Few years ago, precisely, eight years ago, my only chance at happiness was destroyed.
As
at that time, I blamed no one but fate and posterity, but few months
ago, I found out the person behind the incident which truncated my
happiness and yet I have been advised to keep quiet and try to forget
the whole issue. I really do not think I can do this; I have since been
haunted by this, which is why I need your advice.
My husband and
I met each other at a job interview few months after our service. We
had not met before; you know the way it is when you are in a situation
where you are bonded by a similar course. We became friends before
knowing it. We had both written a test at separate times and we were
invited for oral interview because we passed the examinations.
We became friends and eventually started
dating
because we shared a lot in common and possess a passion for similar
things. Our courtship was a fruitful one and after two years we decided
to get married. My mother’s joy knew no bounds as I am an only child
though with step siblings. My husband also was an only son of his mother
with two younger sisters, though with step
brothers and sisters. My upbringing however was different from his, because I was not raised in a polygamous set up, but he was.
Before our
marriage,
I had met and known his family and like he always said, they had their
family proverbial black sheep like every other family too. This supposed
‘black sheep’ really liked me and we got along well. My husband would
always marvel at this and he sometimes would joke and ask what I bribed
him with.
We could not go for a long honeymoon because he had to travel abroad
on training from his office, so we went to Spain for only five days, courtesy his office.
When
I complained that I wish we could stay on, he promised to take me back
when he returned from his three-month training and proceeded on his
annual
leave. Unfortunately, this wasn’t to be because precisely, 11 days
after we became husband and wife, armed robbers attacked us and killed
my husband.
We had gone to bed early, suddenly, we heard a loud
bang on our door, followed by our elderly landlord’s voice. Our
landlord, his wife and their 16-year-old granddaughter lived in the
other flat. We lived in a twin bungalow. They were a nice family and the
thought of the fact that he was forced by armed robbers to knock our
door was far from our mind. We then thought that there was an emergency,
we both rushed and opened the door only to be confronted with the
reality on ground.
They had been robbed, their granddaughter
who was defiled then led to our door. We were all ordered to lie faced
down. Our money and other valuables were taken at gun point. I was lying
on the floor with the others while my husband was taken round, when he
returned into the sitting room, he was ordered to lie on the couch.
They were already leaving when the last man who had been standing at the door turned back and shot my husband
in the head.
They were all hooded, when the other heard the gun shot, they came back
inside and in the bid to pull him away his hood fell off, I saw his
eyes and what he looked like. They were in a hurry to leave and didn’t
know I saw him.
I had lived with the memory of his face since
then. After my husband’s burial, I learnt to live with life, though
tough and painful. I was however haunted by this man’s face. After a lot
of plea from my mother and even my mother-in-law, to
look for love and live I started dating
again last year. Sometime this year, my father-in-law passed on. I
have a good relationship with my mother-in-law and my late husband’s
siblings so I played an active role at the burial. It was a big party.
Lo and behold, I saw the alleged thief who shot my husband at the party.
He was a guest of my late husband’s half brother; the
proverbial black sheep of their family, who suddenly have become a big
man through his supposed importing and exporting business. I couldn’t
make out if he recognised me or not, but I cannot forget that face.
I
told my mother and later my mother-in-law, both of them were of the
opinion that I should let the sleeping dog lie and I shouldn’t raise any
hell since he didn’t recognise me or show any sign that he knew me. I
don’t know what to do because the quest for justice is making me
restless and if that is the only thing I would do for my late husband, I
want to do it.
It is an obvious fact that my husband’s half
sibling was involved in the incident and my mother-in-law is pleading
that she wants peace to reign. My mother also is blackmailing me with
the fact that I want to send her to an early grave if anything happens
to me.
Please, Taiwo, what should I do?
Source: Nigerian
Tribune
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Abdulwaheed Omar has warned against people playing politics with the health of Gov. Danbaba Suntai of Taraba.
