Dead but Married

12/10/21

The story I write on today is based on a true life Story I was told some times back.

Dan lived in his village before the unfortunate hand of death snatched him from his parents. He was highly loved and cherished by his parents being the only male child of the family. He was a young promising man who died at a critical time when his parents thought it was time to reap from their labour.

Due to my faith I don't believe in reincarnation because my bible states expressly in Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" But I have not been able to reconcile my bible quotation with real life events surrounding Dan's death and reincarnation. Dan died in the early 2000's... in his village in Ijumu Local Government, Kogi State of Nigeria and was buried at the backyard of his father's compound; a type of burial to keep the memory of loved ones.

Also around year 2002, Mary got hooked up with a guy she met in a 3 day seminar program. One thing led to another other and they started dating. Their courtship lasted for 16 months and they got married at St. Dominic Catholic Church Yaba, Lagos.

How and why Mary got married to Dan without knowing any member of his family is the riddle in this story.

They were married for 4 years, Mary never know Dan's people nor his place of origin. How did Mary's people allow their daughter get married to a total stranger? That wouldn't have been possible in this era of telecommunication breakthrough, technological advancement and social media.

The agitation to know Dan's family and place became unbearable for Dan as his wife mounted pressure on him daily for 4 years to take her to his place and people. Medicine after death approach!

In 2006, it was obvious Dan could no longer twist or lie to his wife why he couldn't take her to his place and people. He agreed in September to take all the family, himself, his wife and two children home for Christmas. Plans were set out and there was joy and temporary relief to Shade over the intended trip to her husband's place.

On 23rd of December they all set out for the journey. They had shopped for Dan's parents a day before their journey. Their car booth was loaded with foodstuffs, clothes, beverages and all manner of gifts. The journey took them almost a day. They arrived Dan's village at about 7pm.

Few miles to Dan's family house, he stopped over in a mall to help his father pick a particular wine he use to like. He packed and entered in to the mall leaving his wife and children in the car.

15 minutes later he was not out of the mall and his wife became apprehensive and worried. If it was this era she would have put a call through to him to know the reason for the delay. After 20 minutes she went into the mall searching for her husband but all to no avail. What would have happen? No one claimed to have seen anybody who looked like her husband in the wine shop. Both the owner of the shop and shop attendant attested to fact that no man of such nature had entered into the shop within the period she claimed.

The mall was four houses away from Dan's family house. In tears she drove down to Dan's house and met everything the way Dan told her. While still in tears she introduced herself and the children to Dan's family.

Where is Dan? The old man asked!

She narrated the story of how he went to the mall to pick a wine for the father and never came out again. The man and his wife looked at each other and tears rolled out of their eyes simultaneously. Tears rolled like a flowing river. What an unbelievable story. Dan's wife could not comprehend when they told her Dan died in 1982 and was buried at the backyard. They took her to his graveside and called in neighbours for their testimony of Dan's death.

The family had no reason to doubt Mary because the children looked exactly like Dan. All that she told them about Dan her husband were true beyond what any person can frame up. Mary had been married to a dead man for four years without knowing.

Dead but married!

The woman and the children were incorporated into the family but Dan is no more. When they returned back to Lagos no one could trace where Dan claimed to be working.

MORAL LESSONS:

For those singles out there that are yet to be married, don't marry a stranger because you are desperate. Try to know the origin of the man/woman you want to marry.

For those who are married already, how much do you know about your spouse? It is not enough to know your spouse is from a place; it's expedient to know the place and be sure.

Who are you about to marry?

Who are you married to?

Food for thought!