By Yetunde Arebi

Finally, it has happened. The much awaited but controversial wedding ceremony has taken place. They have now officially become man and wife. Even if not fully supported by law, they have been able to use the lee way out to their advantage. After all, he has been technically a free man in the last four years, plus. Now, the new Mr. and Mrs. can carry on unhindered, at least, as far as their conscience will allow them, probably.

For the duo, it has been a long journey to arrive at their present status as a married couple. They have both weathered great storms, if however self inflicted, together. They have endured the shame of being labelled as the deceitful pair in the age long game of relationship, all, being fair in love and war.

They have stuck together and disregarded the gossips, bad mouthing and sniggering from those who were openly or secretly against their relationship.

Their commitment to their love for each other, their professional calling and success seems to have paid off at last. If not for all the stake holders in the story, at least, for the two love birds.

Mrs. finally got the blessings of her family, (which I know she’d always had from the first day) some of her husband’s family( for not everyone attended nor were generous enough to send their blessings to the newly wedded couple) and the general public, especially those who are ignorant of their unholy beginning.

As for God’s blessings, I really don’t know how He dishes them out, for according to the Bible, our ways are not His, and our thoughts are different from His too. Whatever it is they deserve, will only come from Him. But they are Christians. And though the wedding did not take place in a church, a couple of Pastors were present at the lavish traditional wedding ceremonies to give their spiritual blessings and confirmation to the appropriateness of the auspicious occasion! (Hmm! God help us)

The journey to Mr and Mrs. began for the love birds about eight years ago. They met as classmates on gaining admission to the University to study Estate Management, but they were not your regular run-of-the-mill students. They were not exactly young, fresh undergraduates and it was not their first admission into an institution of higher learning.

They both came armed with a diploma each in their resume and loads of responsibilities as both were already deeply enmeshed and committed in their respective relationships. Mr. was already married to his high school sweetheart, a relationship which started in their fourth year of Secondary School education and had lasted over 15 years at the time, producing three lovely children. Mrs. though, could not be said to have a steady relationship was also a mother of two boys from different fathers.

These however did not deter them from falling in love, as they say. They worked, studied and eventually lived together throughout the course of their studies, becoming almost inseparable. The fact that they were far away in another state, different from their states of residence, provided a safe haven for them and their relationship to thrive and blossom. So they carried on, unsuspected by almost everyone, except for those they wanted to let in on their secret.

Mrs. had everything to gain from the relationship and absolutely nothing to lose. A husband to boost her new status as a graduate and a willing and responsible father for her two young children. Plus, he was not an up-starting young man as he already lived under his own roof and had a thriving business co-managed with his legal wife.

The business had sustained both of them to live a posh life while in school. Now that he would return to base and take charge of the family business once again, her share of the juicy cake was more than taken care of. Very few women will not fall for the temptation to sink their teeth (rather, fangs) into such a cake. If Mr. was not bothered about his wife’s emotions and welfare of his family, why should that be her own headache? It was Mr’s. affair, so, he should sort it out!

Sort it out he did, and in the way he perceived most appropriate and suitable for the new lifestyle he had decided to live. Rather than allow his new found love return to her State of residence, he brought her back to Lagos with him and carried on with her right under his unsuspecting wife’s nose. He carved out a new office for himself within the compound that housed the same company he ran with his wife and introduced his lover as his new partner.

Because she was new in Lagos and had no family of her own, one of the offices was converted into a Condo and she moved in. A perfect plan for their treacherous game. They could either check in into a hotel for the night or travel out of town to new “oyoyo’s” home town or any other place that caught their fancy, or just chill in the new “office”. He devoted more time to his new business and partner.

That was natural to ensure its successful take off. Legal wife would however not remain blindfolded for ever as the proximity of the affair now made it almost impossible to be ignored, especially by the prying eyes of neighbours. Words soon began making rounds that Mr. had married a new wife and even brought her to the family house. Madam could no longer keep quiet and pandemonium ensued. Mrs legal wife could not bear the truth of what had befallen her almost 20 years relationship.

She could not understand why her husband had betrayed her in such a reckless and heartless manner. She could not imagine why someone who had sworn to love and protect her and their children could stab them in the back in such a devious style. Why had he brought his lover so close to them if he really cared for their safety and welfare? After all, this is Africa and one cannot rule out the potency and influence of juju in such a precarious situation.

Her inability to come to terms with the loss of her first and only love and lover, the fact that she would now have to share him, body and soul with another woman, and that he would probably father other children besides her children and who will stand to inherit a part of the gains of their hard earned labour.

The various issues she battled with, combined with an unrepentant and aggressive attitude from her once loving husband culminated in series of problems for the legal Mrs. First, it was emotional, then health and finally psychological and now mental. When the devastating effect of their actions on madam became obvious to family members, friends and neighbours, oga and his new “ogbonge lover” cooked up a new strategy to save their faces.

Business was not so vibrant in Lagos, there was need to expand. And what better State of the country than his new partner’s? So, with the help of her family, they quickly set up a new office and oga began shuttling between the two States, till they eventually settled down. An action that finally sealed the fate of legal madam’s world as she knew it. And even though she had a responsibility to mother three dependent children, this could not help her find her balance as she eventually lost her mind.

On the last sighting a couple of months ago, she had become a member of the APC, or so it seemed, as she visited a few family and friends, wielding a broom with a few of her belongings slung across her shoulder in a pillowcase. She had escaped her care providers and was promptly returned.

A once beautiful woman with a well rounded African booty and enviable attack, she’d become a shadow of her old self, unkempt, incoherent and lost in her new world. Her loving and devoted father, who was her strength and backbone, died in the battle to restore his only daughter’s health, leaving a devastated and helpless mother and siblings to continue the struggle. Yet, no solution has been found till date.

What other choice has oga in this matter but to move on with his life? After all, he is not the first man to take a second, third or even tenth wife and will definitely not be the last. (yes ke?) It is just legal madam was not endowed with the shock absorbers of the natural African woman, and wants to implicate oga and spoil his lover boy image. No be so?

After all, when things like this happen, the now second best woman is expected to take solace in her children and move on with her life (with or without her husband) chikenna! But can one really blame madam? Many of us women are just too trusting, especially when it is about people we claim to love or are in love with.

A loving eye they say sees no wrong about its loved one. And even when the tell tale signs are written all over the wall, we often still fail to see the truth until the carpet is finally pulled away from under our feet. It is really unfortunate. However, can one really excuse the actions of the women who take part in these grand acts of treachery. Does this make them smart and worldly women or evil daughters of Jezebel?

Can they really be trusted by anyone afterwards, including the men they enter into these unholy alliances with? What about the families of these women, can they really be absolved of blame here? Were legal madam their own daughter, would they be happy that another woman caused such devastation upon their own child?

I am very sure that not every family will accept such a fate, they will definitely try their own tricks too, not ruling out providing some spiritualists something to chew on for a while. Perhaps, it is true that women are their own enemies! But more important than any, how does the new couple reconcile with the children of legal madam? Will there ever be true love, trust and harmony between these camps? Hmmm! Godu de oh! Do have a wonderful weekend!