‘Mapenzi huisha’ is what I used to hear my girlfriends say whenever they broke up with their boyfriends. Some breakups are worth it but others shatter your life completely. They reduce you to nothingness. And that’s my story with Travis.
Travis and I were love birds who never left the sight of each other. Everything we did was always just the two of us. I believed that the love between us was unshakable, untouchable, and above all unbreakable. Our love was to last forever. Little did I know that nothing lasts forever! Not even life lasts forever. We get sick, get old and in this era we can even get corvid-19 and that that will be the end of the road for us.
Our relationship continued swiftly that I did not realize that Travis and I had been together for the four years. One afternoon he paid me a visit in the hostel. He looked disturbed. ”Bae what’s the matter?” I asked. He took a step towards me and held my hands. “Babe, do you mind accompanying me to ushago?” He asked. I could feel my heart almost burst out of me in joy. Ushago with my guy! I knew that he wanted to make it official. It was a big yes from me.
We travelled to his ancestral home in Maseno as planned the following morning. We arrived before noon. His mother received us well. It was a warm welcome. The relatives came to say hi to their daughter in law. The last person to greet me was the grandma and all she could say was “omhana khalayi sana.” Travis just smiled. Due to language barrier I could not comprehend what the old woman had said. They were Bantus and I was from the lakeside. During dinner that night he told his family that I was the love of his life and he wanted to marry me once I was done with my studies later that year. He surprised everyone by putting an engagement ring on my finger. I was overwhelmed with joy that I could not hold back my tears.
I was humbled by all this that I gave him my all. We were so connected kuliko Faiba internet and I was blinded by love that I did not notice 72 hours elapsing without remembering ‘kula njugu’[the e-pill]. We stayed at his home for three days and I had to travel back to college since I had exams. After three weeks my friend Laura told me ‘girl you look beautiful and adding some weight’. I just smiled and continued with what I was doing.
I sat for my exams and travelled home. My mother was so observant and noted the changes in my body and asked, “Akinyi are you pregnant?” I said yes and she asked me about the man responsible. Since she never wanted dad to know about it she told me to leave home and get to stay with Travis until she breaks the news to my dad. Travis welcomed the idea and we agreed to stay together until the baby was born so that he could formalize our marriage. Back at home there was darkness. But with Travis the sun shined was brighter than never before.
Dating life and marriage life are two different experiences. Dear boys and girls, enjoy dating while it lasts. When you get married, your price plummets and you easily find yourself being sold for less than 30 cents.
After staying for four months together, Travis started having weird character towards me. I was a stay at home wife and he would carry his ass to work every morning. His feelings changed and so did his attitude. I bet that he wasn’t me happy seeing me there every day with a stomach that grew bigger and bigger. Everything I did in the house was all wrong to a point that we even stopped talking. We were two people staying under the same roof but living in two different worlds. The situation got worse to the extent I could go without food for days only to be fed by neighbors or my elder brother who would send me money for food. He was definitely tired of my presence and he did all that he could to see me walk out of the door.
All this happened without my dad’s knowledge. I was in my third trimester when my hubby come home and started shouting at me. “Akinyi nimesema enda kwenu wacha kunijazia nyumba. Wewe na hiyo mimba toka kwangu. Huyo mtoto unayembeba si wangu Siwajui na hata sitaki nikupate hapa kesho! I don’t love you and I don’t have feelings for you anymore!!!” He said with his finger almost piercing my pupil. It was pointed centimeters away from my eye. I was so broken. I wept like a baby and he just stood there watching me cry.
On that night I left the house to use the washroom and when I come back I found myself locked outside. I sat at the door in the cutting cold of Eldoret till morning. I was pregnant and cold. In the morning he opened the door and without any remorse whatsoever walked away without a word. He passed me as if I was a log. Machoos tu. I entered the house, packed my belongings and took my phone and called dad tears rolling down my chubby cheeks. Dad had always waited for me to give him a call. I really needed his help but in my condition I wondered whether he’d accept me in his home again? It was a decision I was forced to make. I boarded a Nissan and set for the long journey home; home sweet home was a better option. When I thought that I was going to be received as a sinner, the reception by my family is something that puzzles me to this day.
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