THE PROMISE – Sweetness Ezeh
Hmmm! If you are reading this, it means I’m dead. I can no longer continue to live knowing the single mistake I made that has ruined my life. Before you judge me, please read to the end.
The horror of my marriage began on the 24th December, 2021. I can’t remember what time it was but I sure remember it was a cold evening of the Christmas Eve.
There I was, washing my tomatoes I had bought earlier that day from Farin-gada market, dancing to the beautiful beat of “Getting bigger everyday” by Moses Bliss when I heard my phone beep.
It was a WhatsApp notification from an unsaved number. As I opened to read, I got the shock of my life.
“Congratulations Babe. I heard you are now married and a mother now. Help me give a kiss to your little boy and tell him Uncle Kenny says hi”
What? I said loudly with so much furry. “How dare you? Have you no conscience Kenny?” I quickly replied.
Kenneth was my best friend and first love at my teen years. He was a graduate awaiting admission to college at the time of dating.
I fondly called him Kenny as every young person had a special name for who they were dating. He calls me Babe.
The last time I saw him was in 2010 a day before he left for University in a prestigious institution down East. I was still in Jos waiting admission. We communicated through chats and call until in 2013 when he suddenly stopped picking my calls or replying my chats and sms.
I wondered if I had done something wrong or if I had been replaced by another lover so soon. Unreplied read messages from days to weeks and then years.
Let me add, Kenny was every girl’s dream. He was from a reputable, godly home. His parents did great in raising them God’s way. He was everything and more.
I didn’t wait for another reply from him. I swiftly added “Don’t chat me again”
With great bitterness, I dashed my phone on my kitchen stool which fell and gave it a crack on the screen. Picked it up and continued with my tomatoes I left in the sink.
Four days gone, no word from Kenny. It only made me realised that I deserved an explanation from him for leaving without no reason. I struggled between deleting his contact for good and asking to know why he went silent. “I deserve to know why” I thought.
Took the courage to finally chat him. “Kenny,why?” I inquired.
“I’m sorry, Babe. After my exams, I wanted to surprise you but unfortunately, we had an accident on our way back that sent me into coma for six months. Thank God I survived and woke up but it took almost a year to get back to normal as I began learning to do everything again like a child” he replied with pictures and videos of his recovery.
A deep breath as I felt so sad for judging him wrongly. “I’m sorry Kenny. I had no idea. No one told me, not even your sister.”
“It’s okay Babe. It is past now and I’m glad you are happily married now” he said.
Let me not bore you with the long story. We got talking again as friends. We tried to keep an update of how life had been without each other.
In April 2022, my husband left for a 5days conference at Lagos leaving my son and I here in Jos. Kenny had a convention here in Jos so he visited me just two days after my husband had traveled.
…to be continued..
