💫MY WIFE’S WEALTH💫
EPISODE 1
Right from when I was 9 years old, I had made up my mind never to be poor, having seen how my parents had suffered to train us.
My Elder sister, Hannatu was forced into early marriage to Alhaji Ayuba, a popular car dealer in Gusua, Zamfara State as the fourth five, just to elevate the family’s poverty.
Hannatu was just sixteen when she was given out in marriage which automatically halted her education, making her stop school in SSS 1. Unfortunately, her marriage never brought the desired proceed to the family. The intention my parents had was to get Hannatu into marriage in order to help train me and my siblings in school but all to no avail.
Without doubt, I’ve always known that I am a bright child, but no help from anywhere to train me in school. When I was fifteen, I have to drop from school to pick up a menial job just to assist my family. I was taken to Lagos by my father’s friend who buys and sells cola nut. He buys in bulk from the north to sell in Lagos. He engaged me as one of his truck boys. We follow the truck from Katsina to Lagos to help load and offload. The risk of the job was in our numerous night journeys where we had to narrowly escape death severally from armed robbers’ attacks and accidents. Even though I was the youngest among Alhaji Danladi’s truck boys, I was hard working and dedicated to work. I rarely complain about work knowing where I came from. My weekly returns mean a lot to my family so I dare not joke with work.
After working with Alh Danladi for three years, I opened a savings account and began to save a token into the account. After two years I had saved N350,000. By this time I was already twenty years old yet to complete my secondary school education. I told my dad of my plan to go back to school, but the idea did not go well with him considering the amount I remit every week to assist the family. I enrolled for extra moral classes to prepare me for WAEC, but I hardly had time to attend, due to my job.
For obvious reasons, living my job wasn’t an option. I sat for WAEC and NECO simultaneously. I managed to have four credits in my Neco and three in my WAEC. With my results I applied for admission into School of Basic and Remedial Studies, A branch of Ahmadu Bello University. After the remedial course I was offered admission to study Accounting.
It was really a hard time schooling without help. My time in campus was characterized with hunger and self denial. My suffering in campus became minimal when I meet Jocelyn. Jocelyn was the daughter of former Kaduna State Deputy Governor. She lived in affluence and hardly attend lectures. I became her school boy, I helped her do all her assignments and even tests. She bought me a Chinese bike to ease my movement. I also became her errand boy using the bike to run errands for her. She pays my bills and had even helped pay my school fees on many occasions. I practically do everything for her including buying her pads and undies. I helped her make withdrawals at the ATM because Jocelyn will never stand in a queue. Even some departmental documentations that require her attention, I will stand in queue for her then call her when is her turn. In our final year she began to take me to their house in Kaduna and in no time I became a friend to the family.
Do you know that our relationship got deeper than just an errand boy. …
No guy could approach Jocelyn for a relationship in the whole of ABU because of her status and high mindedness. She was too classic for many guys, so she was avoided. Even lecturers danced to her tune. Her few female friends were just like a robot-like relationship, she dictated to them while they worshipped her like one semi goddess.
Even though she has money and everything she needed, you could still notice this emptiness and loneliness around her. Money could not give her the true companionship she desired. Of course she began to make passes at me. Her pride will not let her come openly to ask me out. Even though I knew what she wanted I didn’t assume, I wanted her to humble herself and ask for what she wanted. It took Jocelyn so long time to make her intention known, she wants an affair with me.
Jocelyn and I then began our relationship journey. That type of relationship where you really don’t have a say. A relationship where you are just being used for selfish interests. Well, I have been her errand boy for closely three years, submitting to her to keep life going, sure wasn’t a problem anyway. At a time, I didn’t know what I was, whether a boyfriend or an errand boy. Even when I was promoted from an errand boy to a boyfriend I almost could not see any difference because I still run those errands like before. Everything happens the way she wants it, I hardly tell her no. I was a yes, yes boyfriend. I was not really bothered because we were already winding up our studies and I knew NYSC will post us apart. I love Jocelyn except for her pride. The reality of her pride never done on me because our relationship was a boss-servant-like union. She dished out the commands and I obeyed, she planned, while I execute etc.
We graduated on the 16th of February and I thought I would have temporarily relief from Jocelyn, but I was wrong. She never told me she had discussed with her father to influence our posting to Abuja. When our call-up letter came I screamed out in joy when i glanced at mine and saw Abuja. She immediately stretched her letter to me, I took it and opened and it was Abuja too then I knew it was her handwork. She wasn’t surprised like I was, so she just put on a gentle smile. This is another one year of slavery in Jocelyn’s world, I told myself. I took everything in good fate thinking of the benefits of serving in Abuja, FCT. After our three weeks orientation we were both posted to NNPC Abuja for our primary assignment. Everything was planned ahead of time.
What is your plan about us after our youth service, Jocelyn asked me without looking at my face. While I was still putting together my thoughts she began to reply her question. My dad had discussed with the Minister of Petroleum to retain us here after our youth service but only one chance is guaranteed. My dad agreed they should retain me while he get you another job in another parastatal. We will wed a month after our passing out parade and settle down here in Abuja, she said all these without given me chance to say anything in response. But will I be happy if I marry Jocelyn? Won’t she be the husband and me the wife? Will she ever take order from me? Will she submit to me? Can I maintain this standard of her lifestyle? Am I doing the right thing? Do I truly love Jocelyn or her money? Many thoughts ran through my mind.
Do you think I should marry Jocelyn? If I am your biological brother, will you advice me to marry Jocelyn?
To continue
Esther Ochoga
