All Men Are Devils
Just returning from Prophetess Rebecca who was known to everyone as, "Mother-In-Israel", Sister Victoria Caleb was convinced there was a revelation about her life. In fact, she likened prophetess Rebecca to the Biblical Apostle Paul, one of the greatest men of God who won souls for the Lord.
Earlier that day, Prophetess Rebecca had narrated what she described as the revelation into what the future had in stock for Victoria, a 32-year-old unmarried woman. The Prophetess had told her she saw a very lanky and fair complexioned man beside her, fixing a wedding ring onto her finger. Through this vision, the Prophetess claimed God said that Victoria's future husband would be a very lanky and fair complexioned man. Having searched for a man without success ten years after her graduation and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Victoria searched desperately for a man to marry.
"This one is finished, she will not get a man," neighbours said to her hearing.
The more she heard these words, the more desperate she became. She went from prophets to prophetesses. And finally she found Prophetess Rebecca, a short fat woman who people believed could see vision and revelation about people's future. Then, the Prophetess told her the features of the man to look out for.
One day, Victoria Caleb went to the staff canteen in the company where she worked as an accountant. She ordered a plate of pounded yam and bush meat with Okra soup. As she settled down to eat, her eyes caught a fair-complexioned lanky man who was eating in front of her table.
Her heartbeat rate increased. "Hm! What a handsome guy?" she thought. She began eating. Her heart was beating more rapidly. "Can he be the one that was prophesied?" she asked herself.
The young man looked at her for a moment. He realized she had been stealing some glances at him. "Maybe she is interested in me," he thought. Then, he smiled at her. She responded rather quickly. And the young man got the message. He then tried to open a channel for conversation.
"I am Tolani.... What's your name?" he asked.
"I am Victoria," she answered.
"I am a chief executive officer with Wolwex International Consortium. Our company's canteen didn't open today, so I came here to eat," he said.
"I am an accountant here," she said.
Gradually, the two opened up more to each other and exchanged complimentary cards. They left the canteen afterwards and went back to their offices. Back at her desk, Victoria's mind was not at peace. She continued to see the mental picture of the lanky and fair complexioned man prophesied by Prophetess Rebecca. She placed this side by side with that of Toluene's features. She seemed convinced that she had seen the right man who was prophesied.
She could not work in the office again. Her mind began to move through the streets. She held Tolani's complimentary card, looked again. Oh, she thought of what to do earnestly. She would quickly go to the bus stop and pretend not to be expecting him and seek a ride in his car. The best thing she thought was to abandon her own car and pretend it had a fault.
Before closing time at 4 o'clock, she stepped out of her office gingerly with her shoes. She was at the bus stop right on time. Other workers began to file out and drive out shortly afterwards. Tolani got into his car, ignited it and sped out. Right in front of him at the bus stop was Victoria holding on tight to her handbag. He stopped the car near her and pressed a knob to roll down the glass of the car.
The Meeting
"How far are you going?" Tolani asked Victoria.
"I am going down the H Street Avenue," Victoria answered.
"Come right in. I'll take you there."
She hopped inside, feeling relieved as her mind wondered whether the prophesy would come through. Tolani pressed the accelerator and drove out of sight. As he sped on they began to converse, starting from where they stopped earlier in the day at the Staff Canteen.
By the time they got into a traffic bottleneck, they had ample time to talk. Victoria was now convinced that Tolani was her future husband whom Prophetess Rebecca claimed she had seen in her vision. She even found out Tolani was a bachelor. And he was 33 years old.
"Why should I return to my house, and why not have a day out in his apartment?" She asked herself.
"I live around here," said Tolani.
"Really?" she asked.
"That's my house," he said pointing to a blue house along the street. "Do you mind if I quickly drop my bags before taking you home?" he asked.
"That's alright!"
Tolani stopped and was struggling to carry the bags. "Oh, let me help you with one of them," she volunteered.
She carried a bag and both of them walked in. Victoria thought that her plan was working at least to fulfill the prophetess' revelation. Within minutes, the two of them ended in Tolani's sitting room. She placed the bag down and sat on the chair.
"What can I offer you?" asked Tolani as he opened his refrigerator.
"Anything!"
He brought out some orange juice and served her. Tolani's mind too was calculating on how to make Victoria sleep in his house that night. At least she walked into his house on her volition.
Unknown to him, Victoria was perfecting her plans. She would not want to return to her house that night if it meant she could solidify the relationship with her new found man. Somehow, they chatted until it became clear that Tolani was snoring on the other side. By the time Tolani woke up, he found her washing plates in his kitchen.
"Where do you keep your rice?" She asked and was ready to cook. Victoria made the dinner and they ate together. By now, it was as if the two of them had been living together for months. It was glaring she was going to sleep in Tolani's house. She did. And both of them clustered to each other until morning.
