TALES OF DANSVILLE EPISODE 4: BLACK ROSE

The biggest day of Adjoa's life so far dawned on as the sun broke into the room to attack her worn-out and baggy eyes. She struggled to sleep the whole night in anticipation of her wedding, binge-watching her favourite TV show for the fifth time. At least the makeup would cover the dark circles around her eyes if it came down to it. She smiled as she glanced up the wardrobe to see the wedding dress, long white with shimmery diamond studs around the waist. The big flower embroidered on the right breast of the dress was a late addition she demanded. A red rose, with the words "MY LOVE", running along its green stalk.

She tapped on the next episode, hoping that'd be the last one she watched before getting ready. Her mother would arrive any time soon to giddy her up for the wedding at 10 AM.

Victor picked his phone as soon he woke up and checked the messages. He wanted to text Adjoa like he usually did but today was a special day. This would most likely be the last morning he ever had to do that. "I'll be waking up to her beautiful face every morning." Scrolling past Abena's contact his eyes caught on one contact. His ex, one unread message:

Hey, happy marriage. I wish it was us instead but all the best anyway. See you later.

"See me later? How did she know it was today? I didn't invite her. What?"

The message rocked his mind. She wasn't thrilled by their breaking up and Victor hope she didn't have any plans in mind

He typed "thanks" and then closed the messaging app, connected the phone to the charger and walked to the bathroom.

"Are we still doing this?" A text popped up on Catherine's phone as she stretched, getting up from the bed. The foggy dry air hit her as she opened the window to allow fresh air into the cabin. The smell of fresh leaves washed by the morning dew gave her life. The sun hadn't fully risen, but in places like these, it rarely ever did. She dragged her messy black hair off her face, putting it into a bun and then picked up her phone. "There's nothing like sleeping naked". She said out loud as she tapped on the only unread message on her phone.

"Of course. Are you having doubts?" She texted back. Before she opened the door to use the washroom, her phone screen lit up again.

"Oh no, it's on" The message read.

That's better.

Adjoa's mother, Mary entered not long after Adjoa walked out of the bathroom.

"Adjoa, you couldn't sleep?" She asked as she hung her bag on the seat and sat down. The room made her question her daughter's home training: bedsheet crumpled, clothes peeling out of the wardrobes and drawers, empty chip bags serenading the bed, white-turned-brown pillowcase and a dirty towel hanging on the wardrobe. Not today Mary, not today. 

"Yeah. I couldn't. I'd wake up every 5 minutes"

"That's excitement," she smiled, "happened to me too. And the butterflies. Life after the wedding is even better. You just need to learn how to please your-"

"Mummy, it's okay. Don't come and stress this morning. Just fix the front of the wig for me." Adjoa placed the wig on her head and turned to face her mum and she went working.

"How's dad?"

"Oh, you know him. He was still complaining when I left."

"So he won't come because I'm not having a wedding in the church?"

"He's the pastor of the church, and her daughter isn't getting married in one. Understand"

"Understand? It's not necessary at all."

"Having your marriage blessed in God's house is necessary as a Christian." Her mother picked a toothbrush and brushed the front of the hair to lay the edges flat with a styling gel.

Adjoa had so many questions about Christianity she wanted to get off her chest. The inconsistencies in the four Gospels, the contradictions and the evidence of evolution which renders the creation story inaccurate left her at sea. There was still hope for religion, maybe God would send her a sign, something to hold on to for dear life.

"Which Bible people married in the church? Which of them recited the vows? Are those vows in the Bible?" She attacked her mum with questions.

"Things were different. God now wants us to do so"

"But God is the same forever or?" Adjoa sat still as Mary picked a Bobby pin, nipped the front hair to her natural hair and then got up to signify she was done.

"It's okay. You can never understand God. Get dressed and let's go."

Ah, typical answer. Well...

"I still have makeup to do." She picked her makeup bag and went to work. In minutes, her face glossed in the face of the ring light in front of the mirror.

When she got up to pick the dress, her hand ran over the rose embroidery. She smiled.

Back in the cabin, Catherine picked up her phone and placed it in her handbag, full of unimportant things just to make the bag look useful. Once she got outside, she walked over to her car, opened the boot to reveal a black suitcase, a shovel, and a spare tyre. After opening to make sure everything was intact, she sat in the car and drove off.

