"Go And Sin No More."

 Nkechi and Ikechukwu wedded in a colourful wedding ceremony, that attracted the cream of society. The marriage was a one-in-town wedding, that attracted the high and mighty in the town, and beyond. There was money to spend, and Ikechukwu spent  it without hesitation. Every person who attended the wedding went home with a very precious gift--handbags, stoves, handsets, pots, gas cookers etc.

After their third child, six years later, Ike's fortune nose-dived to an abysmal low, and he lost his wealth, and began to beg bread. As a motor parts dealer, he was well-connected, and imported his goods from abroad. His friends were notable millionaires, known in Nigeria and beyond. The dwindling economic fortunes of Nigeria affected his business adversely, but what destroyed him completely was the emergency of a greedy governor, who pulled down many houses in the state capital, and sent many hardworking people to their early graves, and before he vacated the office, imposed an imbecile as his successor.

Ikechukwu lost twenty-four  houses within one week, and ended up in the hospital for one month. When he came back to his senses, he was a ghost of his former self, and began begging for bread. He was stalked by loved ones, who made sure he never attempted suicide. He sold whatever was left of his wealth, and wanted to leave the country in a hurry, but was duped by some unscrupulous fraudsters.

Ikechukwu became a tenant, and was fed and cartered for by his wife, who became a monster.

As soon as Nkechi became the breadwinner, her contenance, and disposition changed over night. She became a ruthless slave mistress, and treated her husband with severe cruelty and disdain. She treated her husband better than a dog, and immediately Ikechukwu became a glorified house boy, and lost his self-esteem.

Not only was Ikechukwu insulted by his wife, before his children, she also encouraged them to dispise their father, but thank God, they never did, and still held their father in high esteem. Nkechi provided for her children, but abandoned her husband. Nkechi and her children were fed first, and Ikechukwu was fed last. When there was little, he went hungry. Or, he was fed with sour, leftover food. On one occasion, he went out to beg for food, and was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver. Ikechukwu lay abandoned in the hospital until friends and well-wishers came to his rescue.

The friends and well-wishers did not hesitate to tell Nkechi the gospel truth, which made her feign a change of heart, but she was only playing to the gallery.

Nkechi who was still young, and attractive, started bringing her numerous lovers to her matrimonial home, despising her husband. When Ikechukwu complained, he was threatened with ejection from his lawful home. He therefore kept quiet, because an Igbo proverb says,"when a lion becomes lame, an antelope comes to collect her debt." Since life is precious, he decided to keep quiet to save his life. Another proverb says that, "he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day." Even the legendary Bob Marley made that proverb a popular song.

Nkechi and her foremost lover, Donatus, planned to kill Ikechi but nemesis caught up with them. After Nkechi bought a rat poison, she forgot to keep it well, and her youngest child got hold of the stuff, and swallowed the contents. Luckily, a nearby neighbour brought a poison-destroyer that nullified the effect of the poison, before the child was rushed to a hospital, and nearly died. Her survival is still a miracle, even as doctors feared some organic damage.

Nkechi hysterically confessed that she was advised by Donatus, to poison her husband so that their love affair would not be disturbed by a jealous husband.

After a week, the child was discharged from the hospital, and played about with gusto, as though nothing happened.

Ikechukwu knew he was in a serious trouble, and began to draw near to God.  The Bible says," those who trust in the Lord, are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but abides forever."(Psalm:125:1). He began to pray, and read the Bible. He remembered how David suffered after killing Goliath."Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you (Psalm 50: 15). "The righteous cry out and the Lord hears them, and delivers them."( Psalm 34:17). But Nkechi mocked and taunted him as he sought the face of God. She daubed him a lazy man who refused to work. As Ikechukwu prayed more, he forgot his problems. He ransacked the Bible, looking for the promises of God. He confessed them for hours, and also converted them to prayer points.

The Bible says, "if you faint on the day of adversity, your faith is small."(Proverbs 24:10). The Bible also says,"a righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all."(Psalm 34:19).

He made sure that their family altar was not abandoned. They prayed morning and evening, and at times, Nkechi would call out her child and send her on an errand while prayers were said. To avoid trouble, Ikechukwu would continue to pray with the rest.

Nothing brings people closer to God than when they suffer hunger, oppression from a strong enemy, disease and misfortune. It is only a few people who seek God when things are going well for them. As soon as things improve, they bid God bye bye. That was what happened in Helen Ukpabio's Heaven's Gate. As soon as Themi became rich, he forgot God, and his Christian friends, who laboured with him in prayers. He only truely repented after he died, and God gave him a second chance.

Nkechi started forcing him to do house hold chores before he was fed. She dehumanized him so much that the man lost considerable weight.

He almost joined a cult, out of desperation, in order to acquire money, but God rebuked him in a dream, and told to have faith in God. 

One day Nkechi eloped with her lover to an unknown destination, and abandoned her husband and children. 

Just one day, Ikechi ran into an old classmate along Trans-Ekulu Road, in the Coal City.  The man, who is an importer, gave him an immediate employment, and placed him on a salary of ₦300 000 per month. He also gave him a house and a car.

Nkechi soon fell out with her lover, and a very bitter quarrel ensued between them; nemesis at work. Nkechi left to an unknown destination, and soon, Donatus was found stone dead one Sunday morning. It was alleged that Donatus died after taking Viagra and embarked on a marathon sex spree with an undergraduate, who escaped when he died.

The Police eventually located Nkechi, who was promptly arrested, and detained for six months. She proffered every evidence to prove she was away, but the Police still refused to let her off the hook, because no bribe was offered to them. Nevertheless, Ikechukwu facilitated her release, as she was quickly charged to court, and discharged and acquitted for lack of evidence to prosecute her for murder.

When Nkechi returned home, she was jittery and very uncomfortable, like someone who was coming to the house for the first time. She soon summoned her friends, and relations to beg Ikechi, and asked for forgiveness. Like Joseph, he forgave her. Like, Jesus, he told her,"go and sin no more." And that settled it.

The close relatives of Donatus were irked that a married man abandoned his family, to fool around with the women of easy virtues.

Many people had encouraged Ike to let Nkechi perish in detention for her numerous sins, as her judgement day had come. Ikechukwu had asked himself, if Jesus was involved in this matter, how would he have reacted to this matter? He would have forgiven her any way. Jesus Christ forgave those who condemned him to death, and Stephen did the same. Why would he not follow the footsteps of his master?

When his relations learnt that Nkechi had returned to Ikechukwu's house, they came for trouble, but when Ikechi warned them to leave Nkechi alone, they all left her alone, concluding he was mental, and went to consult a native doctor on behalf of the family.

James Hardly Chase wrote a novel titled: The Guilty Are Afraid. Nkechi was troubled by a guilty conscience. Even though her husband has forgiven her, but she refused to forgive herself.

So one day, just like that, she fled her home. Every effort made to bring her back failed. Seeing her husband everyday, was a problem, because of the atrocities she had committed against him.