The Bonny Island Massacre - S01 E23

Story 10 months ago

The Bonny Island Massacre - S01 E23

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 23

Despite Femi’s plans to stall the wedding, his foster father and Mira would not have it, the day finally arrived and Femi was the saddest groom ever seen. He wore a forlorn look, like a man led to the slaughter, as he was dressed by the fashion designers who were in charge of their outfit. His apparel was designed with gold embroidery, and though he looked regal, he felt anything but. He felt less than himself, as he was not able to take his stand and fight for the woman he loved.

Yvonne was going through the toughest moments in her life, and he who had promised to stand by her and protect her was here getting married to her best friend.

Femi couldn’t stand the guilt anymore, he pushed everyone away and went into the bathroom, where he broke down in tears. The fashion designers in the room listened to the groom cry his heart out, and they wondered how someone could be in so much grief on his wedding day.

“I would be crying if I was getting married to that bitchy woman” one of them said to the others.

“This goes beyond his choice of wife though” another replied thoughtfully.

After Femi had cried his heart out, he came out of the bathroom, and saw his designers looking confused. He returned their stares and walked to the mirror. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, and he agreed that he was the saddest groom he had ever seen.

“It is time to speak out, it is time to act” he said within as he peered at himself in the mirror.

Femi: “I am going out, the wedding has been postponed to tomorrow, I have a flight to catch” he said and walked out of the room, leaving his attendants more confused.

Mira was in another room in Femi’s father’s mansion, she was being attended to by fashion designers who had made her dress. Her body had been designed with Henna, and she looked beautiful.

“Finally Femi, we are getting married. Now you know, there is nothing that I want, that I don’t get” she thought within, a vile smile kissed her lips. She looked satisfied and contented with her endeavours.

The door opened and her mother entered, she was dressed gaily as well, but her face was anything but gay.

Mira: “Mother, why wear that kind of face, even if you are not happy for me, at the least, pretend that you are” she quipped eyeing her mother from the mirror.

Mira’s mother: “I am neither happy nor sad about your marriage because you have chosen to do what suits you, regardless of what I think, so I am indifferent. What worries me is, your twin brother. I have gone to the orphanage and found out that he stayed in the orphanage till he was about 6 months before being adopted by a couple, one Alhaji and Alhaja. I got a picture of him, and my heart aches just looking at him” she said, her eyes becoming shimmery with tears.

Mira: “Let me see the picture” she said soberly, she wondered what her twin had looked like as a baby.

Her mother searched through her purse and came up with a picture which was in black and white. Mira stared at the picture with wide eyes; she could not believe what was happening right now.

Mira: “Mother, what kind of prank are you playing on me, is this your ploy to stop my marriage?” she barked.

Mira’s mother: “What is this unfortunate person talking about. Is getting married to Femi all you think about? I am talking about your twin brother and how we can use this picture to look for him, you are here talking about stopping your wedding. What kind of human are you?”

Mira: “This is really the picture of my twin brother?” she stuttered, confusion was written all over her face.

Mira’s mother did not reply, she just looked at her, she was confused by her daughter’s reaction. Was her daughter going mad? She wondered.

Mira: “Hay God, I am dead! Somebody help me” she began to shout. The fashion designers with her looked on, perplexed. Her shouts drew Femi’s father into the room. He saw Mira looking intently at a picture and he drew closer to have a look.

Femi’s father: “Why are you looking at my son’s baby picture and shouting?” he asked.

Mira’s mother: “Your son?” she asked with wide eyes, a possibility was coming together in her head and she could not believe it.

Mira: “He is not your son oh, he is my brother, my twin brother. I was going to get married to my twin brother” she said, not believing it herself, “Is this my punishment or what?” she cried.

Femi’s father: “Femi is your brother, how?” he asked, even though his heart was beginning to beat faster. His late wife, on her death bed had told him that nothing could be hidden under the sun, that he should come out clean before Femi, but he had refused, determined that Femi would be his son only. But it seems the truth had been revealed without his help. He stood transfixed, looking at the drama before him.

Unknown to everyone involved, Femi had gone to the NSS headquarters and asked for the Director General. When he was brought before the powerful man, he confessed that he was responsible for the poisoned cake, that he was the one who poisoned the cake, not Yvonne. But when they asked him how he was able to do that, he couldn’t say, he just kept saying that, he poisoned the cake to punish Yvonne. When asked why he did it, he told everyone that he wanted Yvonne out of Coveteur because, she was lording over him, and he needed Coveteur all to himself. The NSS agents did not know what to make of his confession, but knowing that he was the fiancé of Yvonne before her incarceration, they were not ready to jump on his train. They detained him, knowing that after drilling him, the real truth would come out. His confession however did not change anything for Yvonne, her court trial was still on schedule, and when the day arrived, she met it with trepidation.

Mira however had called off the wedding and packed all her belongings out of Femi’s father’s house. She shut herself in her apartment and refused to talk to anyone. Through the fashion designers, the media had found out that Femi was her twin brother, and it was all over the news. Titles like “Abominable wedding”, “Pregnant for my twin brother” and so many obscene titles, were the order of the day. Some reporters even camped outside Mira’s apartment to wait for her emergence. But Mira was not planning to come out, the shame was too much to bear, and worse was the guilt in her heart.

God

“I destroyed the relationship I had with my brother because, of my jealousy. Femi is never going to see me as his sister. Oh God, what do I do?” she pondered lying in bed. Since her cancelled wedding, she had not eaten or had her bath. She also stayed away from her phone and television, so there was no way for her to know that Femi was in the NSS detention for confessing to poisoning the cake. Although, he NSS had made sure it did not leak out to the press, they were not ready to share this information until they were sure. They had made Yvonne the sacrificial goat and it would be hard to admit that they were wrong. People had died because they thought Yvonne was guilty, so no, they would not tell the world that Femi had confessed infact, he would be in detention until further notice.

After hearing that Mathias was the man who abandoned her for strangers when her biological mother died, she didn’t know how to feel about him. She didn’t know if she should be happy that her true father had surfaced or be angry at what he did. But she decided to stay away from him, so all his calls went to voice mail as she was not ready to confront him yet. However it was inevitable they met, because he was her lawyer and had told her that he had evidence to clear her name.

That fateful morning, the courthouse was full to capacity because of the sensational case that was about to be tried, the culprit of the Bonny Island massacre was about to be brought before the law. Yvonne met Mathias on the stairs of the courthouse, as usual reporters trudged behind him asking different questions, from the obscene to the ridiculous. But the face Mathias had on, was one of anxiety and fear, Yvonne had never seen him like that and she was sure it had nothing to do about her parentage.

Yvonne: “What is going on?” she asked as fear descended on her, somehow she knew that something bad had happened.

Mathias: “There is fire on the mountain, they have struck again. I am so sorry” he said, and Yvonne could hear the despair and surrender in his voice. He had given up on her but why? He had been optimistic all these while, what happened?

Yvonne: “What happened, tell me now!” she shook him. Inside her, she already knew that it was over for her. He had given her hope, even when she had refused to have hope, now he had also dashed her hopes.