BROKEN SOUL 10: Living in a loveless marriage

6 years later when first son was getting married, husband man refused to accompany him to another state to marry his wife. He wanted him to beg but first son said he didn’t offend him.

Husband man is still waiting for first wife and her children to come beg him for arresting him. After he sent first son away from his house, he told people that he will never forgive him until he comes to beg him for forgiveness for taking sides with his mother who disgraced him before his fellow cabinet members.

He was more concerned with his public image rather than looking inwards and making amends with his family. He is missing out on having good relationships with his children because he wants them to beg him for almost destroying their lives. What a man!

Husband man didn’t just leave his first son out in the cold at the most important time of his life, he also forbade his kinsmen from accompanying him to his would be wife’s state. His kinsmen were shaking in fear and even stopped picking the calls of first son.

One of first son’s uncles who even promised to accompany him disappeared on the day of the traditional marriage and reappeared the next day begging for forgiveness. He claimed he didn’t want to incur the wrath of husband man who was ironically his benefactor.

But husband man’s younger brother and the eldest man in his kindred ignored him and his threats. They rallied around first son. They supported him, told him to go well and blessed him.

First son’s uncle stood in as his father during the traditional marriage ceremony and the day went well. Everyone was happy for first wife as she danced and danced to the glory of God.

Today, first son has a beautiful daughter. One of the twins is also married and has two children. Second daughter is getting ready for her own marriage and the other twin is doing well pursuing her dreams too. First daughter is doing well too. And husband man is still waiting for them to come beg him for maltreating them for years. Such a joker!

Last month, first wife just came back home after doing her fourth omugwo. She has four grandchildren, three beautiful girls and one boy. She has been busy with taking care of her grandchildren. They light up her life. She doesn’t joke with them and they love her too.

As for husband man and his second wife, they moved to another part of town. They moved into an uncompleted building that husband man had been struggling to build for a decade. The people who have been there say the house is nothing short of a pigsty. Life has a way of humbling the proud.

Husband man warned people not to tell first wife, first son and first daughter where he lived. He said he will never forgive them for disgracing him the way they did. He says first wife gave first daughter away in marriage even though he collected the dowry and spent the money alone. He also said that he won’t forgive first son for supporting his mother when he was arrested and charged to court.

At one time, husband man reached out to first son to ask him for money. First son told him to give him some time to raise the money. But when first son asked him to send his account details later that week, husband man dodged him for days. When first son asked him why he didn’t send the account details like they had discussed, he said he should forget about it because accepting money from him would harm him.

Husband man also doesn’t also know first son’s daughter. He didn’t call back his son after he informed him that his wife gave birth. he didn’t visit them either. He is still living with his second wife and their two sons. I thought that by now, second wife would have given birth to ten sons like first wife gave birth to ten children and lost five.

Second wife now sells plantain at a market close to their house so that they can feed. Her first son refused to go to school. He’s stubborn, dull and uncontrollable. People said husband man was looking for who would come take the boy so that he could learn trade since he doesn’t have the brain to get an education. Second son is now the black sheep of the family.

Husband man is now in his 60s and tired. Business no longer brings in money as usual. He has refused to accept money from his children too. He says it would hurt him to accept their money. Second wife is hiding her face in shame. She doesn’t allow people come visit them at home again. She is now a shadow of herself. There’s no more money for her to buy bleaching creams. There’s no fridge for her to lock anymore. She can barely cook a pot of soup today.

First wife lives in her own house, a duplex. She eats whatever she wants and sleeps and wakes up whenever she wants too. She hasn’t stopped preaching the gospel. She goes from place to place telling people about the mercies of God in her life. She hasn’t also stopped preaching to her children to call their father and forgive him for everything he did to them.

Thank God first wife didn’t die in that loveless marriage, but ended up with high blood pressure. Her story is sad and heartbreaking but I am glad she is alive to tell her story. She is one of many women who listened to the lies society tell them that they are incomplete without husbands even wicked ones. Her story ended well but many women like her died in loveless marriages.

THE END.

Stay tuned for another series titled ‘Caught in the middle’. It will be explosive!