SHACKLES OF MY HUSBAND by Olowojesiku Deborah Iyanu
Episode 3
A month into our long holiday, I began to feel weak and sick, I was restless and would sleep at any slight opportunity. Dad got me some pills which I took but the symptoms persisted, it was then my Dad advised we visit the village hospital, something I didn’t fight. Getting to the village hospital, my blood sample was collected and a series of tests were carried out and to my surprise, the doctor confirmed that I was six weeks pregnant. I was so ashamed of myself, my Dad was more ashamed, he landed me a deafening slap not minding that we were in the hospital premises.
Dad dragged me to the house and pounced on me the moment we got into the compound, Mom tried to stop him but she couldn’t, my siblings were all surprised to see my dad in such a furious state as he hardly lay hands on us. After giving me enough scars on my face, Dad broke the news to my mom and siblings, my mom screamed the moment she received the news of my pregnancy.
You know, I never thought being pregnant was the reason for my unending sickness, if I had known, I won’t have agreed to go to the village hospital with my Dad, I would have informed Teacher Emeka and we would have looked for the best solution without the knowledge of my parent. When I thought I had seen it all, My Dad got my two male cousins to bundle and tie me with a rope then, I was n***d and given an uncountable number of lashes. Oh! I passed through hell, I never knew my Dad could do that to me.
Dad paid the village thugs to beat Teacher Emeka to a pulp then he was made to stand before the elders of our village who mandated him to pay my bride price and make me his wife. I was so much delighted because I felt that would liberate me from troubles and torture. Teacher Emeka paid my bride price and I became his wife. I moved into his apartment to become his wife but when the school heard about the incident, they sacked him hence, he had to leave the staff quarters and go back to his village. Since I had become his wife, I had to go with him.
Though Teacher Emeka became cold to me after the treatment my father meted out on him, he still treated me well but the moment we got back to his village, things grew worst. Truly, love may blind your sense of reasoning but marriage would open it. All along, I used to think Teacher Emeka had a house of his own in his village but when I got there, I discovered he was still living in his parent’s house and thought my parent’s house was far better than his.
Getting to his parents, I was treated with disgust, his mother called me names and asked me to go back to my parent’s house if I don’t want problem but then, I couldn’t go back because my father would skin me alive.
It took the intervention and pleading of Teacher Emeka’s father before Mama Ada, his mother allowed me into the house, she restricted me from staying in the same room with her son with the claim that paying my bride price doesn’t make me her son’s legal wife, the most painful thing was that Teacher Emeka didn’t stop his mother, he just went into his room to sleep leaving to my fate.
After so much ranting and shouting, Mama Ada made me stay in the store, she warned me never to step into her son’s room or else I would be beaten mercilessly. She further informed me that once my child is born, I would be sent back to my Father’s house.
To be continued