This was how Victoria began to live with Tolani, and both of them lived like husband and wife. Everyone who saw them moving and living together wondered how it all began and where the relationship would lead them. Six months after, both of them agreed to marry each other. The wedding day was fixed. Since both of them had good jobs, it was easy preparing for the marriage. Cards were printed and circulated amongst friends, relations, associates and well-wishers.
The friends of the groom had gathered for the bachelor's eve. They swore they would soak Tolani's dresses with bottles of beer and champagne. On the eve of the wedding, Tolani's friends gathered to celebrate his exit from bachelorhood.
With them was Dupe, Victoria's best friend who came to the party with her own boyfriend, Olu. Bottles of beer flowed freely at the party and people danced the night away. The music oozing out of the giant speakers could deafen ears, but they all danced undauntedly.
At about 2 in the morning, Dupe walked up to Tolani and requested that they dance together.
The Wicked Dance
Both of them went to the dancing floor and began to dance to some old songs of Boys To Men. They danced and the rhythm of the music changed. They held on to each other and began to dance. As they danced, they conversed together - rather intimately.
"You men can be very funny", said Dupe.
"What do you mean?" asked Tolani.
"Sometimes, you people do not know your worth", She said. "Someone as handsome as you with a good job, ... following Victoria. Don't you know her story?" she asked.
"What story?" he demanded.
"Her mother is a terrible and stubborn woman. She is very strange and that's why men have been running away from her too. Her father ran away from her mother. Is it you that should carry someone else's problems? Anyway, do not say I told you," she pleaded.
"Really? I've never heard this before."
"How can you hear when you do not have your ears to the ground?" she asked. "Let's go out to talk more. This music is too loud for my ears."
The two of them held each other's hands and walked out. They left the glare of the people, sat near a hedge of flowers and began to talk. Tolani's friends looked for him but did not see him. Dupe's boyfriend could not locate her. He left the party with dismay. In the end, with his mind now poised, Tolani made up his mind. He left the bachelor's eve holding Dupe's hand. He did not go home directly. He left for the BLUE CHIP HOTEL with Dupe.
By 10 o'clock in the morning, the wedding bell began to toll. Victoria arrived in her flowing wedding gown, veil and hand gloves. She had waited for Dupe, her best lady and did not see her. She thought she would meet Dupe in the Church. The choir had gathered together, singing to entertain the congregation in anticipation of the groom. Forty-five minutes later, the groom was nowhere to be found. The officiating pastor was in the vestry waiting. News began to filter around that no one had seen the groom. After waiting for two hours and the groom and the best lady did not arrive, the guests and congregation began to leave one after the other saying, "they have tried their best."
"Can you imagine this world, how can a groom fail to come to his wedding?" people asked in hush tones. Victoria felt so bad. She had lost her senses. She escaped from the Church and headed home without waiting to be driven by a vehicle. She felt ashamed.
From Wedding to Calamity
Rumours had filtered to her at the church that they saw Dupe holding hands with Tolani at the bachelor's eve. "All men are devils," she said in her mind as she carried a keg of gasoline in her kitchen.
She recalled the story her own mother told her that that was what her father did after he impregnated her mother several years back.
She brought out matches and set herself ablaze. Her friends who had been looking for her as she sneaked out of the church chased her home and found she had set herself ablaze. Her wedding gown was burning right on her body. Her friends could not believe this tragic sight. They quickly brought buckets of water and began to pour on her.
"No, leave me alone. Let me die. All men are devils. Leave me alone," she pleaded as her skin was peeling off. However, they succeeded in putting the fire out and later rushed Victoria to a clinic for treatment. The hospital gave her first aid treatment for the burns and requested that she should be flown to London for plastic surgery. Victoria's office volunteered to send her abroad.
"All men are devils," she continued to utter to everyone who called to visit her in the hospital. A week later, she was flown to London for treatment. Victoria was in London for three month for treatment. The plastic surgery went well and she was later taken for psychological treatment and counseling. It was during the counseling that she met Dr. Calixthus Lewis a professor of physics in London. Dr. Lewis was a friend of Dr. Lawrence Lawan, the psychologist. Lewis was regularly checking Victoria in the hospital. He brought flowers and gifts to her. Victoria later returned to Nigeria and settled down to her job. Dr. Lewis kept visiting her every two months. And one day, he proposed to her. He swore to her that he loved her.
"Not all men are devils," he affirmed. But Victoria would not believe him until she suddenly found herself wedding at the altar. There was no fun fare, no flamboyant and elaborate wedding. It was in the same church where Tolani was supposed to wed her few years ago. She danced, praising God to high heavens as Dr. Lewis held her hand and knelt down for prayers before Pastor Okiki Kilowa.
"Hm ... is this my life?" she asked herself silently, rejoicing. "Not all men are devils after all," she affirmed. The day she flew to London with her husband, her mind flashed back to prophetess Rebecca. She realized her fake prophesy almost ruined her life. She vowed to pray fervently and trust in God.
©2002 StoriesByEmail.com
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