Catherine Ablade, an impeccable sniper, was forced to retire after a devastating injury in one of the peace-keeping assignments in 2015. She fell trying to set her foot on one of the rocks at the top of a hill, rolling down and her body hitting rocks along the way. To have survived this fall alone was pure luck and after being discharged, she made the conscious effort to get fit.

During the recovery, her then-fiancé broke up with her to pursue his dreams and not have the burden of taking care of her. According to him, their relationship had lost its spark and he was no longer attracted to her. Devastating as this was, she didn't let it faze her. The determination to get better and win back her love heightened, only to find out her fiancé was already seeing someone else and getting ready for marriage. She channeled her anger into getting back into action.

Catherine stayed at home training for months until she received an offer from a former boss to kill an unknown subject. After hesitating for weeks, she finally accepted. No questions asked, no answers given. That first kill sent thrills down her spine and butterflies ablaze in her stomach. She missed the action. Today would be her second mission, albeit strange, it burned the flames inside her.

*Ring*

"That's the fourth time they're calling. Will calling automatically teleport me there?" Adjoa's frustration increased every time the phone rang. The heat was trying to kill her and loud sounds irritated her skin and ears.

"Relax Adjoa, it's out of excitement"

"They should relax, I told them I was coming, so what's this? Please put the phone on silent for me"

The veil hovered over her face, making her skin crawl any time it touched her sweaty face. She stood in front of the standing fan at the corner of the room and removed the veil.

"I'll wear it when we get close to the building"

"Okay, should we leave now?" Mary asked.

"Oh yeah yeah. Call the driver to get the car ready."

Catherine mused over this mission when she got to the location. As unconventional as this was, she was still willing to. The hotel door slid open to reveal an open lit waiting room with huge nature paintings hanging on the walls. Two young girls stood at the reception trying to get a room, in vain. The only way to get a room was through reservations. Catherine took out her booking receipt, showed it to the receptionists and took a key from them. The room she chose gave a clear view of her target. The second floor, the middle room and in direct eyesight with her target. She removed the sniper gun from the suitcase and set it up.

Adjoa and her entourage got to the venue in a few minutes and once the guests spotted her, they alerted the groom and the usual wedding tune followed. She opted for an open space to have the wedding so there were no restrictions on the decorations and they could have the reception at the same venue. Everything for the wedding was provided by the hotel; the comfy glamorous silver chairs, canopies, and even the food. So all they had to do was pay for the whole service package and choose their theme. It turned out beautiful. Adjoa walked down the aisle with her uncle since her dad was a no-show. Victor stood smiling joker-style and was probably as nervous as she was. The flower girl threw flower petals on the red carpet before her as she walked towards the altar. The crowd started clapping when she got to her fiancé.

 The presiding priest started the ceremony, reading a few Bible verses, and then asked if anyone dissented to the marriage. That question sent the whole place quiet, Victor nervously wiping his face, hoping his ex didn't show up to ruin anything. There was no reason to be paranoid, he hadn't done anything wrong. Before the priest could continue, there was a loud bang, like a gunshot coming from one of the rooms on the too floors. Everyone turned their attention up behind them, except Adjoa who was reeling from the sharp pain in the breast. She fell to the ground lying on her stomach. The thump alerted Victor who quickly rushed to her with blood oozing out and staining her dress

"Someone call the ambulance!" "In this Ghana? I'll get my car ready"

Catherine packed up and dashed outside. She maintained composure while still walking quickly and briskly. The hotel was in chaos, the hotel staff rushed to the scene to see what had happened. She walked past them into the big waiting room and the receptionist stopped her.

"Hello, excuse me, there has been a gunshot and no one is allowed to leave the premises"

"What? I'm already late for a meeting. That's the reason I came here, for the meeting exactly."

"Yes and we're sorry about-"

"C'mon. You can't be serious right now. Someone's dying and I'm sad about that but how's that my problem? I need to leave this instant."

"Ok, then I'll have the security staff search you then you can go" the receptionist sighed.

"What? You think I-?" Catherine trying hard to look annoyed.

"No we don't, it's just protocol."

With her bag still in hand, the security personnel snatched it and dropped its contents into one of the chairs, nothing except files and notepads. He then used the handheld metal detector to scan her body and there was nothing.

"You can go now"

"Can go now? I'm not packing the stuff back in myself."

