“When my challenge with Nick persisted, I kept borrowing money in order to meet up with his incessant demands. I was still on it when Eric met me to help him convince Itohan to marry him. I told him that it was going to be a herculean task because the

Itohan I knew would never marry someone like him,” Zina narrated.

“Why did you say so?” Mrs. Paul asked.

“Firstly, Itohan was engaged to be married to Stanford. Secondly Eric is not a believer. One of Itohan’s greatest desire was to marry a born again child of God,” Zina explained.

“It’s okay. Continue with your narration.” Mrs. Paul urged her.

“When I told Eric that it will not be easy to convince Itohan, he requested for my bank account number and paid a huge sum of money to my bank account. Afterwards, he promised me a huge sum of money if I could convince Itohan to marry him. I promised him that I would try my best. Though I never believed that I would succeed. I just decided to do something so that I could take the money that he has already given me.”

“So, all you were doing was because of the money he gave and the one that he promised you?”Mrs. Paul asked.

“It was not only because of the money. I also have another reason. I loved Stanford and wanted him to marry me. I was heart broken when he decided to choose Itohan. But when Eric paid me to convince Itohan to marry him, I saw it as an opportunity to have Stanford back,”

Mrs. Paul and Zina didn’t see it coming because it happend in a twinkle of an eye. Itohan dived at Zina, held her neck and attempted to choke her to death. It took few minutes before Mrs. Paul could remove Zina from her grip.
Zina felled and was panting for breath.

“Itohan what has come over you? Do you want to choke her to death?”Mrs Paul shouted at her.

Itohan was crying. She didn’t respond to the question. Later she started talking.

“Ha! I have suffered. Zina you told me that Stanford is good for nothing. You said that Stanford does not have a future.I never knew that you were interested in him,” she cried.

“I.T what you are doing now will not help you. Pull your self together. You cannot pull back the hands of time. However, God can still help you. Fighting Zina or hating her will not solve your problem, Just let her be.” She turned and faced Zina.

“Zina you are a bad friend. I understand that you are under pressure but it should not make you to harden your heart and push another person into problem. This is like selling someone into slavery. Instead, you should have confided in someone that can help you. If I have heard this information earlier, I could have helped you. But it is still not late. I need his phone number and other details that can lead to capturing him.”

“Mummy he has died. He was among the 3 armed robbers that were killed at the express way last week,” Zina told them

“How do you know?” Mrs. Paul asked.

“Mummy don’t mind her. After telling this cock and bull story, she would have to contend with. Chronic liar. I like the question you asked her. Let her explain how he knew that he has died.” Itohan said in anger.

“Last week, I received a call from the police station, they invited me to come to their station. I was afraid because I thought that it was because of the problem I had with Uloma. But when I got there, they told me that I was dating an armed robber. Sudden fear enveloped me. It was later that I discovered that they were talking about Nick. When they shot Nick, they took his phone. The checked his WhatsApp message and discovered that I was communicating with him and sending money to him. That was why they invited me. I explained to them that Nick was black mailing me. After due investigations, I was released on bail,” Zina explained.

“Thank God for setting you free. I believe that you have learnt your lesson. The only way out is for you to dedicate your life to God and serve him in Spirit and in truth,” Mrs Paul told Zina.

She held Itohan’s hand and tried to lift her up,”You have to forgive your friend. It is not easy, but God will help you Let’s go. ” She told her.

*********
Itohan continued living with Eric. Every move to discuss the issue of payment of her bride price was met with great resistant. The worst was that he doesn’t give her money. She could hardly boast of 3 square meal in Eric’s house. She also begged Eric for them to move to his main house which is the duplex but Eric insisted that she must stay in the 2 bedroom flat at the house where her sister was living.

She was disturbed because she felt that Eric might be bringing other women to the duplex. She decided to have a discussion with him.

“I have been begging you to take me to your main house but you refused. What s your reason?” Itohan asked Eric.

“I want us to live here. I prefer here to that place,” Eric told her.

“But before we got married, you told me that the duplex was your main house. Whereas you only stay here when you visit your sister?”

“Yes, but I want us to stay here for now. Especially Because of your condition. Witches and wizards live in that area. I don’t want you to lose the pregnancy,”

“Really? You don’t want me to lose pregnancy but you are starving me? I am not afraid of witches and wizards. Please, take me to that place.”

“Did you say that I am starving you? You are an ungrateful human being. Things were okay for me before I met you. Now you have affected me with your bad luck. You have not started starving, this just the beginning. I will advise you to go and search for job so that you can take care of yourself,” Eric blasted her.

“No problem. You want me to start searching for job in this condition. If you know that you are not capable of taking care of a pregnant woman, you shouldn’t have impregnated me,” Itohan said in anger.

“How dare you say that I not capable of taking care of my responsibility? Are you the one feeding yourself? If you ever say that I am not capable of taking care of a woman, I will deal with you.” Eric threatened.

“I will say it again. You are not capable,” Itohan ranted.

Before she could complete the statement, Eric landed a slap on her face. Itohan cried out in pain and the cry attracted her sister in-law.

She ran in and held Itohan as she was crying.

“What is the matter? ” She asked Itohan.

“Eric slapped me,” Itohan stuttered in between sobs.

“What! Eric what is wrong with you. Why would you slap your wife?” Ese asked him in anger.

” She pushed me to the wall. Before we got married, I told her that I love my family. I don’t play with them. But she is trying to bring division in this family . I will not take it from her,” Eric ranted

Itohan was suprised at the things coming out from her husband’s mouth.

“Is that why you have to beat her?”

“I said she is bringing division between me and you, ” Eric repeated

“How?” Ese asked

“Sister, you don’t expect me to say everything, “Eric told her, trying to dodge the question.

” You have already started saying something, please say everything,” Ese insisted.
Eric kept mute.

“Eric, I want to see you outside,” Ese told him.

When they got outside, she told him, “Eric today will be the first day you will raise your hand on your wife. Next time you try it, you will have me to contend with. That lady in there is your wife, to tell her the things she need to know. The earlier you talk to to her, the better for the two of you. If you fail to say it by yourself, I will do the talking for you.”