When I ran out from my aunty’s place I have no definite destination in mind. All I wanted was to be far from my mother’s reach. Later I decided to go and meet my father and told him everything that happened.

My father could believe his ears. He was surprised that my mother could plan and tried to execute such a wicked act.

“Are you sure of what you telling me,” My father asked.

“Yes sir, I am very sure. You can confirm the information from Ifeoma.”

He called Ifeoma on phone and she confirmed everything I said. She told my father even the ones I didn’t want to tell him. My father was stunned.

“But why didn’t you tell me that the idea of learning how to sew clothes was not from you.”

“My mum convinced me that learning the handwork was for my own good. She said it will enable me to assist you and her in training my younger ones.”

“No wonder she was not allowing you to talk when I was asking questions. No problem. I will get to the root of this. She will prove to me if she is the head of the family or I am the head. So this woman wanted to give my daughter’s hand in marriage without my approval. She will pay for this. It is a promise.”

“Daddy please forgive my mummy. I don’t want to be the reason that the two of you will have a problem”

“Uloma don’t worry yourself. As for your mother, She can’t get away with this.”

I felt so bad that I was the reason that my mother and father will have issues. But there was nothing I could do.

My father took me to her sister’s place. She instructed her sister not to allow me to go out.

Her sister was surprised. She knew that all was not well. When my father left , she tried to find out what was going on but I didn’t talk to her. Shame could not allow me to say what my mother did. I didn’t want her to be dragged.

When my mother got home, she pretended that all was fine. My father asked about me and the training. She told him that all was going well.

Early in the morning, my father told her that he want to go to the place I’m doing the training. My mother tried to convince him that he shouldn’t go but my father refused.

As my father was about leaving the house, my mother opened up and told him that I ran away from her sister’s house without telling them where I was going to.

“Why did she run away?” My father asked.

“I don’t know what our daughter is trying to to turn to. She told me that she wanted to get married to an old man. I told her that it would not happen. I thought that she has forgotten about the man. When she told me that she wanted to learn how to sew I was so happy. That was why I supported her. I didn’t know that she planned to go and live with the man. When I insisted that I want to go with her she was not happy. Immediately we got to my sister’s house, she ran away,” my mother explained.

After narrating her story, my father gave her 24 hours to produce me or face the consequences. She ran around, searching for me. She even came to the place that I was, weeping and searching for me but my aunty told her that I was not there.

When I called Ejike on phone and he narrated everything that has happened, which includes that my father threatened to send my mother out of the house if she did not produce me. I was moved to tears. I told Ejike that I want to come home. He encouraged me to come so that we could all join to beg my father.

I sneaked out of my aunty’s place and ran home. Immediately my father saw me, he ordered my mother to pack her load and leave his house. It was a very serious issue. We begged but my father refused to listen. He recounted many things that my mother had done in the past. I was amazed when I heard some of them.

However, elders of the family had to wade in and plead before my father forgave her. Though my father threatened that any day she mistreats me, he would resurrect the issue.

That was how my relationship with my mother became sour. She tried to pretend that she was not angry with me but I know that she was bitter against me.

After a few months, she started showing me love again. I never knew that she has another potential suitor. She called me one day to have a discussion with me. That was after my National Youth Service.

“Uloma my daughter, are you thinking about marriage at all?”

“Yes ma. I am thinking about it and praying too.”

“Hmm! You and prayer. Anyway I am not against your faith. But you should know that marriage is beyond what you know. Anyway,who is your ideal man?”

“My ideal man is a man that fears God. A child of God will not treat his wife badly. Another is that my ideal man should be educated.”
My mother laughed.

” My daughter listen to me. I will not decieve you. An ideal man should be rich. Money is the key.”

“You mean my father is not your ideal man?” I asked in amazement.

“My dear, I married your father out of ignorance. I made mistake in marriage but I sworn that none of my children will make same mistake. Look at your mother . See how beautiful I am. I’m I supposed to marry a poor man?”

“But my father is a good man. He takes care of you as much as he can and does not cheat on you,” I told her.

“You are right. But I prefer a rich man that cheats than a poor faithful man. It would have been better for me to be the 10th wife to a rich man. I love money. Please my daughter, think about what I just told you and take the right decision.”

“I have heard you ma,” I told her just to make her happy.

I didn’t know that my mother has started collecting money from an armed robber. Soon after the discussion my mum connected me to him. I didn’t waste time in telling the man that I am not interested in him.

I don’t know how my mum managed to convince him to go for Ujunwa my younger sister. Immediately Ujunwa noticed that the man was rich, she packed her belongings to go and start living with the man. They finally got married.

All the fake love that my mother was showing me disappeared immediately. She resurrected the hatred she had for me. She tells everyone that cares to listen that I nearly made her to lose her marriage.

Ujunwa herself forgot that I am her elder sister and insults me at will. The worst is that my mother supports her.

The man bought car for my parents and established business for my mum.

Everything got worse when my father became sick. He couldn’t really protect me from my mother any more.

If I drink garri , my mother will remind me that It was Ujunwa’s husband that brought the money. If PHCN restores power in the night, My mother would tell me that if not for Ujunwa’s husband, we would be in darkeness. Most times, she would taunt me that all my mates were already in their husband’s house.

“Could you believe that when Ujunwa needed a house help, my mother suggested that I should go and live with her so that I would be assisting her”

“What! ” Itohan exclaimed.

“My sister, the insult was up to that.”

“Where you not working” Itohan asked.

I was still doing my teaching job. But at the end of the month , my mother would not rest until she has almost collected all my salary. At a point, I told her that she should allow me to be feeding myself so that peace would reign. She told me that even if I was feeding myself, she would also collect the amount of money she was collecting from me because the house rent needed to be paid. She made sure that I didn’t have savings.

When the toment became unbearable, my father gave me some money and told me to search for a cheaper area where I could rent a house.

Thank God for that kind hearted agent who connected you and I, so we could join resources and rent this room self contain.

You have heard my Story. I said all these to let you know the genesis of my problem with my mum. Though I have vowed that I must marry right. I am 31 today. I desire to get married but all the same , I am not desperate about it. I have left everything in the hands of God.

“Hmm! Do you know that your story is similar to mine. I also ran away from home out of pressure. The only difference is that mine is from both my mum and my dad. Both of them wanted to squeeze life out of me. I had to run for my dear life. There’s was not even about marriage, they came from another angle.” Itohan narrated.

The story continues….