THE LAST WEEKEND IN JUNE

TLWIJ STORY
TLWIJ STORY
Bemah in prison

Introduction

The Last Weekend in June– Bemah is accused of the murder of her husband and goes through court proceedings to prove her innocence.

I might be the worst citizen this country has ever seen as I faced trial for one of the best national assets—a well-known bank manager, Sedem Okyere. I might be insane to plead ‘not guilty’ but I really didn’t mean to do it. I can’t take the fall for his death. He called for his own death.

Chapter 1: My Story

“Miss Bemah, the court will like to know how you met your late husband and the journey through your marriage with him until you sadly murdered him in cold blood.” The prosecutor asked.

My lawyer signalled me to go ahead and cooperate with the prosecutor, as we had previously rehearsed.

I cleared my throat and started telling my story.

“Boatemaa, my best friend of ten years, invited me to her church one Sunday morning. We had previously had conversations about how I had been a victim of some crazy relationships, from dating weed smokers to drunkards. She persuaded me to go to church. Primarily, to find a husband.

“The guys in my church are husband-worthy, trust me; fine guys with very good personalities, and on top of it all, very God-fearing.” She mentioned.

We sat in the front row, and boy, was I washed off my feet! I locked eyes with the guitarist, a really tall and dark gentleman who looked about my age. We exchanged glances a number of times, and Boatemaa noticed this quite easily.

“You see what I was telling you? They’re so good-looking. Would you want me to hook you up with him? We are friends.” She said almost immediately.

I hesitated at first, but later gave in.

“Hi, I’m Sedem.” He said to me after church service in a deep and husky voice. His strong and tall physique was so commanding that it took me a while to respond.

“Hi Sedem, I’m Bemah,” I replied, trying to match his confident demeanour.”

“We talked for a while and exchanged phone numbers. The chemistry was right there at the beginning; we both felt it.

We did not waste time; we quickly started kicking it off that very evening over a long phone call conversation.

“How is a bank manager a guitarist in church?” I asked.

He laughed and said, “This is my little service to God; the little I can do for the ministry.”

That statement turned me on. He said all the right things. Where has this guy been all my life? I thought to myself. So humble, God-fearing, and respectful. Especially after I have had a bad dating history, I valued him even more, with my very immediate ex cheating on me with a fifty-eight-year-old woman. Can you imagine?

So Sedem was my trophy boyfriend. He possessed all the qualities I was looking for. We became boyfriend and girlfriend, and this is how our fairy-tale story began.”

Chapter 2: Sedem’s Past

“We laid down naked on the couch one Saturday evening after making sweet love to each other. He had set scented candles around the sitting room and dimmed the light. We stayed lying on the couch, opening up to each other about our past.

“My ex and I had to end things after six months of dating, finding out our parents were not in favour of our union.” He told me.

“Ooh, that’s sad,” I said. “How come? What was the reason?” I was curious.

“They found our tribes not to be compatible. This is the problem we face in this stupid country. My parents blatantly told me not to marry into that tribe, just as hers.”

He removed his arm from under my head and showed me a little tattoo on his wrist. It was a drawing of a canoe. “This was our sign together. We both had matching tattoos, and this canoe represented our love and the fact that one day we will sail away and live together in a faraway land.”

He said that with a sad tone and with a demeanour I had not yet seen before. He then told me about how they had to go their separate ways and not keep in touch any more. I consoled him and kissed him. We made a couple of promises to each other—never to let go, no matter what.”

“Sedem then reached into his drawer and brought out a pendant. He went on one knee and asked that I marry him. That was the happiest day of my life till date. His grandmother gave him the gold pendant, which looked particularly familiar, as a gift for the love of his life. That’s what made that moment my happiest; I felt really special. Apparently, he divided it into two halves; he had given the other to his ex, and he decided to gift me the one that should have been his.

Our wedding preparations were going so well. My girls were happy for me; we had even planned a bachelorette party at an expensive beach hotel in the countryside. It was supposed to be my last fun day as a single lady, but it ended up being the worst day of my life.

I had a call from Sedem that very morning about the bachelorette, and he was furious about the plan with my girls. He reiterated that he was going to be my husband and therefore needs to know my ins and outs, including who I hang out with.

