Disclaimer: this story is non fiction, no harm or offence is meant to any tribe.
So I fell in love with a woman from the Southern part of Nigeria, prior to my marriage with her. I was warned by my mother not to have anything to do with any lady from the tribe. I wish i had listened.
Itohan meant life to me. I was obsessed with her. I practically worshiped the ground she walked on but how was I to know it would be my doom. She had this quiet and easygoing personality which drew me closer to her. We met at the coronation of a new Oba of Benin. I had earlier declined the offer to attend the event with my uncle who had a close relationship with the royal family. I believed fate made me change my mind to eventually attend the ceremony.
We dated for about five months shortly after our first encounter at the Coronation ceremony. And I wasted no time in engaging her to become my wife. I wanted no one else to snatch her from me. I even boasted to my friends how I was blessed with the best woman who gave me no issues but as events played out later, I blamed myself for the things that happened.
On the 25th day of April 2014, I got married and Itohan became Mrs Itohan Okpara. I made my mother welcome her into the family against her earlier wish and made my lovely wife, my next of kin and power of attorney. I trusted her without fault. Things took a turn for the bad, when I came back home from work a certain day and found my nkem passionately involved with another man on the couch in our home. It was the first image fate opportune me to sight on my arrival back home. Without thinking, I lurched for the stool beside a couch. And i threw it on the man’s head while my wife ran upstairs. With the rage, I stormed out and bothered not to check on the man I had hit earlier.
Some officers came with my wife the next day to one of my houses in the village. I was arrested as a suspect for the murder of one Anthony Daura. The case lingered for a period of 6 months. The deceased turned out to be the man I earlier hit with the stool but I was given a minimal sentence, thanks to my good lawyer. Coming out of the prison walls, I went back to the house I built with sweat and I was told the madam asked for me not to be allowed in. Itohan locked me out of my home and also transferred everything I owned to her name and flew out of the country.
What crime did I ever commit by falling in love with Itohan?
Peace Ikhielea
