WHAT DOES MY HUSBAND WANT?
Episode 1.
By the author of morenikeji
Today is our tenth marriage anniversary. Yes, I and my husband usually celebr@te it in a grand style with our three kids. God has blessed us so much with everything that we can ask for.
Three smart amazing children. Two boys and a girl. What more can we ask for than this.
My husband has his own business and he is doing so well, he opened a big sto-re for me where i sell imported materials like lace, which is uncommon from the normal African wear.
I sometimes travel to Dubia to get all the nee-ded material and I’m doing well in my business line, a supportive wife and a great mother.
We live in a house of our own, I have my car and my husband has two of his own. We have people working for us who we never owe salary. We pay off whenever the month end.
Life is good but it took us a heavy sweat to get to this point.
All this can only be a blessing from God and can never be from a man.
It was a long story, a tough one too. a very rou-gh road before we finally gets to where we are.
I remember when I started with my husband. He has nothing to his name, he was serving a rich man who has a big shop, where raw bags of food was sold. They sell in wholesales.
My mother has a shop beside this rich business man where Danladi was a common sales boy.
I usually go to my mother’s shop to as-sist her after school. i bec@m£ friends with Danladi who I call Ladi.
Sometimes he will be working without food un-der rain or sun. I will take some things from my Mother’s shop and give him and sometime I steal money and give to him to hide and buy food so that his master will not see him and accuse him of stealing.
Money began to miss and my mother was complaining of it and I kept denying ever taking her money.
On a good day my mother caught me red handed where I was giving money to Ladi. She pu-ll-ed at my ear and asked me where I got the money from.
The more I try to lie or defend myself the more sl@p and more beating follows.
My mother beat me mercilessly before going to her neighbor big shop, the rich business man to report Ladi.
She told the big man that her daughter has never stolen anything before that it was Ladi, his sales boy that was luring me into stealing.
Ladi was flogged and was almost s£nt out but he pleaded and was later forgiven by his master.
My parents banned me from going to the shop again because of Ladi. After school, I’m either home re-ading or looking after my younger one. Sometimes, I wonder what Ladi is doing and how he is coping throu-gh without food sometimes.
This things worries me greatly and I couldn’t even concentrate at school anymore. My grades were dropping.
I have other younger sibling that were doing well academically but nob©dy un-derstand my plight as a teenager. Nob©dy even want to.
After some months, my mother asked me to resume coming to shop again after school. My whole b©dy was resto-red because I will get to see Danladi, my favorite Ladi.
My mother surprised me further by saying
“Miwa, I have seen how that boy struggle all day but ha-rd ly have anything to eat. It was wrong for you to steal but now I un-derstand you have the same heart like I do. I gave him food throu-ghout this week but he only agreed to collect yesterday and today from me because I kept insisting. He said he doesn’t want to be a burden to me or anyone. Miwa, that boy is a good boy. Despite he has his master’s money at his disposal, he refuse to take it with the excuse of hunger. He carried on with his daily work with a smile. I’m not asking you to steal my money and give to him but is okay to give him food. And be very careful. Don’t let your young mind cloud your naive emotion”
I thanked mother and that was how I resume seeing Ladi again. He was very happy to see and he apologies to me for the beating my mother gave me for taking her money.
I told him it was nothing.
After secondary school, I wrote my exams and pas-sed. My parents wanted me to enter university immediately but my mother bec@m£ sick and I told my Dad that I nee-d to take over the shop in mother’s abs£nce until she is well enough to resume back.
I did not want to enter university were I won’t be able to see Ladi. Our love has grown and not seeing him for a whole week will make me sick.
I wanted to be close to him. He was also in love with me and was shy at first to open up his true feelings for me but he later summoned courage and did so. We kept our relationsh!pa secret, away from everyone.
I was saving money for a sewing machine which I will be using to practice sewing on my own until mother is fully recovered.
There was a tailor close to us, whenever I’m less busy I go there to learn.
I also teach Ladi how to re-ad more and write long s£ntence, unlike what he was used to. Ladi was a fast learner and in no time, he learnt how to re-ad clearly and write too.
I feel so proud of him. The rich business man’s son wanted to d@t£ me but I refused. He asked if is because of a common sale’s boy I rejected him but It was better not to answer him before I will get Ladi into trouble.
