The ghost of the wedding

“The depth of a person’s life is more important than its duration”

– Swahili (East Africa)

On the northeastern slopes of Mount Kenya and along the Kathita River is a city called Meru, where Nkirote was born and lived her entire life as a child.

Nkirote was a well-behaved girl who lived up to the standards set for her by her parents. She was the kind of girl that most parents wouldn’t waste time using as criteria for judging their children. This made her the envy of many girls her age. People considered her a role model; a standard by which every young woman must live.

Despite all the attributes he possessed, he was not and has not been happy for many years. To top it off, it was the eve of her wedding and she was supposed to be happy. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop the numbing fear that gripped her heart with every passing second as the hours of the night approached her wedding. He looked at the clock on his dresser; It was fifteen minutes to midnight. Oddly enough, there was nothing to get excited about. This was to be their third attempt at getting married. His first two weddings were a disaster. Maybe she should cancel the wedding, she thought to herself.

He tried to sleep but his mind couldn’t help wandering through the painful past; a past that she tried with all her might to forget; a past full of regret, heartbreak and shame. Her first wedding was to Gitonga, a boy she met and dated at the University of Nairobi, Kenya.

Her life story took a sad and unexpected turn on that beautiful day at St. Paul’s Church when she stood in front of the priest smiling and gazing into the eyes of the love of her life. When the microphone was handed to him to take his vows, he suddenly saw an apparition; it was the ghost of a girl who wore the exact same type of wedding dress she had but covered in blood. She screamed in fear and before anyone could stop her, she threw down the bouquet of flowers she was holding, kicked off her shoes, and ran out of the church as fast as she could and out into the street with her family, friends, and supporters. their pursuit.

She wandered the streets of Meru for many days, while her family made desperate efforts to find her. A complaint was filed with the Missing Persons Unit of the Meru Police Station and, fortunately, it was found. However, she was in a situation of mental instability and had to be admitted to the psychiatric unit of the Meru General Hospital.

Three months later, she was declared mentally stable and subsequently released from the hospital. He never heard from Gitonga again. It took me over a year to recover from the traumatic experience.

Just when all hopes had been lost that she would be happy again, Muiti arrived, and he thought that God had brought him to wipe his tears away, but little did he know that his happiness would be short-lived. The same thing happened to her at her second wedding to Muiti, but this time, before she could flee, strong hands grabbed her and prevented her from running out of the church.

His family was growing increasingly concerned. No one knew the cause of this misfortune that befell him. Rumors were that she was possessed and needed to be released, others said that she had a mental problem, which was probably hereditary, finally an influential religious group said they had put a curse on her.

Her mother decided to believe the last group of people and immediately took action and with the help of some friends and family, Nkirote was taken to all kinds of places. His stay for healing took off with a visit to a prominent herbalist named Prof. Onyango where he offered all kinds of sacrifices, including a bath in the middle of the night on Turtle Beach in Sukamade, to appease the gods. They also served him all sorts of nasty concoctions in an attempt to scare away the wedding ghost.

Nkirote’s house became a platform for songs and demonstrations of spiritual gymnastics and prophetic delicacy. All the soothsayers flaunted their skills to earn the praise that would follow whoever frees Nkirote from the ghost of his wedding. The family did not stop there, they went after the charismatic leaders of the Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian and finally Pentecostal churches.

The wedding ghost had gained such popularity in Meru that whoever married received special prayers that would keep Nkirote’s wedding ghost away from the celebration.

His family was concerned and made plans for his full recovery. People prayed fervently for the ghost to go away. No one knew what was wrong with him, but Nkirote knew what the problem was. She was the only one who knew what was wrong with her, but she couldn’t tell. The ghost that constantly appeared to her on her wedding day was Kaimuri Bitok. This was his great secret. She already took an oath of secrecy and was obligated to keep it! Even if it cost him, his very life …

However, Nkirote’s time was running out. She had to do something. Why has Kaimuri Bitok chosen this time in his life to haunt her? What does the ghost of the wedding want?

