A SHROUD OF DARKNESS

Chapter 2

As I laid on the bed struggling to sleep, my mind drifts back to that night…I had no idea how many days I’d been in the hospital. That dreadful night…I do not wish to remember but my memory cells as powerful as they are deprive me of some peace. The brain they say, has obtained mastery in soul torture by bringing into remembrance the most painful memories you wish to forget; and it’s even more difficult to control such circumstances when you have a powerful mind and a sharp memory…

As though I was reliving that horrid day, I could smell the sweet scent of his cologne as he approached my home.

Before he could knock I opened “Hi there handsome” I said smiling from ear to ear, eagerly waiting for his compliment, because I had taken extra care to look ravishing that fateful day. His jaw dropped once he set eyes on me.

“wow” he sighed out, “wow, Rose you look like you got fairy dust sprinkled all over you, you are sparkling like pure gold, your smile can bring a man to his knees, your eyes are…”

“Okay, okay Eben, we get it, that’s enough; save some of the compliments for tomorrow” , I interrupted laughing heartily. We exchanged a quick embrace, and I put my arm into his as we walked towards his car, a dark blue Nissan NP300 pickup. “But Nana Ama, I will never run out of compliments for you, you should know that” . Giving a shy smile, it was almost as though he blushed for a second.

I laughed and said, “I know Eben, thank you for the compliments; I’m glad you appreciate my effort to look extra pretty today”. He looked at me, gently cupping my face with his hand, stared into my eyes long enough to make me look away coyly; he smiled at me with his brightest smile yet and we drove off. It was my birthday, and Eben had promised me the best night ever! And oh boy! How I looked forward to it.

At this point you must be wondering…who the hell is Eben? Get ready for a narrative.

Eben Lumar is his name…the man…no, he does not deserve to be called a man…the beast who just ruined my life. He is my fiance, we were planning on getting married in the month of July next year, which is 10 months from now.

He proposed to me after 4 years of dating and I said yes! I loved him dearly, with every fiber of my being, and he loved me too…or so I thought. I wouldn’t describe myself as a committed Christian but I had principles which had guarded and guided my life from the day I began to understand the difference between right and wrong, the implications of actions versus consequences on the life of an individual.

I believed in God. Although I did not do “church”, I lived a chaste life; a life free from sexual sins in whatever size, shape and form they come. I was faithful and always truthful. One principle that kept me from falling into the trap of being used by men was “No sex before marriage”.

Yes, I was a virgin. I didn’t do clubs, or late night parties…in fact any party for that matter. It was my principle, to make sure not to put myself in any compromising situation in which my vulnerable self will be exposed to the “wolves in sheep clothing” ready to devour. I made sure to steer clear of any individuals who made sex before marriage seem like a normal thing to do, stayed away from men whose only topic in a conversation was about women and sex.

The good book said, "blessed is the man who does not sit with the wicked..." erm…"stand with deceivers...?" Oh something like that I'm not sure. Hey! don’t judge me, I'm no Bible scholar. Anyway, I was that blessed person the Bible talked about.