like this.”
“Well, it is not in your place to make decisions for me, you
don’t have the right and you never will” she fought to keep
her clattering teeth in place. “Why can’t you leave me
alone? What did I ever do to offend the world” she cried
furiously. The cars were busy blasting horns and raining
curses as they bypassed Andy’s car but Andy did not hear any
of it.
“Sweetheart I…” he paused. “Jess, please, I know it is hard
for you to trust me now but please let me get you out of
this rain, please…”
“No… I said no”
Andy breathed deep and scooped her in his hands. She
started fussing and yelling and the cars passing started
looking suspicious. He took her straight to the car, holding
her effortlessly but firmly though she struggled. When they
got to the car, he put her down and stared straight at her.
“I would take you anywhere you want to go Jess but I can’t
leave you here. It is either you go with me or we both stay
here in the rain. Please”
Jessica swallowed and entered the car slowly. The chill was
getting to her bones and she was not sure she could stand
anymore. She had expended all her energy. When Andy got
behind the wheels, she looked outside the window. “Take me
to Lizzy’s place.”
Andy breathed deeply and started the engine. His heart
ached terribly as he saw her shivering uncontrollably. There
was no cloth at all in the car that he could use to cover
her. He was cold too but he knew that he could handle
himself. He turned up the heater to the highest and turned
the fans in Jess’ direction. He quenched every desire to talk
and explain things. He did not want to upset her more. He
was greatly relieved when her shivering reduced a bit.
Silence reigned in the car as Andy drove to Lizzy’s house. On
getting there, Jessica did not even give room for any
discussion. She said ‘thanks’, alighted and hurried into the
house in the rain which was no longer as heavy as it was
before. She pounded Lizzy’s door, waiting for the door to
open. She heard Lizzy murmuring something inside and her
anger grew. The door opened and Lizzy’s expression changed
to extreme surprise.
“What? Jessie, what are you-”
Jessica’s fist swung and connected with Lizzy’s face. “How
could you? I trusted in you because you were smart enough
to detect that something was not right between Andy and I.
I opened up and told you everything, how could you then
tell Sonia about this? I thought you promised never to tell
anyone.” Jessie’s eyes shot fire.
“Whoa Jessie” the slap still stunned her but she pulled
Jessica inside and slammed the door. “You are speaking
Chinese. I did not tell anyone anything”
“Oh great. Now the world is full of liars”
“Now Jessie, I am serious. I cross my heart. If I weren’t a
good Christian, I would have sworn. I did not tell anyone
anything”
“But Sonia knows” Jessica knew Lizzy was not lying but she
had no idea how Sonia would have known of the contract.
Lizzy was someone who was very transparent and anyone
would see through her if she was lying.
“She must have found out somehow or from someone but
definitely not from me” Lizzy was alarmed. “What is going
on Jessie? You are really scaring me. You look like a terrified
dripping cat”
“I just want to sleep Lizzy. I want to sleep so that my head
can stop spinning” Jessica swallowed, not willing to cry.
Lizzy looked at her critically and decided to wait till the
next day before she found out what really happened.
“OK. Come and get rid of this cloth. Did I mention that you
are looking very sexy in this dress?” Lizzy said, trying to
make Jessica smile a bit but when Jessica fought back tears
instead of smiling, she knew that something was terribly
wrong with her and all her instincts pointed at Andy.

Jessica lay on Lizzy’s bed feeling shattered. Her life just
seemed to go from one point of disaster to the other. She
wondered why this occurrence seemed to be more painful,
compared to the other problems that she had had to face in
her life. Her head ached terrifyingly and she groaned. Tears
kept coming and coming. She had been able to maintain a ‘no
crying’ stance for a long time but in just one night, she
had cried immensely. The tears came but she had no
strength to wipe it off.
She had surrendered her most precious gift to Andy,
something that she had treasured, something that she had
refused to give her past lovers. Thinking of how everything
had shattered was so alarming. Everything had been a
charade. Just a surface charade to get past her pants. But
even though Jessica wanted to make herself believe that it
had also been a charade for her and that she did not have
any attachment with Andy, she knew that it was a lie. Andy
had been part of her every thought ever since she met him,
which was one of the reasons why she detested him. She
had detested him for being a man and had used her hate or
dislike to her advantage but his late nights always got to
her, terribly. She always found herself wondering what he
was doing and with whom. He almost did not notice her and
it hurt her feminine ego. Dressing differently had almost
nothing to do with Andy’s father; she had only used that as
an excuse.
Please
When she had gone to bed with him, it hadn’t been because
she was married to him, it was because she really wanted to
give him that gift. She had wanted him to have it, but
now, it turned out to be the worst mistake she ever made.
Why did she always have to develop feelings for the wrong
people? Why was life so unfair? Why did she have to cry over
and over again?
Lizzy entered with a plate of hot rice and stew and Jessica
quickly wiped her face but Lizzy did not miss it. Lizzy was
not terribly worried. She could not pinpoint ever seeing
Jessica cry. She noticed that the hot tea she had given to
Jessica earlier was barely touched.
“Jessie, please tell me what is wrong? You are scaring me o”
Lizzy said as she sat on the bed.
Jessie smiled faintly and intentionally digressed. “Are you
not sleeping yet?”
“You look famished so I fixed you something. Come on, get
up”
Jessie shook her head slowly. “I am not sure I can take
anything”
“You don’t have to be sure, just try. You would feel better
after eating”
“I am not sure if I would be better Liz” Jessie blinked
severally.
Lizzy was touched deeply as she dropped the food, seeing
Jessie struggle with threatening tears. “You can cry Jessie,
it eases the pain. Come here” she pulled Jessie into her arms
and Jessica could not hold back her tears again as she cried
her heart out.
“I just want to die Lizzy…” she cried. “I want to die… Life
is worthless”
“Oh sweetie” Lizzy breathed almost moved to tears by
Jessica’s pain. It was now that Lizzy wished that Paulina
was there. Paulina would have used her motherly attitude to
handle this situation. It was obvious to Lizzy that Andy and
Sonia were involved in whatever was wrong but she also had
a feeling that Jessica had developed feelings for Andy. She
knew a woman in love when she saw one.

THE BLACK MARRIAGE – EPISODE 11 COMING SOON…