On Sunday after church service, Uloma was heading towards the car pack, to catch up with her new mum, Mrs. Paul.

She heard someone calling her name and trying to catch up with her. She turned and it was Itohan.

She ran to Uloma and held her, begging for forgive

“Ulo please, I am so sorry. Forgive me.”

“I don’t understand. You never offended me, so what I’m I forgiving you for?”

“I’m sorry that I took your love for granted. I’m sorry that I allowed the devil to put asunder in the love that existed between you and I . I am the cause of everything that happened. If Zina did not notice that I was angry with you , she wouldn’t have done what she did. Please, forgive me,” Itohan continued pleading.

“I.T, I don’t have anything against you,” Uloma told her.

“If that is the case, why did you pack out from the house?”

“My life was in danger. Did you expect me to stay in a place that my life is threatend. I know that you won’t advise me to do that.”

“But everything has been settled now. Remember you paid for the mini flat. It is not fair that you should leave like that,” Itohan told her.

“If it is because of the money I paid, don’t worry. What happened, has given me a better life,” Uloma said with smiles.

“Uloma, I am lonely, I need you to come back to the house please. Do not abandone me,” Itohan pleaded in tears.

“I.T have you forgotten that you will soon get married. If you leave, I will also be alone there. It’s better I search for my own happiness now. Please understand and bear with me,” Uloma explained.

“It’s okay. But Please, can you spare me few minutes? There is something I want to discuss with you.”

“I.T please, I don’t really have much time now. Mrs. Paul is waiting for me.”

“So, how do we see. It’s very urgent please.” Itohan pleaded.

“What exactly do you want us to discuss that you couldn’t say since we are talking. Maybe we will talk on phone. Please take care of yourself,” Uloma told her and hasten her steps to go.

“Uloma please don’t go. ” I.T cried and ran after her.

Uloma got to the car and attempted to enter, but Itohan held her.

“I.T what is it? I told you that we will talk on phone.”

“You can’t leave me like this, we need to talk”
At that point , Uloma became angry

“I T please, let me be. Why are you giving me stress?” Uloma rebuked her.

“Uloma don’t be offended. I just need a shoulder to lean on,” Itohan pleaded.

“If you need a shoulder to lean on, Eric is there for you. If his own is not enough, Zina can join her’s. Are you looking for a reason for you and Zina to remind me that I am not yet married” Uloma said in tears.

Mrs. Paul had to intervene

“My baby, what is the matter?”

“Mummy, I don’t know why Itohan is disturbing me. She said that she wanted to discuss with me. I told her that we will talk on phone but she kept disturbing me.”

“Itohan what is this. Why are you disturbing my daughter? ”

“Mummy please forgive me. Help me and plead with Uloma to listen to me. I am having challenges in my relationship. I need Uloma to advise me.”

“Is Uloma a marriage counselor?Answer me. Itohan, I can sense that you are a trouble maker. But if you try any nonsense with my daughter, you will have me to contend with,” Mrs Paul rebuked her.

“Mummy please, I am not a trouble maker. I am just confused . I saw myself in a situation that is more than me. It is making me to be running helter skelter,” Itohan explained.

“This just the beginning. You have not even started. But please, don’t get close to my daughter. If she ever complain that you are giving her stress. You will not like what I will do you,” Mrs. Paul warned.

“I am finished,”Itohan lamented and wept bitterly.

Uloma couldn’t bear the sight of Itohan crying. She signalled Mrs. Paul to allow Itohan talk.

“It’s alright. What do you want to tell my daughter. Say it now,” Mrs. Paul asked Itohan.

“Please ma. I want to discuss privately with Uloma” Itohan pleaded.

“I.T she is my mum. Please say whatever you want to say in her presence. If not, then forget about it.” Uloma said firmly.

Initially, Itohan was reluctant to talk but the burden in her pushed her to say it.

“Uloma, I am pregnant!” Itohan whispered.

“What! You are pregnant out of wedlock!” Uloma blurted out in shock.

Itohan gently nodded get head.

“The worst is that Eric is saying that he is not ready to father a child now”Itohan explained in tears.

“Leave Uloma out of this drama. Meet Eric and sort things out with him. You can also meet his family members. If he tries to prove stubborn, then let me know. I will handle the matter by myself. Please , don’t meet Uloma again in connection with anything that concerns you and Eric. She has suffered because of this matter, I don’t want anything that will hurt her again. Another is that you should stop crying so that you don’t hurt yourself. The mistake has been made,” Mrs Paul advised Itohan and she left.

As they were driving home, Mrs. Paul noticed that Uloma was very sad.

