The first time I heard her cry in her sleep, I thought it was just a dream.
I used to believe I knew everything about her. We’ve only been married for three weeks, but during courtship, we talked about everything, her favorite meals, her likes, her goals, what made her laugh, and the little things she enjoyed doing.
She’s everything a man could pray for, beautiful, soft-spoken, intelligent.
During the day, she’s full of life. She dances in the kitchen while making breakfast, calls me “My King.”
She would hold my hand and say,
“Solomon, I’ll choose you a thousand times over. In this life and the next.”
And I would smile and reply,
“Katura, I’ll be with you, now and forever.”
I believed her. Until the nights started speaking louder than her words.
It started slowly. I would wake up in the middle of the night and hear her crying softly. She was asleep… but tears were rolling down her face. Her body shook lightly, like someone trying to hold something in.
One night, I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I gently tapped her. Her eyes slowly opened. Before I could say a word, she asked, “Why are you not sleeping?” her voice calm, as if nothing strange had just occurred.
I was speechless. The same face that had been soaked in tears now looks soft, calm, and glowing. I didn’t even know how to ask. It felt like the moment had simply… vanished.
But it hadn’t. Because every night…
It happened again.
And again.
Sometimes, I heard whispers like:
“Give me some time…”
I would turn toward her, but her face was peaceful. The room, quiet again.
I started to wonder, was I just imagining things? Was I overthinking, or was something really wrong?
One morning, I finally asked,
“Are you okay?”
She smiled and touched my cheek.
“Of course I am, darling.”
I looked at her closely and asked,
“Do you know that you cry in your sleep?”
She looked confused.
“Cry? Me? No, I don’t cry in my sleep. Are you sure you weren’t dreaming?”
I wanted to believe her.
But something inside me whispered, you’re not dreaming.
So last night, I made up my mind: I wouldn’t sleep. I needed answers. I couldn’t keep living like this.
I lay beside her, pretending to be in deep sleep, my eyes half-open.
She turned and looked at me… trying to check if I was sleeping.
Then, at exactly 2:14 a.m., she shifted away from me… adjusted her pillow… and turned to the wall.
And then…
The light in the room went off.
“If she cries in her sleep again tonight, then I need answers or this marriage can’t continue.” I whispered to myself, fear already weighing on my chest. I had left the light on… but it had gone off unexpectedly at midnight.
I took a slow, deep breath and stayed still. The room was silent.
No light. No sound. But my eyes were wide open in the darkness.
It felt like the room was empty…
Then I heard her shift gently on the bed.
And then.
That silent cry again.
She whispered. “I’m tired… I’m sorry… No… Leave him…”
I leaned in closer, trying to catch every word.
“Leave him?”
Who was she talking to?
Who was she talking about?
I sat up quickly and reached out to tap her. But I touched nothing. She wasn’t there. The space beside me was empty.
Panic set in. I reached for my phone to use as light. But it was gone.
Just before I could call her name. I felt something climbing up my leg.
“Mumi mo! Awo mo!” I shouted and jumped. I didn’t even know how I reached the door. I ran out of the bedroom, and shut the door behind me.
Sweating.
Shaking.
I leaned in, trying to hear what was going on inside.
Then I heard a voice
Soft. Calm.
Coming from the living room.
“My king,” she said, “Why did you rush out of the bedroom? Is anything wrong? You’re sweating.”
I turned around slowly. There she was.
Sitting in the living room. Calm. Holding her cup of tea. I wiped the sweat off my forehead and stepped closer. This wasn’t funny anymore.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“We were both lying down. How did you get out? Why is there light here but darkness in the bedroom?”
She smiled, “Ah ah, honey… I felt cold and came out to make some tea. Do you care for some?”
“Katura,” I called her name firmly.
“What is going on in this house?”
She stood up and touched my arm.
“Relax,” she said. “Maybe you need a check up, you’ve been overstressing your brain.”
“Enough!” I shouted.
“I need answers! Who are you, really?”
Then…
A sound came from the bedroom.
It was soft… just like her voice…
And it was calling my name.
I turned to look toward the door. Then back at her. But her expression had changed. That sweet smile was gone.