To make matters worse, he had sent a lady friend of his, whom I was not particularly friends with, to attend the party, to obviously monitor my movements and whom I was going to be with. I got extremely furious but obliged. Many of the girls felt really uncomfortable about the situation, but I had to suck it up and pretend I was okay.

I guess this was God’s sign to me—to run while I was single. I was marrying a narcissistic and controlling maniac. But of course, as the silly girl I have always been who always ended up in bad relationships, I brushed it off like it was nothing and carried on with the wedding. 

The wedding happened, but everything was on his terms. From the colours, to the choice of music, vendors used–everything, he picked everything.”

The courtroom grew slightly noisier after I called my late husband such names. His family was completely furious. But the judge slammed his gavel on the desk and demanded some silence before I could proceed.

Chapter 3: Hell of a Marriage

“Sedem insisted that I remain a stay-at-home wife. He said he had enough money to take care of me and the household. This was something we had talked about on countless occasions, but he only realised he kept getting angrier each time it came up.

Just three months into the marriage, and it was already turning into a sour ordeal. Sedem started coming home late from work. He hardly paid any attention to me, and it was becoming a concern for me. Any time I brought it up for discussion, he would gaslight me into thinking it was all up in my head. 

But the wake-up call came one Friday night when he returned from work at midnight. What infuriated me the most was that he had not answered any of my calls. He gave me a peck on the cheek when he saw me seated in the living room and walked upstairs to the bedroom. I followed him and yelled, “Where have you been, Seddy? You have not answered any of my calls. And why do you smell different?”

I could swear he had on a female perfume that was pretty familiar. I grabbed him from behind to interrogate him further, only for him to raise his hand, with the back of his palm smacking my face. Sedem slapped me so hard that I fell off the staircase, rolling down to the base of the stairs.

“How dare you speak to me that way, woman? Have you forgotten your manners? Or do you fail to forget that I’m the man of the house? You live in my house and want to disrespect me?” He asked with rage.

I stayed lying on the floor with my face on the ground, completely frozen. I started crying my eyes out, then I heard his footsteps coming down the stairs towards me. He came to stand over me and turned me over. At this point, I was completely scared of what he was going to do next. I could hear him breathing heavily as he stared down at me.

“I’m sorry, Bemah.”

That was all he uttered, and went back upstairs. I picked myself up, with pains all over my body, and cried uncontrollably.”

Chapter 4: Punching Bag

“Despite Sedem’s adamance, I still decided to look for a job. I spent all the time at home surfing the internet, looking for job openings. I made sure I did everything without Sedem’s knowledge. I would periodically delete my browser history on my laptop and delete all text messages with people pertaining to job hunts, as Sedem would randomly go through. 

I would secretly attend interviews and come home like nothing had happened. I made sure to wash the interview attires and use the dryer immediately upon returning, to keep it from Sedem.

My prayers were answered. I received a call from a reputable agency demanding my services as a client service representative. I jumped to the news and could not hold back my tears of joy. I quickly got on my knees and said a prayer to thank God.

Sedem got home quite early that day. I realised he was in high spirits, which was the perfect opportunity for me to tell him about my job. I took off his jacket and greeted him with a kiss. I prepared the tub so that he could have a warm bath. I quickly took off my clothes and joined him in the tub.

“How was your day?” I asked, pressing his head back against my chest as I caressed his hair. After he told me about his day, I waited for the perfect time to drop the bombshell. 

“You did what?” he asked after I told him. He raised his head and turned to look at me. “Tell them you’re no longer interested in the job.” He said sternly, then looked away. 

I could not believe what I was hearing. “Are you telling me not to go in for this job? Are you serious?” I asked him.

“Yes, I am serious!” He uttered.

I started to boil inside with rage. I was fuming on the inside. This monster clearly had no good intentions for me. But I had to stand my ground and not yield to his evil. I quickly calmed myself down. 

“I’m sorry, but I won’t. I’m looking out for my future as well. I’m not going to turn down the offer; I’m sorry.” I told him.”

