It was a cold, peaceful night when Tina arrived home. It was a few days after Christmas. She had earlier gone to her fiancé's place to celebrate Christmas with him and also meet some of his family before finally coming home. The night was long the day Tina got home. No one was able to sleep as she narrated her experience with her fiancé just within a week that she stayed with him.
The whole family gathered around her with open ears to hear her story. "I have never been so embarrassed in my life until the day I was leaving my fiancé's place," she started, tears filling her eyes. Tina explained how they trekked for about 30 minutes from his abode to the park and how terrible he was talking to her publicly.
Her fiancé, Tony, was a gentleman to the core, but he is abusive and has uncontrollable anger. Tina had tried to talk to him about how he spoke and got angry at every slight chance he got, but he turned a deaf ear to it. He loves to be respected but doesn't show respect to his girlfriend.
He is someone who places more priority and importance on his family than on his fiancée. He would rather attend to the needs of his younger siblings then slow down or never attend to his own fiancée.
Tina, on the other hand, was a humble girl in her late twenties; she's fair in complexion and has a round, beautiful face. She smiles a lot. She met Tony while he was about to complete his youth service in Lagos. Tina had gone to Lagos for a church youth program, which Tony attended as well.
They met at the entrance of the church while Tina was trying to figure out the route to the main church where the program was taking place. However, they walked together, chatting as they approached the building, exchanged contacts, and afterwards became friends, then close friends, and then lovers after a few months. No one would have thought their relationship would end up this way.
Tina was heartbroken and tired of life.
She told her family how Tony disgraced her at the chemist shop just because she asked for a little cash to add to her money to get the drugs. The angry man began to rain insults on her in public, so the chemist attendant had to let her have the drugs for free, with a note of pity and warning on her face.
Yet, Tina didn't give up. She still followed him to meet his elder sister and uncle who lived in different parts of the country. She also discussed her experience with them, how they talked down on her, which she was sure was how her man presented her to his family.
She was not treated like a wife-to-be but as a hopeless house help. They made her wash, clean, and do all manner of work in each of the houses she went to, yet Tony never stood up for her.
Tina still overlooked this until the last thing happened: he hit her. Yes, he did, all because Tina requested food after earlier complaining of not eating anything.
This turned into an argument, and he gave her a very resounding slap.
At this point, she broke down in tears; even two sisters with her were very remorseful and angry at the same time. Her mum was grateful to God that her child was back home safely after traveling to four different states, all in the name of meeting her fiancé and his family.
"I can never give my daughter to a monster!" was her father's remark after listening to her daughter's painful story.
Her younger brother even warned not to bring such a man home, else he'd kill him.
The whole room was quiet afterward, but Tina's mind was full of many thoughts about what to do—whether to end it or continue.
"Love is blind, but marriage is an eye opener," they say. "Choose wisely," said Tina's mum, breaking the silence.
The following morning, Tony called and rained abuse on Tina, saying one of her sisters had sent her an abusive message and, therefore, disrespected her.
Tina tried to get the details and understand the situation, but the angry guy blocked her contacts immediately after he hung up the call.
Tina cried bitterly and asked why her sister had to do that without notifying her first. "You need to end this relationship because it's bondage," said her sister and also blocked Tony's number on Tina's phone too.
Tony did not stop at that; he blocked her on all her social media accounts that they used to communicate. Tina could not believe it; she still used another person's phone to call him. After picking up and hearing her voice, Tony blocked the line.
Tina was crazy about this guy until it dawned on her that he really meant it. He was done with the relationship and not ready to make amends. She cried for many days, fell ill, and yet didn't give up.
She summoned the courage to chat with one of his relatives, but they had all blocked her lines as well. She went further to call Tony using a friend's number. He picked up the call again, and after listening to her, he said, "Tina, I'm no longer interested in you. You're always giving me bad luck and headaches all the time." He cut the call again and blocked the line.
Tina never got tired. "Where will I start from?" she whispered. Her mum tried to talk to her, but she proved adamant.
She went ahead to call Tony using her mum's phone number. Tony recognized it, but he disrespected Tina's mum by cutting her calls and blocking the lines immediately.
Tina wanted to use her younger brother's phone number to call again, but it seemed she was going insane. "I'm not crazy!" Tina exclaimed, and she kept shouting until her younger brother held her and took her inside her room.
Aunty, take it easy; it's been three years. God can bring a man who will marry you in three months. Please, don't harm yourself because we still love and cherish you.
Dating a saint who later turns into a monster is not right. I'm not sure your marriage will be peaceful with him either. Tina's brother spoke like an adult, and it sunk into her brain, causing her to weep soberly.
She felt ill again and afterwards resumed her normal life after a lot of counsel and persuasion from her parents. She returned to work after the New Year and focused on improving her life with hope that one day true love will find her again.
Thanks for reading.🤗