I reached for the torchlight nearby.
“I’m going to check that room,” I said.
“Stop,” she said. But I ignored her. Its time to find out.
As I stepped forward, her voice came again… but this time. Firm, It was deep like a man’s voice.
“Stop!”
I froze. My legs shook.
That wasn’t Katura’s voice. That was a man’s voice.
I didn’t know whether to turn around to see what I had just heard…
Then I saw a stick resting by the dining table.
For a moment, I paused. Should I pick it? Or would that only make things worse?
Still confused on what to do, the sound from the bedroom grew louder. It wasn’t just any sound. It was a soft cry… calling my name. And it was my wife’s voice.
I couldn’t go into the bedroom. That mysterious deep voice behind me had warned me not to.
I could feel something there, right behind me, but I couldn’t even turn to see who or what it was. Fear held me tight.
Then, something inside me screamed: Run! Run now!
“Run?” I whispered to myself.
Before I could think further, the light in the living room suddenly went off.
With every bit of strength left in me, I ran. I threw the door open and took off, barefoot, into the street.
I was running like an antelope. I left everything behind, my home, my wife… I didn’t care anymore. I just wanted to stay alive.
I ran until my legs couldn’t move again.
I found a tree and sat under it, panting and confused.
“What is really going on in my life?”
I asked myself.
She always denied crying in her sleep.
But tonight, when I tried to uncover the truth, strange things started happening.
And to think we’ve only been married for three weeks?
I was still worrying when sleep took over, right there under the tree. When I woke up, it was already past 9 a.m. I looked around, I was far from town.
I stood up, dusted my clothes, and started tracing my way home. It was bright now.
I made up my mind, my wife and I must talk. I thought I knew her… but now I’m not so sure.
When I reached the house, the front door was wide open.
Surprised, I stepped in, just then, my mother-in-law came out, holding a small bag with Katura’s clothes and a food flask.
“Good morning, ma,” I greeted, confused.
She didn’t answer.
She stopped and stared at me with eyes I couldn’t explain.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Where are you taking my wife’s clothes? Where is she?”
The way she raised her voice, it was like I had pressed a loud radio.
“I thought you were a responsible man! You came to my house acting gentle, and caring… but now, I see the opposite.”
“Mummy, please calm down. What happened?” I asked, confused.
“What happened?” she repeated.
“Where were you when your wife needed you the most. You ran away. Now she’s in the hospital! I hope you’re satisfied.”
Hospital?
I stood there, speechless.
She hissed and walked past me.
Then turned around and said,
“She’s at Montena Hospital. I expect to see you there.”
And she left.
So many questions filled my mind.
My wife never said anything about being sick. What exactly happened to her last night? And, how did my mother-in-law know?
I looked around, everything seemed normal… until I entered the bedroom. The bedsheet looked rough and a bit stained.
I ignored that. My only focus was getting to the hospital. I quickly changed clothes and rushed out.
When I got there, I asked the nurse at the counter,
“Excuse me, please. My wife was admitted here. Her name is Katura. What room is she in?”
She looked at me, shook her head slowly, and sighed.
“Hmm… Men… Men… anything that wears skirt, they just follow.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
She waved it off.
“Not from my mouth you’ll hear it o. Please, I beg. Her room is 102. Follow that hallway.”
I turned in the direction she pointed.
Then I saw my mother-in-law standing down the hallway, making a call.
I nodded my head and said, “Oh, see my mother-in-law. Thanks, nurse.”
But the nurse said something that froze me in place:
“Mother-in-law keh? Mother of who? Hmm…”
I looked at her again.
“What do you mean? Do you know her?”
The nurse had refused to answer my questions. My wife was now hospitalized. Could this be connected to her midnight cries? My head was pounding. I needed clarity.
I looked at the nurse again, desperate.
“Please, if you know anything about my wife… or that woman who was standing over there… please help me. I beg you. I didn’t sleep well last night.”
She looked at me like she was deciding whether to speak. Then she sighed and said,
“All I can say is this, be careful. That woman that stood over there? She’s not her mother. And your wife… I doubt if she’s even human.”
My eyes widened.
“What?! My wife? What do you mean she’s not human?”
