Greetings!
It all started when Ope was looking for an escape route from where she's living with her sister who she claimed had been maltreating her to please her own children.
So, when I heard about her planned escape, I called and said,
“Ope, I heard about your planned escape from Tola and I was astonished as to why you think that was the best option for you.” She replied and said, “Sam, I don't have any other option than to leave her side. I'm tired of how she's been treating me.” “But you can at least bear with her for a little time and negotiate your freedom with her,” I said. “Not any longer,” she replied. “Okay, how do you now intend to leave her side and escape?” I asked. “ I don't know for now,” she answered. “Okay, if that's what you wanted, I wish you the best of luck,” I said. “Thank you Sam,” she said.
So, after our conversation, she left and since then, I never set my eyes on her until recently when we met at one of the city markets in town. When I saw her, I was not really happy with her situation.
I was the first person to see her and had it been she was the first person that saw me, maybe she would have hid her face and avoid, but because I was the first to see her without her seeing me, I called out her name and when she raised up and head, she sighted me and immediately she sighted me, I could feel the shock in her even from afar.
So, I went straight to where she was at a local food shed where she's helping the owner of the shop to wash dirty plates and dishes with her little daughter clung to her back. So when I got to her, I greeted all those that were there and I called her (Ope) to a corner asking her about what happened to her.
At first, she was reluctant to reveal to me what had happened to her, but with my continuous pestering, she opened up to me and said,
“Sam, you know I told you I would be leaving my sister's side when we talked last. My escape plan back then was to go and stay with a guy who had promised to marry me. So, immediately I left her side, I moved in with the guy and it's there that I got pregnant for him. So, after I realized that I was pregnant for him, I told him and what he said was that he was not the one responsible for the pregnancy and as a result, he sent me packing.”
So, after she had said this, I asked her as to why she didn't inform the mother of the guy but she responded by saying,
“I didn't know any of his relatives, so, there's nobody to report him to.” “Why didn't you go back to your sister?” I asked. “She had warned me not to return back to her if anything happened to me in the future,” she said. “This is serious,” I said.
After I had heard all that had happened to her, I was so moved and filled with compassion. I told and promised her that I would help her talk to her sister and her husband.
Though I didn't leave her without lashing at her rude behavior at her sister and her sister's husband. I made her realize that what she did was bad and I could see in her that she's remorseful for her actions.
I asked her where she's staying and she told me she and her 6-month old baby were staying at the local restaurant after everyone might have left for their various homes. I was moved with emotions when I heard this from her.
So, immediately I got home, I went straight to her sister's place and thank God I met the sister and her husband at home. Immediately I got there, I went straight to the main reason I was there and when I started to talk about Ope’s predicament and what she was passing through, the sister stood up, but the husband remained seated listening to me.
I begged the husband to please help the poor girl and he was like that would not be possible again as her wife who happened to be the one that brought her into the house would not even allow her into the house again. I pleaded with the man but all to no avail.
It's after my pleading with both the husband and the wife had yielded no result that I thought of going through their pastor to help me beg them on behalf of Ope, when I got to their pastor who welcomed me very well with Ope by my side as I have sent for Ope before I left for the pastor's place, the pastor told me point blank that Ope didn't do well at all. He said he invited Ope before she took the decision that led her to be homeless with a child but that she wouldn't listen to him.
The pastor promised to help us see to the matter and that's when we left, so, after a week, I got a text from the pastor asking me to come to Ope's sister's place with Ope, immediately I saw the text message, I sent for Ope and she came around, we went to meet the pastor at her sister's place and on getting there, we met all parties seated and it's there we settled the whole issues.
Although the settlement didn't come on a platter of gold, thank God we were able to settle it amicably through the pastor and that's how Ope and her baby returned home.
Thanks for reading
Picture is Ai generated.
