She would come to me and ask for anything, even in the thickness of not having anything. I would make sure to find her whatever she asked for.
Mrs. Kemi is a woman who cannot stay without seeing me, and so do I. We have been so close to the extent of people asking if we were relatives. Anytime she needed something, she would not hesitate to run to me for help.
I'm a trader who does not joke with my market, but when it comes to this woman, I'm always there to help her out. I don't just know why or how we got to this extent. I just like her so much, and I believed she liked me the way I do.
One day her kids were sent from the school just because of school fees. She was expecting money from someone who was owing her, according to her, but that person did not bring the money as needed. She was running around in search of money for her children's school fees. Although her kids were still in primary school and their school fees were not that much. She came to me pleading while weeping at the same time. I was not having enough, but just because of the likeness I had for her, I had to run to my husband to ask him for money. I explained to him, and he does not joke with children's school fees. So, he gave me the money.
The money was a little much, but then my husband does not care when it comes to the aspect of children. He loves kids so much—not just his own alone, but other children.
I called Kemi and gave her the money. She was so happy and thanked me so much. My husband had warned me not to let her know that it was him who provided the money. I pretended as if it were from my pocket but not my husband's. She left for her children's school and got the money paid. This sum was not lent, but just for free. My husband gave her the money without a refund.
Two months later, her landlord came up to say her rent was due. It was a tug of war between my friend, Kemi, and the landlord. They were dragging it so intensely. Her house rent was supposed to be due by the end of February, but the landlord said it was January ending. She was mad and was not prepared for this. She had placed her mind to the end of February.
After much dragging, she later told the landlord to give her some time to look for the money.
She was a widow, and maybe that would be the reason I so much got glued to her that much. She came again crying and lamenting about how her landlord came up to ask for money for rent when it was not time to pay him. I guess the landlord was hungry. That would have been the reason for coming to ask for his house rent.
For me, I was down at that moment, and when she came, my husband was hearing all she was saying. He had to call me and give me the money, as it was not that much. I handed the money to her, but this time I told her to pay back since it was house rent but not children's school fees. She agreed to pay at the end of February.
After February, I did not see her break light, and I did not ask. I just wanted her to bring the money by herself without me asking.
Six months later, her husband's family had to sell some valuable items and gave her a huge amount of money to start up a business. I was so happy for her, as her progress was my relief. She started making money and saving huge amounts of money. Our friendship grew wider.
A year later, my husband was relieved from his work, and we were not having enough. After two months, my husband was called for another job, but he needed some amount of money before he would be able to start the job. This is the kind of people we have in our surroundings. They would find a nice job for you, but you have to pay them heavily before you can be given the job. They would even bargain with you to be paying them monthly.
I went straight to Kemi as the money was huge. I was able to provide a little, and that was what my power could take. I told her to lend me some money and that I will pay her back when my husband starts receiving his salary or when I have the money before the month-end. I was very sure I was going to have the money before the month ends. She started complaining of not having good sales. In my present, someone came asking for money from her. She gave that person twice the money I asked for. I was mad and did not know what to do. I beg her by even kneeling, and yet she said she has used all she had to buy goods.
I did not say a word again but just left her. Getting home, my husband had to hustle out the money through one of his friends. I told my husband about what Kemi had done; he said human beings are wicked.
I wanted to confront her, but something in me rejected that move. I was so sure she was going to come back begging for something from me one day, no matter what.
A month later, she was shocked to see my husband going to work after refusing to lend me the money. Maybe she had forgotten that she was still owning me some money, but then that was not my problem. I stopped going to her place, and she was not coming as well. One fateful day, she came to my place pretending to be a good human being. She greeted me and asked why I was not coming to her house anymore. I did not even bother to answer her. After talking for some minutes, she said I should help her talk to my husband to help her out of something. I asked her what it was. She said her goods had been seized by customs, and she needed to clear the goods with a huge amount of money.
Meanwhile, she knew that one of my husband's friends is a custom officer with a higher rank. I said she should leave my house so that no one will help her out. “The day I needed your help, you failed me, and now you are running to me for help? Just get out of my house, you ingrate." This was my statement to her. Her goods got spoiled in the hands of the customs. That serves her right.