"Ma'am, we don't have time for this" the security guard just walked out on her.

"Don't have time? You people wasted my time and you're telling me you don't have time and then you-"

"We're sorry, let me do it" with that, the receptionist got out of the booth and packed the files into the bag and was ready.

"Thank you, I'm just stressed. Sorry for the attitude today."

"Oh don't worry, we all have days like that."

"Hmm. I'll be back around 6. Thanks for your patience."

With that, she exited the hotel into the car and sped off.

"She's still breathing so that's good news." Victor laid over her body, crying and shouting her name to wake her up. He felt a pang of instant guilt when he remembered the message he received from his ex. He should have been extra careful today. His eyes couldn't look away from her almost lifeless eyes and blood-stained wedding dress. The car was parked right in front of the ceremony and a few people helped carry her into the car. Her mum, Mary, kept praying, blaming herself for easily accepting the wedding being held here. It wouldn't have happened in the church, she kept muttering to herself.

As the car left the compound, Victor clutched Adjoa's face to his body, hugging her so tight, wishing this wouldn't be the last time.

"Can I breathe please?"

"What?" Victor released her to see a smiling Adjoa, now laughing hysterically, causing the driver to laugh too.

"What's happening?" Victor still confused.

"It's a prank" she screamed out loud, still laughing.

"What?" He couldn't even form a complete sentence at this point, his mouth still wide open. He felt relief with a dash of anger.

Adjoa thought of this plan a few months back and as the wedding drew closer, she was more determined to pull it off. She wanted one of the best snipers to help her with it. An army friend recommended Catherine and they talked over the plan. Catherine suggested they used plastic bullets instead of real ones of course. She had advised her against the whole idea because plastic would be painful but after seeing a YouTube video of the Apple titanium card stopping bullets, she decided to get one.

She requested the rose on the wedding dress to mask a patch she wanted to sew behind it. The rose would hide the seams. In the patch was the apple card. She paid for Catherine's room, one that would make her job easier so they could pull it off.

To simulate the gushing blood, she bought theatrical blood, poured it into a tiny balloon and placed it in the patch in front of the Apple card. Inside the balloon was also a squib, which would explode on pressure from the gunshot. Perfect plan.

"When I fell, I saw the bullet lying on the ground so I turned over to pick it, else you would've known," Adjoa said, still laughing.

"So who shot you?" Victor asked.

"Some random army person I hired. She's really good", she smiled and then continued "So we planned that after she shot me she would just escape"

"Ah, Adjoa. You really thought out this plan but w'agyimi o" You're foolish. Victor stared at her stained dress and then started laughing.

"I thought the rose was some sort of symbolism or something. Ah, this girl?"

Victor's phone rang, "It's your mum"

"Yeah, answer and tell her I'm fine. You know what cut the call" she straightened her hair and the dress and then continued, "Akwei, give me my phone.

"You know the driver?"

"Yeah hotel cleaner, we planned that he would pick up the gun from the room. He's a cleaner so he can get access to the keys. And also be the one to drive me to the hospital." She broke off, laughing again.

"Wow, this girl" They both laughed.

She navigated the phone to launch the video calling application and called her mum.

"She'd be so annoyed", she said as she tapped on her mum's contact. After three rings, she picked.

"Ah. How are- ...Adjoa?"

"Mummy," she said howling, "yeah it was a prank madam"

"Ah but why? A day like this?"

"You know you didn't give birth to a normal child. This would be so good for YouTube"

"Ah Adjoa, are you mad? Had me all worried. Ah, you millennial kids and your obsession with the internet, I will never understand." Mary scolded her on the phone incensed at the situation and then ended up laughing.

"Anyway, thank God. So are you coming or what?"

"Oh yes. We're on our way back"

She ended the call, asked the driver to take them back to the hotel for her to change into something nice, not a wedding dress, and head to the wedding.

Catherine sat in a pub, clutching her third glass. She enjoyed the company of one drunk stranger who kept rumbling about nonsense. She heard an alert on her phone. It was Adjoa, she sent the rest of the cash, then another message came through

Hey, thanks for today. Don't let life beat you down. Pursue your dreams, go back into the army and hopefully you'll meet someone better in the future

"So much for opening up," She said out loud and put the phone away. 

She wasn't wrong though. She gulped the last of her drink and then sped off in her car.