The night was over and the sun’s light began to shimmer through the house. I opened my eyes and suddenly I received a big slap from my own blood sister, Najere.

“I cannot take this anymore. You are getting out of my house today! Right now!” Najere shouted with anger while throwing my bags out of the house.

“Sister, what have I wronged you? Are you going to be treating me like this? For how long sister? I am tired of you. This is now getting worse. I am going to reveal the secret if you continue treating me like this,” I said, tears flooding my cheeks.

Upon hearing the car horn hooting, Najere realised that Nsimbi, her husband, who was also my husband, was back. So, Najere put back my bags in the house. I knew that it was going to be a week of crisis for me as Najere had planned to treat me even harsher than ever before. But her evil plans did not work as I persevered all the bad treatment which she subjected me to.

One day, I was surprised by the warm treatment Najere had given me. But I did not know that an evil thought was cooking on Najere’s mind. She had planned to kill me by putting poison in my food. Fortunately, I saw Najere putting the poison in my food.

“Najere, what are you doing? So, you have gone to the extent of wanting to poison me, your own sister? Have you forgotten that I’m your blood sister?” I bombarded her with questions. Then I said, “you are such a wicked person Najere! In fact, you are second to the devil himself! Just imagine how your life would have been without me, Najere?! Don’t worry, I will go. I don’t want to lose my life! May God bless you, Najere,” I said in a mute voice, shocked by my sister’s sinister ploy.

The following morning after Nsimbi had just gone to work, I packed all my bags and started off to “nowhere.” It was indeed nowhere as I did not have anywhere to go. The day was blessed with a blazing sun. I continued to walk all alone along the road while tears soaked my dress.

I was confused. Yes. I was in the middle of nowhere and I could not even hear a car horn. Then, a certain awesome young man came out of his car and started shouting at me for wanting to cause an accident; he was so furious with how I had behaved. All this while I stood still like a steel statue on the road. But the young man’s fury eventually melted into understanding after exploring my face. The man talked to me:

“Hey, how are you? Are you okay?” He asked.

I stayed for a long while before coming back to my senses and make out that someone was talking to me. I wiped off my tears and looked at the man.

“Who are you and where do you stay? Why are you walking all alone around the town?” His voice inquired.

“Hey man, can you just ask me one question at a time?” I requested.

“Okay,” sighed the man. “What is your name?” he asked.

“My name is Naomi and who are you?”

“I am Justice,” the man replied. “But where do you stay?”

“I was staying with a sister and now, I mean today, she has just chased me out of her house,” I said, quivering.

“Why has your sister chased you? Is she your real sister? I mean, your blood sister?”

“It is a long story.” I replied while tears welled up in my eyes.

“Would you share your experience with me?” He demanded.

And this was my narration:

“When I was five, my elder sister who was then twenty got married to Mr. Nsimbi, a rich businessman in town.

The fortune of our family changed overnight as a result of the overwhelming support we received from our in-law. As a newly-wed couple, my sister and her husband became the talk of our relatives’ homes.

Unfortunately, my sister could not conceive. This was later to bring about an incessant bickering between Nsimbi’s people and our family.

“We want a child! We are tired of her,” so went their fed-up jibes.

At this time, Nsimbi had made up his mind to marry another wife. Apparently, this would not sit well with our family as it meant Nsimbi re-chanelling his support to another woman’s home. So, a family meeting was called. The main item on the agenda was how to stop Nsimbi from marrying another woman. It was suggested that Nsimbi be given a bonus wife. To my surprise, the bonus wife was no other than myself. How would I manage to be a wife to someone when I was only fifteen? I tried to refuse, but all my efforts were in vain. So, I gave in.

Several embarrassing incidents followed. One of the worst scenarios was to come when I had sexual intercourse with my own sister’s husband.

“God will judge one day,” I consoled myself.

“Do not cry,” said Justice.

I continued my narration:

“Several months later, I noticed strange signs in my body. Feeling sleepy, heavy and nausea. I was taken to the hospital for a pregnancy test and the bad news that was good news to my family was announced by the doctor.

I was four months pregnant. My pregnancy was celebrated with jubilation by my family, including my sister.

In a drastic turn of events, Nsimbi’s attention diverted from my sister to me. This was the genesis of my sister’s constant fights with me.”

When I finished my story, Justice took me to the nearest police station and re-narrated my story. Police officers were furious at my story and decided to take action immediately. The police, Justice and I started off for Justice’s house.

“You are under arrest for abusing this young lady!” Thundered one police officer as another one cuffed Nsimbi.