Everything happens for a reason but sometimes I wish I knew earlier what that reason was. I have learnt the hardest way not to rip myself into pieces to keep others whole.
Elizabeth and I have been married for the past two years and we dated steadily for less than a year before I walked her down the aisle. During that period I catered for her daily needs and even extended it to her family because of the unconditional love I had for her.
My name is Fred Kwaakye; the only boy amongst two girls raised by our single mother in the city of Accra. I saw my mother go through so much hardship that I vowed never to allow my siblings and future wife go through the same situation as my mother. I worked hard throughout my education and soon I gained employment in a reputable firm with a mouth watering salary.
I lost my mother to diabetes shortly after I was employed in a renowned oil firm as an accountant; then, I saw the greater responsibilities ahead of me. I took charge of my siblings and some other members of the extended family (though they cared less about whatever happened to us). Soon I was transferred to my company’s branch in the western Region of Ghana, specifically Enchi. I also managed to rent another apartment at Kasoa, a suburb of Accra, for myself and my siblings and soon life got better than it already was.
I met Elizabeth through a friend one Saturday night and we bonded right away. At a glance I said to myself, “damn!! God must have spent a little more time moulding this princess.” She was everything I always wished for in a woman. I was proudly not a member of the #teamhitandrun, hence had plans of taking her the extra mile. I was willing to take things slowly till I had clear signals that she was indeed the right choice. The man in me yearned only for the woman in her and it was so surreal.
My siblings immediately approved of her and as far as I was concerned, we were good to go. She started coming to visit regularly to help with my chores; she cooked, cleaned, washed and did everything I found difficult to do in my home. Whenever I resumed and had to go back to Enchi, Elizabeth would take charge of my siblings and cater for them thoroughly.
After seven months of what seemed like a beautiful relationship, Elizabeth and I tied the knot in simple ceremony. Finally! My girlfriend became my wife.
About ten months into our marriage I noticed that my wife was being ‘shady’ with her phone. Late night calls and texts were on the rise and to avoid the long heated arguments she normally created, I would just shut up and keep my cool. As far as I was concerned, she loved only me. My late mother used to say, “You say your best when you say nothing at all,” and that’s exactly how I lived.
I began encountering issues at the office. Some funds could not be accounted for and my bosses were on my neck and tail to give vivid explanations and produce the money in less than 6 months. What I was earning from my Oil firm was not enough for me to be able to produce GHc500,000 in a month; I mean how? Even magicians can not in any way do that. Who in my company was embezzling these funds? I did everything possible to find the culprits but couldn’t. Whoever was doing this did very well to cover up their tracks without traces. I was in a mess and there seemed to be no way out.
That weekend, I came back to Kasoa and informed my wife about it but she did not seem extremely bothered. She later went with me to see her pastor who prayed for me and assured us that no calamity would befall us. I instantly felt relieved. The 6 months grace period given by my company to produce the lost funds soon elapsed and I was to be tried in court. For some reasons, I saw that things might not go well.
To cut the long story short, I was found guilty and sentenced to 6 years at the Sekondi prisons. The first person I thought of was Elizabeth my poor wife and what would become of her and my siblings. I was an innocent man being made to pay for the deeds of the guilty ones.
We said our good-byes in the court room with a passionate kiss which was cut short by the aggressive policemen who were in a rush to shove me into the prison van waiting outside. My wife visited me almost throughout the first year and then she stopped coming. Whenever I called her from prison, she would neither answer her phone nor return my calls. Elizabeth was slowly fading away from my life and the thought of her not showing an iota of care killed me every second. My siblings however never stopped coming and they gave me so much hope and amazingly, they hadn’t seen Elizabeth in a while; no one knew of her whereabouts.
I finally finished serving my sentence and once again ‘a free man’. I was out after paying for someone else’s crime, but I guess God had a plan. I got to my home only to be informed that Elizabeth couldn’t wait for my release. I thought she loved me? As if that wasn’t enough, she went further to tie the knot with my own friend and work colleague Jeremiah ‘Ebo’ Quansah and that explained the late night calls and texts. Oh how dumb was I? They are now married in the states living the fab life. I suddenly got the feeling that my friend framed me up to have my wife and for some reasons, she was aware of every move. My siblings did well to conceal this issue from me out of the fear of me committing suicide.
Eiii women!! Hmm… now I’m a jobless ex-convict and I have no idea how I’m going to restart my life. Trust me; there were lots of innocent people in my cell whose lives were being wasted for nothing. Life is Unfair!
Is there anyone out there willing to help me? I now depend on my younger siblings for survival and can’t even afford to pay for counseling sessions. I feel like ending it all because I’m no longer useful to the society. My heart is broken and my life is shattered!
My pastor said I went through this for a reason and my question is, what kind of God would make this happen to a faithful servant? Where did I go wrong?
How do I restart my life?
By: NanaYaa Asabea
Email: nayascolumn@gmail.com
Facebook: NanaYaa Asabea
Twitter: @naya__233
Instagram: @naya_233
