When she was still in school, she had the chance to get married; but she refused. After she graduated from the University, men still came to marry her. But no way, rather, all she could think of was money and nothing else.
Fortunately for her, she secured a nice job in one of the big banks in Nigeria (B.N) as the Assistant Managing Director. A house and a car with a driver were given to her. Automatically, she became a big lady. There was nothing else she thought about except her job and making money.
But her mother was not happy about her daughter’s life style. She was worried for her only daughter, and adviced her to get married so that she could embrace her grand child before she died. Anita decided to put what her mother told her into consideration.
Unknown to her, the first man that approached her was a married man with kids. His name was Peter. Peter was interested in her money and not marriage. While Anita’s intention was to get married to Peter, she was seriously planning for their wedding without knowing that Peter was a crook. Anita signed a cheque worth millions for Peter to use in the completion of their wedding arrangements. Immediately, Peter grabbed the money and disappeared into thin air. After two months, Anita did not see him, and she had no way of finding him.
One day, Blessing, a friends of Anita's, went to the supermarket to buy some things. She saw Peter, but pretended as if she did not know him. Infact, she was able to trace him to his apartment without his knowledge. Blessing went straight to see Anita and told her everything, giving her Peter’s home address, so that she could see things for herself.
When Anita got to Peter’s house, she saw a woman who claimed to be Peter’s wife as well as three children. Peter came out and pretended as if he had never met Anita. Before Anita could utter a word, Peter bounced on her and gave her the beating of her life.
Anita was getting old and desperate to get married at all costs. All of her friends were married, even Blessing came to inform her that she was leaving the country to go to America with her husband. People were making fun of her. She decided to marry any man that came across her for marriage, even without proper investigation.
In the meantime, Peter went and colluded with his friend Charles in order to deal with Anita.
Anita met Charles at a restaurant where both introduced themselves. Within a short time, they were in love to the extent that Charles promised to marry her. However, she demanded to see Charles' father for a blessing, without a proper investigation of whom Charles was. He introduced her to a fake father (with the help of Peter), who gave them his blessings. Consequently, Anita believed Charles and was so happy.
Anita told her mother about Charles and the engagement, introducing Charles to her mother who blessed them as well.
Three months later, Anita discovered that she was pregnant and told Charles about it. They were happy, and the date of the wedding was fixed immediately. The arrangement was still on when Charles told Anita that he had to go home and inform his people about the date of the wedding. He promised to come back the next day, so she gave him a huge amount of money for the wedding preparations.
After two weeks, Anita went to Charles' home with her friend Mary. To their greatest surprise, Charles had moved out of the house to meet his wife and children in Jos.
Anita had no other choice but to face the harsh realities of life. When the date of her delivery was due, she gave birth to a bouncing baby boy.
After two years, Anita met Emeka in her office and they exchanged greetings. Emeka came back from Germany to establish his business in Nigeria. He had lost his wife through an accident, and had a daughter living with him in Germany.
Anita assisted him to established his business in Nigeria. Emeka was so thrilled and amazed by Anita’s beauty and intelligence, and wondered how such a beautiful gern could remain single. Within a short time, he fell in love with her. Anita noticing his advances, and was very careful not to be made a fool of again. Experience had taught her not to take men for granted, and the wisdom in looking before you leap.
She reminisced that at her age, and with her experience, if she could be fooled again, that would be her end. Therefore, she took her time to investigate who Emeka was, and studied his intentions towards her. They say “love is blind”, but Anita refused to be blind after she had suffered many injuries at the hands of men. Even if love is blind, she thought, no one seems to be an agent of blindness, walking towards love with thier eyes wide open. She decided to be a single mother other than suffer another shock from a man. She was happy watching her son and taking care of him.
One evening, Emeka invited Anita to his friend’s party. There, Emeka made known his intentions towards her. Anita refused out rightly, and left the party in annoyance. Emeka could not understand what went wrong, or where he had offended her. He rushed after her, but could not catch up. Anita had driven off.
