As Mrs Righteous Green turned into another intersection on the road, the car trailing her followed from a safe distance.
She was still in deep thought, remembering the day her foolishness started. Her driving became sort of an automated running through the motions.
---
Righteous agreed with the statement from her father. She loved Henry deeply. Her feelings for him had a profound effect on her, even to the extent that her pulse sped up at the mere thought of him.
He was her first love, her first experience at the game called love, and she couldn't help but feel like she'd been reborn into a new world. A world that could only exist as a fantasy. Her own perfect, happily-ever-after fairy tale.
Oh, but this was no game. No fantasy. It was as real as the skin covering her bones.
Henry latched onto her thoughts ninety percent of the time. She once contemplated that she could be obsessed with him. Even if that were the case, which she believed it wasn't, she wasn't sure of what she would do about it because she never wanted the feelings she'd developed for him to taper.
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"Your mother and I were so happy for you for falling in love. We became more pleased when you confided in your mother and explicitly told her that you've never had any sexual relations with Henry," her father continued.
"We believed you, not just because you told us but because we can still see the innocence we saw in you prior to your relationship with him."
That statement from her father was also true. At the start of her relationship with Henry, she'd told him in no uncertain terms that she wanted no sex before marriage.
She had also told him that she wanted to live that way because it was part of her moral standards and her Christian conviction.
That was when she noticed the surprised look on his face and how it had morphed into eagerness to hastily marry her.
Without a waste of time or any engagement ring in hand, he had dropped on his knees, proposing marriage to her, telling her how much he loved her and how he would die without her in his life. He had implored her to say yes, promising that he would immediately rush off to buy her an engagement ring that same moment. A gorgeous engagement ring. Silver, gold or diamond. Henry asked her to name her choice, telling her that her wish was his command.
She didn't detect any negative signal from his abrupt behavior, only that the moment made her feel special, wanted and loved by this man whom she would gladly give her life for in a heartbeat.
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His impatient and funny behavior made her laugh gleefully. Without a second thought, she replied with a "yes"
to his marriage proposal.
Henry had excitedly pushed himself up from his kneeling position, swept Righteous off her feet, whirled her around and smothered her face with kisses, shouting happily on top of his lungs as he did.
For Righteous, that moment was a time of pure ecstasy and she made up her mind right there and then, that he was the only one she wanted to love and give her heart and body to.
It was supposed to remain like that but her parents stepped in to dissuade her from carrying out her heart desires with the love of her life.
"At first, at first we didn't have any problems with you marrying Henry," her father continued, "But there was this unusual unrest that fell upon us like a heavy blanket each time he visited with you or whenever his name was mentioned in the house.
"We thought it was that overwhelming feeling any loving parents always have each time they came to the realization that their children had come of age and would be moving from under their control to begin a life of their own. But as time went by, the weird feelings became more intense. Your mother and I could no longer ignore it.
"Your mother and I privately discussed our concerns. After a lot of contemplation and consideration, we made a firm resolution to table our worries before God. We asked if he was the one demanding our attention about your marriage or if this was a distraction from the devil.
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"We prayed for a couple of days. Then God opened your mother's eyes and began showing her unpleasant things about Henry.
"You have always known that God gave your mother the gift of seeing visions. Over the years, he has revealed a lot of things to your mum through visions, and I don't have to tell you how it has directly and indirectly helped this family, our loved ones, distant relations and even people we barely know.
"So, when your mother received several unpleasant visions about this young man, we decided to put our feet on the ground and vehemently oppose your marriage to him."
At that last remark from her father, Righteous became more furious that she could no longer sit down in silence.
"And how am I sure that you people are not just worried over nothing? How are we even sure that the vision you claim you saw was real? How can you prove that your supposed vision wasn't induced by your gratuitous concerns?"
No word could accurately express the hurt feelings that were aroused in her parents' hearts as she unabashedly questioned the legitimacy of her mother's vision for the first time in her life, all because of the man she had fallen in love with. Their only daughter was rapidly stepping out of their grasp and gliding into dangerous waters and they were feeling powerless to stop her.
"This man told you that he is a businessman who trades in the spare parts of different vehicles, right?" her father asked.
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"Yes. What does that have to do with anything?" Righteous asked, unable to remain seated.
"Sit down, Adiaha," her father commanded.
For a while she remained standing, contemplating if she should do as she was told or otherwise.
"Sit down," her father repeated and this time, she grudgingly did as she was told.
"Have you ever paid him a visit at his working place?" he asked.
"He took me there once but he told me that he didn't like mixing his professional life with his relationship and I shouldn't bother coming to visit him at his workplace."
"Can you listen to yourself, Adiaha? He told you not to visit him and you believe that it was for the same reason he gave you?"
"Why shouldn't I believe him? What reasons does he have to lie or deceive me?"
"Because he is not just after your personality but he is also after the financial benefits he stands to gain via his marriage to you. He knows you're the only daughter of rich parents and you have financially buoyant brothers who love you and are willing to do anything in their capacity for you to make you happy. He would like to use you as leverage to ensure a financial flow for the rest of his life. We need you to please listen to us and call off
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this marriage before you dive deeper. That man is nothing but a gold digger. Trust me, when opportunities like this present themselves to gold diggers, they never fail to take full advantage of it."
Instead of listening and laying the matter to rest, she had quickly countered her parents' arguments with her own points.
"What you're telling me is contrary to what I have seen in him. I know Henry loves and cares for me because he expresses it in every possible way. Talking about him not being rich and taking advantage of rich families and the rich girls, don't tell me you haven't seen him driving different cars. So tell me, could a man pretend up to that level that he could change cars? The last time I checked, to own a car in this life, money is needed to purchase it. Unless you want to tell me that he has been stealing those cars, and that will sound preposterous to the ears of any reasonable human."
"Oh, Adiaha, my child, you are so innocent," her mother cried in consternation. "What if he had been borrowing or hiring those cars?"
She let out a high-pitched cackle, throwing her head back as she did. When she realized what she was doing in the presence of her parents, she quickly regained her composure and asked, "I'm sorry to ask but where are the both of you getting this whole notion about Henry?"
"They are not our notion. They are revelations, given to us by God and if you think we are not being truthful, why don't you verify for yourself by paying him a surprise visit?"
"What? What are you suggesting that I should do?" Righteous asked, barely keeping the trauma she felt from her voice.
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"You want me to disobey his orders so that he would think ill of me?"
"Did we just hear you correctly? He hasn't even married you and he is already ordering you around."
"Uh, um, uh, I never meant it that way. I was just saying..." she stuttered while her parents shook their heads.
Then, Righteous decided to go soft on her parents. She stood up from her seat, went towards her parents and got down on her knees.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Mom and Dad. Please forgive me for my irrational behavior. I'm so sorry. It's just that I'm so much in love with Henry and as you already know, he is the first and only one I have ever loved. Please, I beg you in the name of God, love of God and everything you hold dearly, please give me and Henry a chance.
I'm sure he won't disappoint."
After all her emotional display, her parents still didn't give their consent.
Righteous went into her room that night depressed. Suddenly resolute, she made a decision that changed the course of her life.
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