“Sedem slowly stood up from the tub, grabbed his towel, and wiped himself. There was dead silence in the bathroom. He said nothing for some time. I was getting nervous at his silence and really wanted to find out what was going on in his head.

After cleaning himself, he sat down at the edge of the tub, closer to me, and looked at me. The monster stared at me for a good ten seconds and smiled. He then raised his hand and began choking me. He squeezed his grip even harder and yelled at me, “This is going to be the last time you disobey me; I am your husband; you need to submit to me.”

His squeeze became harder as he yelled, and he let go when he realized my eyes were bulging red. He then gave me a soft kiss on my forehead and left the bathroom. I sobbed all night, thinking of how I could find my way out of this.”

Chapter 5: War Room

““You’ve got to fight for your marriage, Bemah. Remember your vows, ‘for better, for worse.'”

After I confessed everything to Boatemaa in shameful tears, she tried her hardest to persuade me to stay in the marriage.

“Have you seen the movie War Room?” She asked. “You should if you haven’t. It’s about a woman who struggled in her marriage but decided to stay in it and fight back with prayer. Every day, she prayed in a prayer room she had made for herself. You should follow suit, and I promise you; God will come through for you.”

Boatemaa’s words were rather comforting. She calmed me down after we talked things through. I had agreed to pray through my struggles. I had made up my mind not to talk back to Sedem when he tried his shenanigans, but rather to take it to prayer. 

And that’s what I did. I prayed every minute, every second, and every day. I prayed all the time until I began to lose my voice. It had gone on for three months. Though things were getting worse, I still persevered with prayer. I got pregnant and aborted it after Sedem asked me to. Boatemaa also advised me to abort the baby in order to save my marriage. I always did what he asked without questioning. At that point, I had become his slave.”

“Can you cut to the chase now? We’ve heard enough about your unfortunate treatment at the hands of your late husband, but how does a prayerful wife who does not fight back end up murdering her beloved husband?” The prosecutor interrupted my sad love story.

The prosecutor was getting impatient, waiting for me to simply admit that I had killed him. 

Chapter 6: The Fateful Night

“It was a Saturday morning, and I stayed in bed with severe crumps. I could barely even walk that morning, but the maniac wanted his breakfast served. I managed to make my way downstairs to the kitchen slowly, as every step ignited more pain in my abdomen.

I heard him in the hall polishing his shoe and getting ready for his breakfast. I looked up to the heavens and said a short prayer in silence. I felt so sad and down. However, I tried to pick myself up, and started making something for him. But my limbs couldn’t hold me any longer. I squatted on the floor in pain.

“Seddy!” I called out to him. “I won’t be able to make your meal, unfortunately; I’m having crumps this morning.” I cried out in pain, but well, I should not have mentioned it to him. Sedem walked up to me and shoved me flat on the ground.

“But you look fine, my dear.” He blurted out to me. “You’re just having your menses; you should still be able to cook. Here, let me help you.””

“While still standing, he gently placed his foot on my tummy and started pushing. He pushed his foot against my stomach and watched me scream. 

“Yeah, the crumps will go; stop holding back; let me take the pain away.” 

At some point, I watched him forcefully stamp his foot on my tummy. I screamed my lungs out and pleaded for him to stop. He kept doing it until I could not scream anymore. He then held me by the neck and lifted me to my feet. 

“Now, start making something. You can just fry an omelette and add hot chocolate since you’re not well.” He said it with a smile on his face, giving me a peck on the cheek.

I had had enough! Enough was enough! My sadness had turned into the utmost rage. I hated him at this point. Enough with the prayers. Immediately, adrenaline gashed through my system.

Sedem turned around to make his way to the living room. Quickly, I snatched the nearest knife I could find, gathered all my momentum, and stretched out a few steps towards him. When I got closer, I stabbed him deep behind the neck. I made sure I used all the strength I could amass and buried that knife deep down into his neck, watching him bleed.

Sedem screamed, turned around to look at me in disbelief, and slowly dropped to the floor. I watched blood gash out from the back of his neck profusely. 

Chapter 7: What Have I Done?