The following day, Emeka visited Anita at home to find out what went wrong. A knock was heard at the door; Anita’s mother, who was still living with her, opened the door and ushered him in.
“Good morning ma!” Emeka greeted her.
"Good morning my son", she replied. "Please come in and make yourself comfortable. Let me call her."
"Thanks ma", Emeka replied.
She went in to call Anita, but to her greatest surprise, found her crying.
"My daughter", she called, "what is the problem? Talk to me, I am your mother."
"It's Emeka", she answered!
"What has he done this time?" Her mother asked.
"Last night, we were at his friend’s party and he proposed to me."
"Is that why you want to kill yourself? There is nothing wrong at all. I will handle the situation by myself this time around."
Anita called to her mother and reminded her of what she had suffered in the bid to get married. "It is better for me to remain the way I am than to receive another shock; or do you want to buy your daughter before her time?" She said.
Anita’s mother consoled he, asking her to clean her eyes and not cry again. She promised her that as long as she was still alive, no man would deceive her again. She told Anita that Emeka wanted to see her. Anita went downstairs to see him.
She greeted him and they embraced each other. Emeka kissed her.
"My dear, how are you this morning my angel?" He asked.
"I’m fine", she answered.
“Darling, why did you behave that way?" He asked.
Anita pleaded not to open up the conversation again. Emeka got up in annoyance and demanded an explanation for her behaviour the previous night. He shouted at her to talk. Anita discovered that Emeka was anxious to know, and she tried to calm him down in order to explain things to him. He called her to come and relax in his arms, and apologized for shouting at her.
Emeka was such a quiet, gentle man. He was rich, handsome and brilliant. He was lovable- he was every woman’s dream man. Emeka showed total commitment to the relationship, and he decided to marry Anita. His maturity attracted her.
Anita explained why she couldn’t marry him, but could continue to keep their relationship at that level. She said many men fell in love with her because of her money, and some had turned out to be married already. After collecting huge amounts of money from her, they disappeared. It was through this that her son was born. She was happy with her son and had ruled marriage out of her life.
Emeka said, “You should have told me this."
He promised her not to be worried, and that he was going to make it up to her.
“I love you with all of my heart, and I am not going to break your heart. We are made for each other”. He said. "You are the woman I have been looking for; hard working, caring and loving. I have chosen you to be my wife and nobody can change that", he added.
"Emmi my dear, I really love you; I was scared, and I don’t want to be hurt again."
Emeka called Anita’s mother, and assured her not to bother, promising to be a good son-in-law to her. Right there, Emeka proposed to Anita.
Two weeks later, they wedded and travelled to Germany. Anita had four children for Emeka three boys and a girl. They have a happy family.
Ten years later, Charles came looking for Anita, and was told she had married and travelled with her husband.
Later, when Charles heard that Anita and her husband came back for Christmas holidays, he went to see her, requesting to see the boy whom he claimed was his son. Anita was surprised to see him and annoyed that he could raise such an issue. After overcoming the initial shock she asked, “What do you mean?” Charles replied that he wanted to see his son.
"After all, I am his father", he said.
Anita quickly asked, "How could you come back and lay claims on the boy after all of these years? You denied being responsible for his pregnancy. It is unthinkable", she continued, "that you could come now to ask for him simplly because your wife could not give you a male child." Anita retorted furiously, "Infact, the boy is not your child, and you are not responsible for his pregnancy. Please get away, and never come back here again.
Charles replied; "The battle line is drawn; you will see me again", and left.
He later made some consultations on the matter, and was reminded that he never married Anita and thus, could not lay claim to anything that came out of the old relationship. It was against custom for him to do this, since they were not married and he had never paid any dowry for her.
Upon all entreaties by his friends' relations not to take the matter to the court, he went ahead and took the case to court anyways. Eventually, he lost the case: Anita and Emeka were given the maternity and paternity rights for the young boy.
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