Nkirote wasn’t quite sure what Kaimuri Bitok wanted, but this is what she remembers …

About twelve years ago, she attended Maua Meru Girls High School in Kenya. Nkirote and his friends were being promoted to a new class. It was special since they were graduating from senior high school. They couldn’t help but enjoy the euphoria of it all. They imagined the power and privileges that come with being a senior.

Finally, the days of sending them to do unnecessary errands, punishing them for the slightest offense and extorting money are over. It was time for them to enjoy those privileges as well. It was really going to be so much fun that they chatted enthusiastically with each other. For the first time, everyone was waiting for the resumption.

Her closest friends, Mwenda and Lela, were a lot of fun and made the challenges of being a junior student a little less stressful as they always found a way to get humor out of every awkward situation.

Mwenda was stubborn, daring and headstrong, always known for getting all three of them in trouble. Lela was always unpredictable. Nkirote was a passionate, gentle, and always personable follower. They were considered the perfect combination. Classmates generally referred to them as the Three Musketeers.

One hot afternoon, the three of them decided to go swimming. Upon reaching the pool, they were surprised to find a junior student there. Junior students were not allowed late night and unsupervised access to the pool. The opportunity to assert their authority presented itself on a golden platter and they were unwilling to pass it up.

Wasting no time, they confronted her and demanded to know why she was there. They yelled at him and ordered him to leave the pool immediately. Before she could give a reasonable explanation, Mwenda impulsively jumped into the pool in an attempt to physically get her out.

Little did they know that she wouldn’t give up without a fight. He fought and kicked hard against Mwenda. They were both gasping for breath as the fight degenerated into a more physical battle. Nkirote and Lela looked on in shock.

Lela, who couldn’t bear the embarrassment of seeing a mere third-year student retaliate with such vigor, joined in.

Lela joined Mwenda and together they dominated her.

Nkirote stood there rooted in indecision and watched in horror as her friends did the unthinkable. They joined forces until they were sure that she was resting peacefully at the bottom of the pool.

In an instant, the reality of what they had done struck them suddenly. Nkirote was the first to run as the other two ran out of the pool and ran after her in fear and uncertainty. He was going directly to the housekeeper to raise the alarm and save the girl’s life. Since she was stupid enough not to stop her friends, she could at least do well by saving the poor girl’s life. She hadn’t gone halfway to the housewife when her friends caught up with her and pushed her back.

They gave him a tough talk. They explained to him what the consequences of his action could amount to. Everyone would be in big trouble. Mwenda persuaded them to take the oath, and they did.

The next day, word of the pool incident spread like wildfire throughout the school. The victim was Kaimuri Bitok. The name echoed everywhere. Guilt, trauma, and regret haunted Nkirote. The weight of the crime was unbearable. She fell seriously ill and was granted permission to return home. He never returned or had contact with his friends. The incident that night was permanently etched in his memory.

Nkirote did not speak to anyone about it. He had kept his end of the bargain and hoped the others had done the same. Now his whole life was falling apart. She couldn’t forgive herself. He wished he could turn back the hands of time. It was too late!

“Nkirote!” “Nkirote!” the voice of the reverend father brought her out of her reverie. “It’s time to take your vows. You don’t want to keep this young man waiting, do you?”

With that, he made his vows silently as he looked around in great fear hoping that the ghost of the wedding would not reappear.

Ecstatic cries of “Happy married life!” It emerged from the congregation as friends, family, and supporters surrounded them with joy and jubilation. Songs of celebration followed as the newlyweds danced out of the church.

“I have a surprise for you.”. Her husband whispered excitedly. “Come, let me show you.” He said, leading her to a private place. At that moment, to her greatest surprise, three women started walking towards her. He looked at them and recognized two of the three women, but couldn’t make out who the third was. “Mwenda and Lela!” She thought to herself. “Impossible!”

… And there they were, advancing towards her. The third lady was looking her straight in the eye. Nkirote in utter confusion, looked wide-eyed and horrified as he approached, spreading his hands towards her, said, “Hello, this is Kaimuri Bitok.”

THE END.

Stay Inspired!