What have I done? I thought to myself. I just killed someone. What have I done? I placed both hands on my head in disbelief and shock. I began to cry and apologise to Sedem. I was so sorry for what I had done. I quickly dropped to the floor and placed a kitchen napkin on his wound.

I immediately heard his phone ringing and reached out for it. Surprisingly, it was Boatemaa. I thanked the heavens and immediately told her everything that had happened. 

“Calm down, calm down, Bemah. I can’t believe you did that. But wait there; don’t do anything stupid; I’ll be there soon.” 

Boatemaa graciously appeared at the front porch just a few minutes after the call. I hurriedly opened the door.

“I killed him. I killed him.” I said while crying profusely.

“What have you done, Bemah?” Boatemaa went into the living room to see Sedem bleeding profusely on the floor. Boatemaa looked stunned.

“Help me, Boatemaa! This is what Sedem said, reaching out his hand to her.”

“Boatemaa asked me to go to the washroom to wash down all the blood I have on myself. As I was washing down, in about ten minutes I had heard police siren sounds getting closer. I became frightened and quickly rushed out into the living room.

Too late; I  met three policemen in the living room. They asked that we put our hands up. How the police got to the house so fast was a wonder to me. The police placed Boatemaa and me in handcuffs and took us into custody. Sedem was put into an ambulance, and that was the last time I laid my eyes on my husband. Boatemaa was let off the hook while I remained in police custody.

Chapter 8: The Verdict

“Very interesting story. The God-fearing woman who murdered her husband in cold blood.” The prosecutor said while shaking his head. The trial did not look promising for me. I had accepted my fate—prison. 

The court took a short recess and commenced an hour later. The judge took his seat with a rather serious look on his face and proceeded straight to the verdict.

“Mrs. Bemah Okyere, the court finds you guilty of first-degree murder based on the evidence presented, which demonstrates beyond a reasonable doubt that you intended to kill the victim, your husband, Mr. Sedem Okyere. The severity of this crime warrants the maximum penalty under the law. Therefore, the court sentences you to death by hanging. Your execution is slated for the last weekend in June. May the Lord be with you.” 

I quickly lost my balance and dropped to the floor. I wept. The courtroom at this point was very noisy, with most of the noise coming from Sedem’s family. Perhaps, I deserved it. I killed my husband. I am now the monster, the maniac I called my husband. I was immediately escorted out of the courtroom, passing through a host of media men outside asking many questions.

I began to count my days. The last weekend in June was only eight months away. I had just eight months to live on this earth. I stayed coiled up in my prison cell, crying every day. I shared the cell with five other ladies, who always smelled like rotten fish. They fed me a meal once a day—one that no one would even feed to his dogs.

Chapter 9: That Visit

Two months had passed. I had started growing lean and sick. Someone had just summoned me; a visitor was present. Gladly, it was Boatemaa

Boatemaa came to visit me for the first time since I started serving my jail time. I felt neglected by her because she hadn’t been there for me when I needed her most. But I could not fault her; who would want to be associated with a murderer. 

“I’m sorry I could not be here for you, girlfriend. I had travelled for work. How are you doing?” she asked.

Boatemaa had gained some weight, and I couldn’t help but notice her glow. Her white attire, cut open at the top, showcased her stunning neck.

“I’m doing well, girlfriend, but you look pregnant.” We both burst out into laughter as we started catching up. But I could not help but notice Boatemaa’s necklace.

She had on a gold necklace with a pendant, which looked particularly familiar. Yes! It was the exact same pendant that Sedem gave me before we got married. Oh my days!

“That’s a beautiful chain you have on, girlfriend. How long have you had it? And how come I’m only now seeing it?” I asked.

“Oh, I have had this for many years now; a friend of mine got it for me. However, I stopped wearing it when we fell out. I only decided to put it on because today happens to be the day it was given to me.”

My mind started racing with questions at this point. Why would she remember vividly the date she received the chain unless it was special? Could this be what I was thinking? And that perfume she had on. When I hugged her goodbye, it was quite powerful. I knew I had smelled that before on Sedem.

