BEHIND OUR LOVE...

BEHIND OUR LOVE... CHAPTER 28
BY MIEMIEBEE


Here I am today, facing James in the presence of our Father, priest, family and friends. James smiled at me, and this time around it wasn't a mocking smile, it was a smile from the heart and I smiled back.

   “We are all gathered here today to witness the union of James Patricks and Isabelle Stewards.” James held both of my hands in his with a mocking grin on his face now. He cleared his throat and started;

       “Izzy I bring myself to you this day to share my life with you. You can trust my love, for it is real. I promise to be a faithful husband, and to unfailingly share and support your hopes, dreams and goals. I vow to be there for you always. When you fall I'll catch you, when you cry I will comfort you, when you laugh I will share your joy. Everything I am and everuthing I have is yours from this moment forth and for eternity. I promise to work at our love and always make you a priority in my life with every beat of my heart I will love you. This is my solemn vow.

         I would be lying if I were to tell you how happy and overwhelmed with joy I was at that very instant. To me it felt like it wasn't an act anynore the way he spoke, the way his lips are following the rythm of his words sounded sincere. I stopped my rational thinking and confessed my vows too.

"I, [Isabelle], take you, [James], to be my partner, loving what I
know of you, and trusting what I do not yet know. I eagerly
anticipate the chance to grow together, getting to know the
[man] you will become, and falling in love a little
more each day. I promise to love and cherish you through
whatever life may bring us.
I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect
you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for
all eternity. You are my
partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union
and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will
trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you,
loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless
of the obstacles we may face together. This is my solemn vow.

Upon saying this from the buttom of my heart, I felt like I was born into this world again at that very instant, my vows will never shade away, this is a promise. His man of honour passed him the ring and he chivalrously puts it in my ring finger, and so I did also. The ring suits his furry fair finger. I can't help but smile at James though its a mocking grin he was wearing.

  Our priest called out. “By the sacred laws vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride to seal your vows.” James offered and lifted my veil exposing my face. He put his arm around my waist and slowly leaned his face forward as his lips decended on mine. This time around the kiss wasn't like that of our engagement.

      The kiss was passionate to seal our wedding vows. The way he kissed me was as if he was trying to prove to me and everyone else in there how sincere he is in fulfulling his promises and I responded to his each and every touch.

Whilst the wedding last, I couldn't take my eyes off James I actually can't believe he is mine today. And anytime our eyes meet, he smirks and sometimes grin in a mocking manner and I care less knowing that he is already mine today and his vows? I just can't take them off my head, they are stuck in it forever.

        In just some hours we'll be flying to Lagos to our matrimonial home. We were supposed to go to a honeymoon in Dubai but James said he had a lot of work at the office and I believed him even though I knew he was actually lying.

     My bestfriend bella was the one who catched my bouquet. James and I danced amazingly perfect to the slow romantic rising tune. That feeling was one of the best. We cut our wedding cake and did all the traditions.

     The wedding party lasted for 3 hours. And from there we rode straight to the airport. My mom, my sister, aunt Elena and I all cried as we were about departing. James was the one even comforting me. It wasn't long before our plane took off. James and I were sitting close to each other when he scoffs. I raised up my head and laid my red puffy eyes on him. He smirked.

       “well I think it'll be better for you to stop shedding those tears now and save them for the future because they will be of more use by then.”

    My throat constricted out of nervousness, I couldn't talk back at him. As a waiter came passing by he told her that he needed his seat to be changed and she directed him over to a seat not far from where we were sitted. He gave me a deadly glare before he stood up and sat over as directed by the waitress. Though I was affected by it, I smiled at him in order to show him I didn't care, I want him to know how I brave I am.

★★★★★

        I wouldn't want to go into the details of my marital life 'cuz i'm sure everyone of you will shed tears upon reading it but believe me when I say this. From the day I set my foot into James' house, that day remained the worst day of my life, my wedding day turned out to be my worst day ever. I regretted every action I took back then, if only I can reverse time I would have done that and do the right thing this time around. James never treated me right even if it was for a second, the only time he plays it cool is either when any our relatives visited. Anything good I does turns out to be bad to him, he never sees the good in me. He slap, beats and tortures me. He treats me more like a slave than his own wife. I'd say he don't even regard me as his wife as even if I try to remind him of who I was, he says it to my face that am not his wife i'm a maid and a sex machine to him. 'Cuz barely thats my only usage in this house. James can have sex 4-5 times in a day and even for the first time we did it. He has caused me alot of injuries and pain to me but he didn't mind taking care of me or to even think of taking me to the hospital. No sympathy, nothing nothing. I was the one who took care of myself even as a novice. PS anytime James does it with me he always made sure he had protection on because he don't want to have a baby with me.

   I don't go anywhere he always locks me indoor before leaving for work or going out and before doing so he always made sure he hid the remotes control to our T V set somewhere I will never guess. I know barely nowhere in Lagos.

    3 months after the wedding he seized my phone after coming to realise that only it keeps me company and even when mom called and asked him why my phone was always switched off he lied to her and told her that the phone got missing and even when he told me he was going to buy me another one I rejected and she got convinced. I swear I know this, even if am to tell mom the demon James has turned into, she wouldn't believe me, she'll never. I can remember the last time she visited us, how James was pretending as if he treasures me. Only April does know the truth behind our love and she can't do anything now even if I were to ask of help from her, I missed the oppurtunity I had and now my life is a total crap.

    The last time I spoke with Bella my bossom friend was the time they were getting prepared for their 2nd year 1st term semester. And here I was, being tortured every blessed day by the demon I call my husband. Mer decided to make visiting James a hobby here at home and I know he does visits her too, and he sometimes even make me cook for them anytime she'll be visting and I did because I can't say no to him unless I want to sleep in my grave that very day. If maybe sometimes something goes wrong in the food I cooked for them, he beats me up mercilessly in front of Mer showing her i'm nothing, barely nothing to him. She is the one even saving me sometimes.

    James don't have a slightest regard towards me as a human, even if he'll not give me the dignity I deserve as his wife he should atleast recognise me as a person and not an animal. His engagement ring? He never once wears it I bet he don't even know where he kept it who knows either he has threw it a very long time ago. I really do love babies but I can't have one of my own. Had it been I'm pregnant atleast I'll have something else to keep focus on or atleast it'll ease my hardship as being pregnant is the best happiness one can feel...