The sky was filled with orange and fading yellow as the evening sun drooped quietly over Oke-Ado's rusty roofs. Dust from the unpaved road leading to Tola's house and the scent of roasted plantains from a nearby vendor filled the air.
Tola, the eldest of three girls, carried her old schoolbag on her back as she and her sisters made their way home. Their family has not had an easy time in life. An engine explosion at the workshop years earlier had left their father, a once confident mechanic, unable to use his right hand. Since then, their mother had taken on the responsibilities of the family, selling little goods on the side of the road and using hope and faith to fill in the gaps.
That evening, as they got closer to their compound, they noticed a dazzling black Toyota Prado SUV parked in front of their little house. It was an uncommon sight in their area, and its elegant form flashed in the dim light. Standing beside it was a man wearing a smart, expensive agbada that seemed to have its own shine. Their parents were also with him, expressing glowing faces with admiration and thankfulness.
Tola and her sisters greeted them and went inside to change their uniforms. The air inside the house was thick with the man's perfume that smelled sweet, musky, and foreign. Through the window Tola peeped, as the man spoke and her parents nodded enthusiastically. She hadn't seen her father smile that broadly in a long time. "Who is this man?" she asked herself, and why do they appear so grateful?
Her mother called her aside later that night, her face glowing with excitement.
“Tola,” she began softly, “the Lord has done it for us. The man you saw in the evening, his name is Mr. Kolawole Akorede. He has promised to take care of your school fees, and those of your sisters too. He will send food and money every month, and we won’t have to worry again.”
Her mom hesitated. Her voice faded off into a whisper as her eyes glittered
“But, my daughter… in return, he says he will marry you when you finish school.”
Tola was only thirteen. The words didn’t make full sense. She only knew that when her parents were happy, she was supposed to be, too.
From that day, foodstuff began arriving in bags, kegs and cartons, even envelopes of cash. Her parents' emotions calmed up and their little house began to laugh again. Additionally, her mother would add, "God used you, Tola," each time a delivery occurred. You are a blessing to us.
Years went by. Tola grew into an intelligent and composed young lady. She gained admission into Obafemi Awolowo University, where the world seemed wider and brighter. She wanted a purpose beyond survival, so she studied accounting and aspired to become a chartered accountant.
Throughout her years at OAU, Mr. Kolawole’s support never stopped. His monthly cheques paid for everything, her hostel, her books, even her comfort. Yet, in every quiet moment, she felt his presence like a shadow in her future.
Tola graduated as one of the best students in her department five years after being admitted, at the age of twenty-one, but her happiness was mixed with sadness. She was a long way from realizing her dream of becoming a chartered accountant, working in glass skyscrapers, and seeing her name on an office door, but a working wife is not permitted by her prospective husband.
A week after her convocation, the sparkle of gold jewelry and the muted sobbing behind her bridal veil substituted her dreams. Mrs. Tola Akorede became the fourth wife of Mr. Kolawole Akorede, the same man who had bought her childhood, her education, and now, her freedom.
Generated using meta AI
The mansion carried the kind of silence that wealth often hides. Its beauty was flawless but lifeless, the marble floors echoed with every step, and though the chandeliers sparkled above, they gave no warmth. Behind the polished doors, each wife wrestled with her own kind of loneliness, and the unspoken rivalry in the air was heavy enough to taste.
Obedience and duties turned the days into a fog. Beside her untouched textbooks, Tola's certificate was gathering dust in a wooden closet. Almost 3 times her age, Mr. Kolawole prohibited his wives from working. "A man's house is his pride," he would constantly say, "and my wives must be my gemstones, not my competitors."
Every time he spoke, she would smile, but her heart grew smaller. The toughest times were at night. She would lie awake with tears in her eyes and the gentle hum of the generator in the background, gazing up at the ceiling. She would occasionally picture herself back at OAU, strolling across the outdoor arena, giggling with her colleagues, and holding a notebook full of dreams.
"This is my next chapter," she told herself in a whisper each morning when she woke up. Even though the words started to sound hollow. She had hoped that the following chapter would lead to freedom, but instead it had led her into a story she had never chosen to create.
Sometimes, she would sit by the window and watch the sun set behind the high walls of the mansion. She would think of her sisters, both now in university, both sponsored by the man she now called husband and wonder if they saw her as a savior or a sacrifice.
Every evening, as the breeze slipped through the curtains, she would close her eyes and think of how she had always known this life was waiting for her, but now that it finally came, she realized that nothing could have prepared her for it.
Now, Tola finally understood that the next chapter isn’t always a new beginning. Sometimes, it’s just the continuation of the same old story in a new face.