The rest of our conversation left me disoriented. I was present, but my mind was racing in circles. I bid her farewell, went into my cell, and started thinking deeper. I remembered there was a time Boatemaa told me about a boyfriend she had loved but never had the chance to be with. I cast my mind back to the exact time and remembered that she mentioned, just around that time, that she had had a tattoo removed of him. I sat up and got even more convinced. Sedem had told me he and his ex-girlfriend had matching tattoos; Boatemaa also told me she once had a matching tattoo removed.

I placed my hand on my chin and pondered deeper. Why a canoe? Why was the tattoo on Sedem’s arm a canoe? Wait! What if it isn’t a canoe but a boat? The first four letters of the name Boatemaa are “Boat.” Oh my God! I was losing my mind at this point.

I quickly got up and summoned the guard. “I need to make an emergency call, please.”

We had the freedom to make an emergency call once a week, but I rarely used mine because I had completely lost contact with the outside world. They immediately escorted me to the phone booth, where I asked my sister to connect me to my lawyer because I couldn’t recall his number. “I’ll be there first thing tomorrow.”—that was what he said.

Chapter 10: A Deep Dive

My lawyer sat right across the table as we began to deliberate on the new development in the story. There were so many unanswered questions.

“Where was Boatemaa on the night of the murder while you were washing down in the bathroom?” My attorney asked me.

“She instructed me to head to the washroom while she was in the living room with Sedem. When I came out, the police had already surrounded the perimeter.”

He took a deep breath and then asked. “Was Sedem dead before you went into the washroom?” 

“No, he wasn’t, I answered.”

“And was he dead by the time you got out of the washroom?” he asked.

“Well, I wouldn’t know. The police asked, I put up my hand; there was no time to check if Sedem was still alive.” I responded. 

“Bemah, how many times did you stab Sedem?” He asked again.

“I stabbed him once, at the back. Just once. But what are you driving at? Please talk to me!” I pleaded.

“I do not know how you may take this, but I think there’s a possibility your best friend may have killed your husband. I may not know the exact reason why though, but what I can tell you is that the autopsy results indicated he was stabbed in the back and another in the chest.”

I could not believe what I was hearing. My face was lit up in bewilderment. “Is there a chance we can request a retrial?” I asked, with the slim hope of making it out of that hell.

“Yes, it is possible, but we will need more evidence than this to be able to convince the judge. This process may take some time, which you do not have. So, at this point, we need to pray.”

My attorney’s words echoed in my ears that whole week. I stayed locked up in my cell, thinking of the glimmer of hope I may have and, at the same time, pondering why my best friend of ten years would do this to me. But my weeks turned into months, and before I knew it, we were already in June, and I had not heard from my lawyer. I had now begun to lose hope. I ceased my prayers and embraced the fact that my execution was imminent. Many nights, my wails in confinement got louder. I was torn between singing hymns and being disappointed in God. I resorted to crying until the final hour.

Chapter 11: The Last Weekend in June

Finally, the day the entire city had been waiting for arrived. I was going to meet death. My in-laws were the first to be present. Many couldn’t miss the death of the wicked wife. Fate had caught up with me, as I expected.

Before I left, I received my first proper shower in a warm tub and a special meal of my choice. I only asked for a burger and a bottle of coke because it reminded me of my late father, who used to buy them for me. 

The moment had arrived. I wore a white apparel that was purposely made for me.

However, just when I was about to be placed in the rope, a command was given by the officer in charge to stop the execution process. I was immediately dragged out of the execution room into an exclusive room. I wasn’t in chains, and I didn’t have to speak to my visitors through a partition. Wait, what just happened? Everything happened so fast. And who’s behind all of this? I thought to myself.

It was my lawyer. He had in his hand a court order, with smiles on his face. “We got some more evidence, and the court has granted us a retrial. We have a chance to do this, Bemah.”

Chapter 12: The Final Proceeding

I walked into the courtroom, completely oblivious of what my lawyer had up his sleeves. I only hoped it was enough to get me out of that hell. I was walked to my seat. I looked to my left and saw Boatemaa, seated with a frown on her face. For the first time, I saw my girlfriend and felt no love. Though I was not completely convinced she did it, I still hated her for being so secretive.