“I can’t explain,” she replied in a low tone. “Just watch your back, sir. That’s all I can say.”
I asked again, “Medically… what’s even wrong with her?”
The nurse sighed. “We’ve run every test. Nothing is wrong with her.”
I sighed heavily and slowly walked away to check on my wife.
Too many questions… too few answers. The more I searched, the deeper the mystery.
“This is getting scarier by the day,” I whispered to myself.
When I reached her room, I paused, took a deep breath, and walked in.
Immediately, the woman I thought was her mother saw me, she began shouting at me again.
But my wife, Katura, raised her hand weakly and said,
“Mama, please. It’s alright. It’s not his fault. He did nothing wrong. I took his place.”
The woman froze. She didn’t understand what Katura meant.
I became even more confused.
“Took my place?”
My heart raced.
The best thing for me now was to escape. In fact, everything I had seen and heard was enough. I planned that the moment I stepped out of that room, I would rush home, pack my things, and disappear.
No more marriage. No more love. My life first.
But just as I was about to excuse myself, Katura looked at me and said,
“I know what you’re thinking. But please… wait. I need to tell you something.”
I froze.
She turned to the woman and said,
“Mama, please. Excuse us. I want to talk to him alone.”
The woman stood, said nothing, and quietly walked out.
Now, it was just the two of us.
Katura adjusted herself, sat up slowly… and then, the air in the room changed. It became heavy, strange, almost like something unseen had entered.
“Come closer,” she said.
“I need to tell you why I cry every midnight… and who I am.”
I was shaking.
I looked around… then dragged my feet slowly towards her.
💬 What is she about to say? Will something happen?
“Come closer,” she said. “I need to tell you why I cry every midnight… and who I truly am.”
I was shaking. I looked around, then slowly moved my feet toward her. The air in the room felt heavy… different.
As I got closer, she said, “I know you’ve been confused about everything happening in our marriage. I never planned to fall in love with anyone because I came here for a different reason… but somehow, I liked you. And that’s why I’ve tried so hard not to hurt you.”
I froze.
“There were people before you,” she confessed, “and I was under pressure to make a painful decision. They kept asking for something I wasn’t willing to give.”
Her voice trembled.
“I’ve carried a burden for years. I cry because I’ve run out of time. And if I had let you get close… you would’ve paid a price others have unknowingly paid.”
I gasped. My mouth hung open in disbelief.
I asked quietly, “So… where do you come from?”
She took a deep breath. “There’s a place… one people don’t talk about often. Desperate women go there to make requests. But everything given comes with a condition.”
I listened carefully.
“The woman you call my mother had four sons, but she wanted a daughter badly. She went there… and I came into her life. But every few years, someone always paid the price. She didn’t know… until it was too late.”
I shook my head in pity.
Then she said, “Call her in. I need to open up to her.”
I stepped out and called the woman in.
Katura turned to her calmly. “Mama. My time is up.”
“Stop saying that!” the woman cried.
Katura looked her in the eyes.
“I was never meant to stay forever. And now… it’s time for me to go. I’ve done enough harm, even to those who loved me most.”
The woman collapsed into the chair, her eyes wide with regret.
She wept uncontrollably, her hands shaking. Tears streamed down her face.
Then Katura said,
“Desperation is dangerous. When you’re too desperate, you lose the ability to tell right from wrong. You start calling bad things good… just to get what you want.”
Her words pierced deep into my soul. I stood there, silent… broken.
I started wondering, how did I even fall in love with her? Just two weeks after meeting her, I was already rushing into marriage.
She looked at me and said, “You escaped what others didn’t. Not everything that looks like a blessing truly is. Some gifts shine on the outside, but hide something darker within. In this world, be careful. Be patient. Ask questions. Don’t be carried away by appearances. Remember, not every glitter leads to gold.”
She turned her head slowly and whispered:
“Goodnight.”
Then, before anyone could move, a loud flutter echoed through the room. A strange shadow moved past the window… and she was gone.
That was it.
I ran out, packed my things, and left that town for good… ready to start a new life.
I never looked back.
Some doors are better left closed forever.
I learnt my lesson the hard way.
