The Unexpected

At first, I thought the girl would leave after the outing, but she came home with us. After we entered the room, I showered and left the room for them, down to Mike’s room. It was unfortunate as when I knocked on the room, I heard an answer, and then it took five full minutes before the door was opened. It was mike’s girlfriend that opened the door, still tying a wrapper over her naked body, while mike was sprawled at the bed. It was obvious I wasn’t invited in for the night, so I excused myself and left. 

I wondered where I was going to spend the night. I could just hang around and then sneak in midnight, after they must have been through with their sex. I had one last option, I called Mabel. She said she had traveled, but gave me a description of where she always kept her spare key, in case she loses the bunch. I went down to her room and slept. 

The next morning, I went back to my room. The girl had gone, and the ugly one was still asleep. When he woke later, we started talking, especially about Sonia and my plan. He did meet Sonia once or twice while we were at camp. He said the entire plot looked fishy and too easy. 

He insisted that if it was as easy as Sonia made it sound, then every corp member will be hooking-up and heading to the court room for a marriage certificate, to lay claim to half a million naira. I was almost having cold feet, but he insisted I go on with it, since I already notified the authorities. 

“Meanwhile, if you back away now, how will I fvck Lokoja chics?” he asked and started his mischievous laughter again. Later in the day, we headed to Lokoja, with him, Mike and his girlfriend. Sonia was at the park to receive us. She was looking good. Like she was putting on extra weight daily, especially around her waist region. 

Her br’ea’st was getting rounder and firmer. She was kind of sexy in a sweet way.  Together, we headed to Dominion guest house, a cheaper accommodation compared to the Nostalgia. I booked rooms for Mike and his girl, then booked separate rooms for the ugly one and I, in case he lands himself another chic. We stayed on the hotel reception room and talked as Sonia briefed us on the preparations for the wedding proper. She had all things ready. I noticed that the ugly one was staring at her intermittently, like the fishy thing was in her face.  

She had earlier informed me that someone needed to be present to represent my parents, while she was to get someone to represent her parents. I had informed Dr. Sowald at the Math department about it. Lucky for me, he was going to be at Lokoja on the said day. So he promised to drive in at the time and sign for me. 

After the briefing with Sonia, we returned to our rooms. The ugly one was quite. He just sat on the bed like he was analyzing some raw data that just entered his hard drive. “What’s the problem?” I asked. 

“There is really something fishy going on.” He said.  “I can feel it, I just need more time to figure it out.” He concluded. “Take all the time you want, in the next 24 hours, we're going to sign the registry, and in a month's time, I will be smiling to the bank.” I told him and he kept staring at me. 

We had a dummy bachelor's night that night: The ugly one and I, with mike and his girlfriend. We clubbed and partied all night and when we got tired, we headed back to our hotel rooms with two girls the ugly one picked from the club. I retired with one of the girls as the ugly one insisted. He said it was my wedding gift since he didn't come with any. 

The next morning, we headed to the state high court, venue of the wedding. Sonia had our clothes delivered at the hotel room. She arranged an SUV beautifully decorated with an 'About to wed' tag placed on it. The car waited for us at the hotel premises while we dressed. 

When we got to the venue, a lot of corp members were already waiting for us. I guessed they were friends of Sonia’s. I thought everything was to be low keyed and discrete, but it was obvious Sonia had other plans. We all sat and waited inside the courtroom. Minutes later, the arrival of the magistrate was announced and we all rose as he entered and took his seat. 

He made us take our marriage vows on the witness stand with the bible as if we were swearing an oath to say the truth, nothing but the truth, so help us God. After that, we both marched down the aisle while the magistrate stood and made some pronouncements. Sonia must have arranged for a photographer and a camera man to cover the event. I felt it was all part of the plan to make it look real. 

We said the 'I do's' and exchanged rings brought by sonia. “By the powers vested on me by the state government from section bla bla. . .subsection . . .of the 1999 constitution, I now pronounce you man and wife.” 

The audience clapped as the magistrate said this. We turned and beheld a small crowd gathered there-in. It wasn't as planned; it was supposed to be a 'where-two-or-three-are-gathered' arrangement. I could see Dr. Sowald from the crowd, then two other camera men and photographers.  What next! Maybe I will be on front page of the national dailies! I started regretting the arrangement. But it was too late.  

The magistrate called for the parents to come forward and sign the registry. Dr Sowald came forth, followed closely by a couple. They looked like a real husband and wife. The woman had a striking resemblance with Sonia. I smiled inward; Sonia was really good at this. Where on earth did she find these perfect impostors of parents? They really looked like a real family and could pass for one anytime, any day.  

The ugly one was trying to tell me something. When I looked at his direction, he was trying to signal me. I couldn't get what he was signaling so I ignored him and proceeded to sign the registry. 

The two L.I's from the two local governments signed when time for witnesses came. Then the wedding was over and we proceeded outside to snap pictures. Since the pictures were necessary as proof for the wedding, I snapped as much as I could. 

The impostor parents were also part of the pictures.  It was during the picture session that the ugly one finally got the opportunity to tell me what it was he wanted to say right inside the hall. He dragged me by the side to a quite corner. 

“Those are Sonia's real parents.” He said emphatically. “No they are not, they are impostors.” I said in defense. 

“Are you blind?” He said, raising his voice a bit, trying to be audible amidst the loud chatter outside. I had noted the striking resemblance, but felt it was per chance. Maybe she had done a thorough research and found someone with a resemblance. 

Then I looked back to their direction as they snapped the pictures. They looked like a couple, and the resemblance to the woman was striking. I moved to Sonia and waited as she took snapshots with her cds group, then her L.I. She came towards me when she sighted me. “Come let me introduce you to my mum and dad.” She said smiling at me. 

“They came in from Rivers state yesterday evening and they've been dying to meet their son in-law!” Now I started perceiving the smell of fish the ugly one had been talking about.

It keeps getting deeper!       

If what the ugly one was insinuating was the truth, then Sonia had tricked me into having a real wedding with her. I had let my greed for fast money blind my instincts. I had not had a reason to second guess any of her actions or suggestions. 

I had innocently believed she had her eyes set on the half a million prize money, while she played me and got me legally married to her.      

But there was still a part of me that believed there was an explanation for all these. There has to be an explanation, I told myself.      

“You didn’t tell me your parents were coming!” I had quizzed her when she asked that I be introduced to her parents.      

“Of course we need the parents to sign the registry for it to be valid, and there was no way my parents are going to be absent from my wedding.” She told me.      

“Wedding?” I said angrily. “Is that what you told them?” I asked, expecting a reply. A group of her friends came to greet us and we had to stop the discussion.      

“Congrats!” they said to us as Sonia perfectly switched to a smiling mode, displaying all her teeth.      

“Thank you, and thanks for coming.” She replied them. This was followed by other friends as they came one after the other to indicate their presence.      

“This is outrageous” I whispered under my breathe as she held my hand firmly as her friends came one after the other.