“I’ll like to call to the stand Detective Bampo Essel, the chief detective for this case for questioning.” My attorney said when given the go-ahead by the judge.

After taking his oath and answering a few questions, the detective took the stand.

“I would like you to explain the surveillance footage from the CCTV cameras just outside the Sedem Okyere residence.” My attorney requested.

“As you can see, Ms. Boatemaa Bamford was stationed at the residence that very morning, before the murder had taken place.” The detective pointed at the projection on the screen, and we could see Boatemaa’s Toyota Corolla parked a few metres away from the entrance of the house at 6:35 a.m. “However, police reports state that the murder took place between 7:12 and 7:37. This implies that Ms. Boatemaa was already waiting for Mr. Sedem, which is why she called him right before and after Bemah committed the murder. She was calling him to ask him why he was taking so long.” He added.

“Thank you, detective.” My attorney said. “Your honour, that brings us to our main conversation for the day. The question is, why was Boatemaa, the best friend of the defendant waiting for Mr. Sedem Okyere outside the residence? Well, first and foremost, we can say she did not want Bemah to see her, so she parked the car a few metres from the site. Which means that it was a secret meeting with the late husband of my client. And one more thing, Your Honour, she called the police on Bemah before she even entered the house. This is why Bemah mentioned that she was startled that the police had made their way there earlier than expected.”

The courtroom grew a little noisier. He then added, “Ms. Bamford has a pendant around her neck, the same pendant that was given to the defendant by the same man. They had a short relationship, as our witness, Cecilia Okyere, the deceased’s mother, can confirm. Because the parents were not in favour of their relationship, they had to call it quits.

Your Honour, they even had matching tattoos. I have in my hand photos from the tattoo artist, a before and after arm of Boatemaa, who had gone to seek his services for the removal of the tattoo.”

This was getting too much for me. I started feeling hot listening to all the things my best friend had allegedly done. I looked over at her and watched her stare on, unfazed. But my lawyer was not done. He went on to add:

“The two had been in communication for a very long time. Phone records clearly show they had a close relationship together. Apparently, they never stopped loving each other.”

He went on to drop a bombshell. “Your honour, I will like to present to the court further substantial evidence indicating that Boatemaa Bamford murdered Mr. Sedem Okyere. Your Honour, the autopsy results reveal Mr. Sedem was stabbed in the chest area. Meanwhile, police records, as well as Bemah’s testimony, clearly state he was stabbed from behind. This only shows that the deceased was stabbed in close proximity, with the killer facing him. We strongly believe that when Bemah went into the shower to clean up, Ms. Bamford took the knife and further stabbed the deceased.”

“Order!” The judge yelled after the courtroom was left in shock and chaos. 

“You would wonder why she would murder the love of her life. That was what we had been trying to figure out all this while, but the truth had been staring at us the whole time but we failed to nail it. Look at Boatemaa, your honour!” He instructed the judge as he pointed to Boatemaa. Everyone in the courtroom turned to look at her. “As you can see, your honour, Boatemaa only wears an oversized garment now because she happens to be pregnant—five months pregnant for the deceased, the love of her life. And she killed him herself because she obviously wanted what was best for her unborn child and her– a befitting inheritance, considering they did not have a future together. But knowing she was carrying his seed, she would be able to inherit everything her sweetheart had worked for through her child, while Bemah took the fall.”

Chapter 13: The Turnaround

Look how the tables turned. Boatemaa looked completely defeated. My lawyer came up and gave me a high-five. “We nailed it,” he said. But I was not happy. I felt betrayed. It was all beginning to make sense to me. How come she always urged me to endure the marriage and even asked me to abort the baby for him? It was all making sense now.

The court informed me that they were reviewing the new evidence, cancelled my execution, and granted me bail. I was to appear before a court in a few months’ time to listen to my new sentencing, which was obviously going to take much less time. To be honest, my lawyer assured me that I would receive a sentence of approximately five years, which I considered fair.

Boatemaa, on the other hand, has been invited for questioning, with a trial slated to happen in a few weeks’ time. 

I stood at the balcony of Sedem’s mansion with a glass of wine in my hand, staring into the ocean, reminiscing and thinking about how I had learned from my mistakes.

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