Murder on Christmas Day!

Would a beautiful lady marry a rich blind man for love’s sake or otherwise? That was the case with Joke and Yinka. Joke was an enchantingly beautiful damsel while Yinka, apart from being blind, was not so handsome to have gotten hooked to such a paragon of beauty as Joke. You need to see Joke to know exactly what I am talking about. She was a six-footer, light in complexion and she walked like an angel. Her skin was spotless and she had sensuously glittering white set of teeth. Her boobs were firm and well shaped. She had the physical curve of a beauty queen. She was a school certificate holder. God actually did a wonderful and perfect job on her!

Yinka’s mum died about four years ago, and she was a rich woman. Her late husband, Makinde Thomas, was indeed a multi-millionaire businessman before his death at the age of 86. There was a perfect combination between Yinka’s parents; a combination that brought about their enormous wealth. Yinka became blind five years after birth. And he was the only child of his late parents. There was a very deep love between him and his late mum, Mrs. Funke Thomas.

He inherited the vast estate and oil business concern of his late parents. Though blind, Yinka was a graduate of Mass Communication. At this moment, he was 40. He had girlfriends in the past but all these romance adventures always met with failure and betrayal, as most of these girls were only bent on making a fortune out of this blind young man.

He was always with memories of what his mum used to tell him that he should “beware of women.” “But I can’t die a monk or celibate,” he reasoned. “Who will handle my inherited fortune when I am finally gone?” he asked rhetorically.

He met Joke Owoafe two years after his mum’s death. They met at his 38th birthday ceremony. Joke was a friend to one of Yinka’s cousins. And no doubt about it, Joke was a self-confessed gold-digger and Lagos socialite. She was 32 then. Come to think of it, how would a blind man appreciate a beautiful creature such as Joke, you may ask.

Joke was a heartless woman who had neither sympathy nor pity for the condition of her husband. Their marriage ceremony was the talk-of-the-town then. It was reported both in the print and broadcast media.

People had insinuated that the marriage would not last, but surprisingly the marital affair continued due to the patience and meekness of Yinka, who so desired to have an issue at all cost. Joke, in fact, had a grand master plan to murder him in the nearest future and take over his vast business empire. But all these were unknown to Yinka, who always called her ‘darling’ and loved her as if his very existence depended on her. Some people could kill just to get rich and Joke was no exception. Yinka entrusted every formal paper to her as the sole signatory since he was blind. He believed every word she spoke and trusted her wholeheartedly.

Even if he was blind, Aduke, one of the housemaids, wasn’t. Aduke was a school certificate holder, but her parents were poor, that was why she became a housemaid in the Thomas’ family. She could see the danger her master was in. It was in her presence Joke would go in with her men friends and spend hours on end with them in the same expansive mansion of her master.

“Go away, you rotten, good-for-nothing home-breaker!” roared Yinka one day as Aduke was about narrating what always happened behind him at home. Aduke went inside her room sadly and wept bitterly. That day, Aduke knew she was in big trouble. She thought if she had powers like God she would restore the sight of her master so he could see for himself how treacherous and satanic his wife had been.

That evening, he reported what Aduke had told him to Joke, the apple of his eyes. Joke was so infuriated and angered that she gave her several lashes of the horsewhip. The poor girl cried and cried before she finally slept sorrowfully. She pitied her master, but there was nothing she could do; she was at the mercy of this woman who had a heart of stone and was more poisonous than the Puff Adder snake. Aduke knew that Joke would kill Yinka one day and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Joke had planned to kill Yinka on Christmas day. This she had masterminded with one of her men’s friends named Chief Ojuoro, who was skilled in murder strategies. They had both agreed to kill him by food poisoning. A day to Christmas day, the Christmas eve to be precise, Yinka, who had never been so religious, just had an urge to pray and worship God in his own private way. He had started the prayer and meditation for the past 10 minutes when something miraculous happened that changed his life. He suddenly saw light! He couldn’t believe himself! He thought he must be dreaming or going out of his mind. ‘Could this be real?’ he thought. He felt for his Bible. He touched it and shouted, “Hallelujah!” three consecutive times. Yinka’s sight had been restored at last by divine power! It was exactly 12.15a.m.

