Story: Chikwati - S01 E04

4 years ago

Story: Chikwati - S01 E04

Andrew read the note with tears in his eyes. His marriage of one day just disappeared into thin air in a jiffy. ‘Where could she have gone? Why didn’t she give me just a little time to explain myself. Who will help me tell Brenda how much I love her? Who will help me tell her she’s more important to me than sex?’He put a call through to some people, first to her father. Please sir did you hear from my wife? His father-in-law was embarrassed by such a question. ‘How can you ask me such a question when she’s supposed to be with you? I hope nothing bad has happened to my daughter? Isn’t she supposed to be with you?’ He kept quiet for a while until his father-in-law asked him again, ‘where is my daughter?’ ‘She is…….’ ‘She is what?’

The man asked with angry voice. ‘Sir we had a little argument and she left the house without my knowledge.’ ‘Oh, is it over that issue? But you promised me you could handle it. You told me you are a Christian and your God can take care of it. I hope you haven’t broken the rules?’ ‘No sir,’ Andrew replied.

He tried to call other people just to know if he could have an idea about where she has gone to but everyone he called was in shock – how could a bride of barely 1 day leave her husband’s house without his knowledge? Everyone, friends and family became all confused and started making contacts to know the whereabouts of Brenda Banda.

His problems became more complex as calls were coming in from the hotel for him to settle the bills of his guests.

They accused him of abandoning them because he couldn’t leave his wife just to sort them out.

His heart became bitter when he knew he had no K3,500 to settle his guests hotel bill. While he was thinking of what to do,his pastor’s call came in. ‘How are you Mapesho Andrew, I hope you are back from Jerusalem now? How did you feel with your wife? I already know you felt very high. Was that your first time?’ The pastor sensed something was wrong when Andrew did not answer any of his numerous questions. Andrew are you there?’ ‘Yes daddy, just that…..’ ‘Just what?’ ‘Sir I will be coming to the office to explain to you.’He immediately went to pastor’s office. ‘Sir, she is gone, your daughter is gone.’ The pastor was a bit confused and he asked, ‘gone to where?’ While he was trying to ask further questions he gave him the note from Brenda.

After the pastor read it he was embarrassed. You mean you didn’t touch her? ‘Hmmmm…… ,’ Andrew exclaimed. ‘Sir, you remember I told you I will see you immediately after our wedding?’ ‘Yes I remember, what is it?’ ‘Sir it is a long story but I will summarize everything now. My wife thought I am impotent but I am not. You think I am a virgin but I am not. I impregnated a girl before when I was in secondary school but we lost the baby after three months.

Brenda have not been able to get married all this while because there is a generational tradition in her family. She lost her three sisters over this tradition after their husbands slept with them after marriage.

The taboo of this tradition is that any man who marry their daughters must not have sexual intercourse with them until after one year of their marriage.

Her sisters who took the tradition for granted lost their lives instantly but nothing happened to the men.

This was the reason for the four hours meeting I had with her parents and the elders on our introduction day.

All the men who came to ask for her hand in marriage quietly quit on hearing this terrible tradition but I gave them my word that I will stay with her for that one year without sex while we consult you for further prayers and deliverance session. How long is one year of sexual denial if it is the price for the life of my wife? Why won’t I wait for one year if I could abstain from sex for 14 years.

Unfortunately Brenda never gave me the opportunity to prove my love to her. If I had slept with her yesterday she would have been dead by now. I agreed to go into the one year marriage without sex with her because I love her.’

The pastor was dumbfounded and felt very sorry for judging him wrongly. ‘How else can a man love his wife than this?’