Ladi was worried, thinking I’m going to fall for his master’s son but I as-sured him that such will not happen. No man will ever take me away from him.
Ladi’s master’s son, buys me gifts and give me wads of cash. He will f0rç£ me to take them but even at that I wasn’t enticed. My heart belongs to only Ladi.
When the rich son saw that he can’t get to me he decided to frame Ladi up, he reported Ladi to his father and Ladi was dismissed empty handed without a dime after serving his master for years.
I was so pained. He doesn’t even have anywhere to go except back to his village where he c@m£ from.
I gathered up all my savings and gave it to him, he also has little saving of his own and he was able to get a small place to stay.
I encouraged him to get a job and from there he will be able to go back to school.
He listened to my advice and got a job.
My mother recovered and was back to her usual business. I wrote jamb and got admission into the university.
Ladi wrote his own exams and pas-sed. He said he was not interested in any more study all he wanted to do was business.
He nee-ded money to start the business he had in mind. We had phones that we use to communicate with each other.
I will sneak out of school and go to see Ladi over at his place. Spend few days with him before returning back to school.
After a year, I bec@m£ pregnant for Ladi, I was sacred even Ladi was equally scared.
“Your parents will kill me Miwa. What are we going to do….do you want to get rid of it? You are in your second year in the university, we are not even re-ady to start a family. I don’t have a comfortable place or a reasonable income to take care of you and a baby. I’m worried. I want to make you my wife Miwa but your parents will never allow you to marry a common man like me. I’m really scared for us…
Ladi lamented but I was there to comfort him. I told him that I will speak to my parents about it but I will never get rid of the baby.
I was scared too but I summoned courage and told my Mother. She was very angry and my father too bashed on me.
They beat, rage and threw war at me but at the end they sat to ask me what I wanted and I told them I wanted both Ladi and the baby to be safe.
They called Ladi to the house and asked him what he wanted and he said he wish to get married to me but he was afraid that he may not be able to take care of me the way I wanted because of his poor income and background.
My parents joined hands together and started planning for a quic-k wedding introduction for me and Ladi.
After the introduction, they gave Ladi money to get a better ap@rtment and he quic-kly did.
I moved in with him and got a shop where I was doing little tailoring.
I was twenty two years when I bec@m£ Ladi’s wife.
I later gave birth to our first son and resumed a motherhood duty. I suspended school and face family.
My parents were always there for me and Ladi.
My mother comes around to see us with different gifts for me and the baby.
I had friends I told about helping my husband get a better job.
After another year, Ladi got a better job that fetches more money than before.
He later opened his own business and I went into both tailoring and selling material.
Ladi’s business expand and we moved to a better house. We did a proper wedding after the birth of our second child.
And that was how we kept growing to our pres£nt day. Is been ten solid years as Ladi’s wife and a mother to our kids,
My husband is everything to me. Our love story grew from strength to strength and he doesn’t joke with me.
He sings my praises anywhere he goes and I’m so privilege to have a man like him as my husband.
Today is our ten years anniversary and we have three kids alre-ady. Ladi was the first to wish me happy anniversary before leaving the house this morning.
I just finished with all the cooking. I sat alone, thinking of how far we have come and arrived at our pres£nt place.
It was a tough journey and I’m happy we have more reasons to laugh now than before.
My husband was home early with gifts for me and we had our usual celebr@tion together with the kids. Few friends and also family c@m£ around and celebr@ted with us.
As we retire for the night, Ladi said to me.
“Miwa, I don’t know what I would have done without you. I don’t even know where I will be without you. I thanked God every day for bringing you into my life. I could have ended up as a cattle boy in my small village after I was dismissed from my master. Miwa, I promised to love and cherish you for the rest of my life. Nothing and no one will come between us. You gave up so much for me and risk it all for me, I will keep appreciating you till I breathe my last. Happy anniversary my beautiful wife. You are my morning sun and the air that I breathe. we will live to witness more and more years together.”
I enjoy listening as he showers praises on me and as-sured me of his undying love.
He makes me fall dee-per and dee-per in love with him.
My husband is my everything and I love him with my life. I pray things remain this rosy and sweet for us.
That was my wish and prayer that night as I cudd-leup in his warm and open arm.
Tbc…