Something far greater than him told him to keep his surprise and ecstasy to himself and see if truly his ‘beloved’ Joke had been cheating on him since all these years. Deep, very deep in his heart, he thanked God for this miracle of restoring his sight to see the beauty of life. But he still kept his excitement and joy to himself.

It was Christmas day at last. The day was bright and a lot of people were overjoyed that they had seen yet another Christmas day. Christmas carols rent the air. People were attired in their best clothes and greeted one another “Happy Christmas!”

That morning, Chief Ojuoro had arrived in one of Yinka’s flashy cars. He entered the mansion gorgeously and Aduke went to call her mistress, Joke, that she had a visitor. Joke was so happy to see Chief Ojuoro.

“Welcome, Chief,” Joke said, “did you bring the stuff?” she asked.

“It’s here,” replied Chief Ojuoro. He sat down gently on the sofa. Thereafter, Joke stood up and called, “Darling…Darling…my uncle is here!”

“I’ll be right there,” answered Yinka from his bedroom. He quickly stood up, took his dark glasses and walking stick and sauntered out of his room with the aid of his walking stick, still pretending to be blind. And for the first time he saw his wife in her majestic elegance and glowing beauty! He was amazed that she was outstandingly beautiful! He saw her hugging and kissing Chief Ojuoro, it was an unbelievable sight. But like a determined and resolute man, he kept his cool.
“Aduke…Aduke…” Joke called, “bring our breakfast!”
Aduke came out with the food. Joke moved closer to Yinka and gave him a light peck on the cheek.
“Good morning, Uncle,” Yinka said.
“Good morning to you,” Chief Ojuoro answered.
“Hope you had a nice sleep,” asked Joke. \
“I’m okay,” replied Yinka.

Then Joke stood up briskly and moved closer to Yinka’s food and sprinkled a black powder she had earlier collected from Chief Ojuoro into the food. He was totally dumbfounded, but he pretended as though he didn’t see anything. Then in a jiffy, he said he wasn’t feeling too good, that he had no appetite. Joke was confused and disturbed. She stood up and moved closer to him and petted him so that he could eat the food, saying it was so delicious.

“It’s your favourite meal, dear,” she said.
“Okay, let’s eat it together,” replied Yinka.
“What do you mean?” asked Joke, sensing danger.
“You have to eat this with me…” said Yinka.

“But…but…why?” stammered Joke.
By now Chief Ojuoro was getting very suspicious and feeling rather jittery that the cat had been let out of the bag. He stood up and was about bolting out of the mansion when Yinka got hold of his clothe and called Aduke to alert the security men. Chief Ojuoro knew he was in a big mess. He started sweating profusely in spite of the air-conditioned environment. Chief Ojuoro was immediately handed to the security men. Joke all the while was also sweating and panting nervously. Yinka by now was very furious. He grabbed Joke fiercely and shoved her to the rug.
“You bitch!” he hollered, “you want to kill me…You traitor!”
“I didn’t mean to kill you…Yinka….Yinka…believe me…I didn’t mean to kill you.” she repeated, shaking with fear.
“I haven’t asked you anything my dear…all I know is that you have to eat this food and finish it,” he threatened.
Aduke by now was standing, mouth-agape in bewilderment. Yinka had taken off his dark glasses so he could see everything.
“Ah, my God!” exclaimed Aduke.
“Master, you can now see!” she added excitedly.
“Not to worry, Aduke,” he replied, “It’s God’s miracle!”

That afternoon he handed his erstwhile lover and wife over to the police including her accomplice in crime. They were both charged with attempted murder and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour by a Court of Law. Yinka later begged Aduke to forgive him. He was surprised to see that Aduke was even very lovely and charming. Aduke was 20 years old then. She was so robust, pretty and homely.

She had a brown, shining skin and she was well-mannered. Some few weeks later, he wedded Aduke because she was the one who stood by him throughout his trying days. Aduke was very happy and vowed never to let Yinka down till death do them part. She conceived and later gave birth to a bouncing baby boy for Yinka Thomas. The christening ceremony was magnificent. Yinka would never forget that Christmas period in his life, for it was a season filled with miracles and revelations about the power of the Almighty God in the lives of mere mortals.