I was hawking soft drinks when a car pulled up beside me. A kind woman stepped out, smiled, and said she had been noticing me for a while — she said I looked hardworking. She asked about my family, and I told her I was an orphan. I was just 18, and honestly, life was really tough.
She then asked if I'd be willing to live with her. She promised to treat me like her own daughter and said she would send me to university. I asked if she lived alone, and she told me she was married and had already discussed it with her husband.
She gave me some money and returned a week later to pick me up. They lived in an estate — very quiet, big houses. Her husband also welcomed me warmly. They had no staff. They bought me clothes, past JAMB questions, and she began tutoring me herself. She said she was a lecturer. I wasn't allowed outside or to use a phone, but they made sure I had access to TV for entertainment.
After four months, her husband approached me and said he liked me and wanted to marry me as a second wife. I was shocked. He said his wife was aware and that it wouldn't stop my education. He promised to support me all the way, even open a hospital for me after school. He asked what I wanted for my bride price.
I told him I wasn't interested and didn't want to betray his wife. That night, she came to me and said it wasn't betrayal — that he had always told her he would marry two wives. She encouraged me to remain a good girl.
The following week, I became his wife. He paid my dowry, and she even took me shopping for clothes and personal items. She asked about my monthly cycle and said she wouldn't be buying sanitary items for herself because she suspected she was pregnant. She asked if I needed to buy mine.
I told her I still had some. A week later, I missed my period. I took a test, and it was positive. My husband was overjoyed and told me that my co-wife had also just found out she was pregnant. I later sat for JAMB but didn't pass. They encouraged me to try again after giving birth.
When I was 6 months pregnant, my co-wife said she needed to travel for a business trip. I stayed home with my husband. Later, at 8 months, I did a scan — I was carrying a baby boy, but the baby was breech. My husband insisted on traditional herbs so I could have a natural birth. I agreed.
The day I gave birth, I blacked out and woke up 10 days later. I asked for my baby, but my husband gently told me the baby didn't make it. I cried so much. He said my co-wife had already given birth and the naming ceremony had taken place. He said I'd need time to recover, and afterward, I'd be traveling to the UK for a break.
My co-wife also called, saying she was with her mom and helping with the kid. She told me to take care of myself. I felt happy for her but still deeply sad.
My husband kept visiting me every day, and little by little, I started to feel okay again. I eventually traveled to the UK as planned.
When I returned, my co-wife was home with her baby boy, now 7 months old. She was happy to see me. A few weeks later, she told me she had missed her period again and was scared because her baby was still so young.
I told her I had missed mine too but wanted to be sure first. We both decided to take a test.
The next day, I told her I was pregnant… and she said she was too. She cried because she was scared of how she would cope, and even though I was also scared, I comforted her as much as I could. I just wanted this baby to be safe.
To be continued...
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Aisha Corner
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