I was lost. Didn’t understand what she meant by that last sentence. “What do you mean by I may not remain his newest bride forever?” I asked, puzzled.
“Oh, so you don’t realize that there is a possibility that MD could find himself another beautiful young bride tomorrow and shift all his attention and devotion and even resources to her just like he shifted all of that away from his wife and transferred them to you when he met you?” Aunty Meg continued to pierce through my heart with her words that probed the depth of my senses. “And what’s more,” she continued, “you don’t even think it’s possible that he could get another young babe pregnant tomorrow, do you? And what do you think will become of you if that happens?”
I thought about what she just said for a moment and the very thought of it all scared me. “God forbid!” I returned, my whole being revolting against the idea of MD taking another wife over me.
But, I soon realized that it was not impossible. He is a man. He is good looking. And what’s more, he has the money to marry as many wives as he possibly desires and manage as many concubines as his libido can contain.
“My dear, it is not a matter of God forbid, it is a matter of you must not let it shock you when it happens,” Aunty Meg continued with her sermon. “Yes, it is possible for you to prevent it from happening, which I doubt because every man will tell you that. No matter how well you spice your rice everyday, he will still get tired of eating it. Instead, he wants to try another type of food outside. The truth is that, no woman can stop a man from marrying another woman once his mind is made up.”
I was getting really worried now. I cannot stand the thought of MD abandoning me for another woman. How would I leave with that?
“But MD loves me, he won’t do that to me, Aunty Meg, I know he won’t,” I gushed, my voice trembling with fear.
“But he loved his wife too. Probably still do. Yet, he came after you,” she responded. “And luckily for you, you gave him the child he had been looking for, and to put the icing on the cake, you gave him a son, and for that reason, you will always occupy a special place in his heart. But all of that could in a matter of days if a pretty new bride comes into his life.”
“And do you know the biggest shocker MD could give you if another woman comes into his life?” she asked me, a look of mischief in her eyes.
“No, I don’t know,” I shook my head, wondering where she was going.
She beamed me a wicked smile, “He could get that woman pregnant too!”
I hated to admit it. I hated sometimes to acknowledge the truth whenever I am having this kind of conversation with Aunty Meg, she is very right! As bitter as the truth may sound, she is absolutely correct. MD could very well get another lady pregnant, what then becomes of me? The only edge I have over his wife, Aunty Elizabeth right now is the fact that I have given MD a child, something that has eluded her all through the over three decades they have been married. Once another lady gives him another child, there goes my only joker.
“You know something, Aunty Meg, I don’t like admitting it but you’re making sense. And its really starting to frighten me. So, what do I do now?” I asked her, truly bothered about the gloomy possibility she just painted to me.
“You keep on fighting, that’s what every sensible woman does!” she answered confidently. She made it sound so easy, but from my experience with Aunty Elizabeth hours ago in her home, I could tell it is far more difficult than she is making it look like.
“Aunty Meg, how do I keep fighting? I just finished fighting one yesterday in his house and it nearly got messy. How many ladies will I have to fight just to secure my future with him? And for how long will I have to keep fighting for?” I asked her, trying to make sense of what she was saying.
Aunty Meg smiled. “Listen, Anita, what you do not realise that, in this part of the world where we women come from, you just can never stop fighting for what actually belongs to you. You fight to keep your man, you fight to keep your marriage, your home. For as long as you’re still breathing, and you are a woman, you will fight to keep your man and your home,” she stated.
I thought it about it for a while. It’s not looking good at all. Is this what I want for myself? Is this how I hope to live the rest of my days, fighting to keep a man?
“I’m not sure about this anymore, Aunty Meg,” I said to her, shaking m head regretfully.
“Not sure about what?” she asked, obviously puzzled.
“About fighting to keep MD for the rest of my life, is it because I am not his legally married wife or because he has money to throw around women?”
“Even if you were his first wife and he is not this rich, you would still have to fight to keep him because there are several women out there who want what you have and they will go to any ;length to take him from you,” she explained, a cynical smile on her lips.
“So, it’s up to you to decide if your man is worth fighting for or not.” She continued. “If you think he is worth fighting for, then you do everything within your power to keep him, but if he is not, then you can throw the door of your home wide open for the vultures to come in and take him away from you, the choice is entirely yours!”
…To Be Continued