“My dear, what is the matter. Why are you crying?”

“Mummy Itohan does not deserve this kind of stress and embarrassment. This girl has served God. She is not supposed to end in shame.”

“She served God, but she was not faithful to the end. One of the strategic place that the devil waits for children of God is in marriage. If a child of God make mistake in marriage, the effect is devastating. What happens to her was not caused by another person; she was careless. I could remember that I heard that Stanford wanted to marry her. Why would she leave such a good boy and end up with someone like Eric?”

“Mummy, Eric deceived her with gifts. He also bought a car for her. Afterwards, Itohan lost her mind and started misbehaving.”

“Ulo let me tell you this, one of the worst mistake any lady can make is to follow someone because of money. There is no one that cannot make money, both male and female. When I married my husband, he was not rich. He bought his first car after we got married. Infact we joined our resources together to buy it.”

“What!”

“Yes. That is why he always say that I brought him good luck.”

“Wow! Mummy do you know that he told me this yesterday. He said that his money belongs to you, because you are the one that brought it. I was wondering what he meant.”

“Of course he tells everyone that. Listen to me, as far as marriage is concerned, it is better to go for your happiness and peace of mind first. Other good things will follow. It is not wrong to marry a rich man. If he is the one that God has destined for you, there will surely be peace. But if you see red flags and decide to ignore it because of money the end result will surely be regrets. Poverty is not all about lack of money, it’s about one’s mentality. Any lady that thinks that if she does not marry a rich man, he cannot make it in life is poor mentally.”

“But mummy, what will become Itohan’s fate now” Uloma asked with deep concern.

“All hope is not lost. Let’s keep hoping for the best.” Mrs Paul told her with smiles.

******
Itohan decided to meet Eric to discuss the way forward concerning their relationship. He promised to come to her house. But he delayed, Itohan decided to go and meet him at his house.

Itohan was surprised the way Eric welcomed her with smiles. He asked what she wanted to eat so he could get it for her but Itohan told him she was not hungry.

“You have been frowning since you came here, what is the matter,” Eric asked.

” You know the issue on ground, why are you pretending ?” Itohan asked.

“There is no issue on ground that calls for worry. Pregnancy is a good news. I don’t know why someone should be worried about it?”

“There are lots of things to be worried about. First I committed sin against God. I was a zealous and faithful child of God before I met you.” Eric interrupted her speech with a loud laughter.

“Why are you laughing?” Itohan asked in shock.

“Are you not funny? Why would you say that you were a zealous and faithful child of God before we met. My dear, stop deceiving yourself, you don’t know God. Not even after I got you so cheap. Can you compare yourself to Uloma?”

Tears filled Itohan’s eye.
“I can’t believe that you are saying this to me” Itohan said in tears.

“We have to tell ourselves the truth so that you will not be claiming that you know God more that me. The truth is that we are in the same level. You are after my money and I am after your beauty.”

“You mean that you don’t love me?” Itohan asked in tears.

“I never said so. I love you and want to marry you. Nothing has changed.”

Itohan continued weeping.

“It’s okay, please stop crying. Remember your condition. If you continue crying, you may hurt the baby or even yourself.” Eric pleaded.

“So when are you meeting my parents?” Itohan asked.

“What I’m I meeting your parents for?” Eric asked in a stern voice which made Itohan to quickly look up.

“We need to meet them so that you can tell them that you want to marry me and also pay my bride Price. Then we talk of traditional marriage,” Itohan explained.

“I.T please, please , please. I don’t have time for all these. Do you want us to be running around now. What of if you lose the baby in the process? You have to come over here, so that we can start living together. After giving birth, we talk of bride Price.”

“My dear please, don’t allow me to give birth to a baby out of wedlock. People will laugh at me. Just meet my parents so that they will know that you are responsible for my pregnancy.”

“I don’t know why you like disturbing yourself for nothing. You are already pregnant out of wedlock so giving birth out of wedlock does not make any difference. Let’s stop fretting for nothing,” Eric told her.

“Ha! So you want to abandon me in this condition?”Itohan asked with a tear soaked face.

“I never told you that I am abandoning you. Pack your load and come over to this place. Forget about payment of bride Price and any ceremony for now. That is my stand.”

“Please don’t do this to me. It is not proper for me to live with you, when you have not paid my bride price. Let’s do the right thing,” Itohan pleaded.

“I am the man of the house. What I say stands. If you don’t want it that that way, the we go our separate ways.

There was a knock on the door. Eric went to check and discover that it was his mother.

Watch out for the next episode.