In December 2018, I met a handsome light-skinned man. I was single and not looking for love. We exchanged numbers and I found myself in a relationship with him. A few days later, he came to my home uninvited, which was awkward but my mother welcomed him. We spent time together almost every day like new lovers do and it got to a point where we crossed over the year at his home. Things happened too fast as if we were a match made in heaven. We grew closer together. We had our ups and downs, arguments here and there, but love conquered all.

Then came a time at his aunt’s party where I was introduced to family and relatives of his, it was blissful. I’ve got to say, he knew what he wanted and what he wanted was me. He wasn’t financially stable which bothered him that he couldn’t do anything for me. He wasn’t aware that I just want him not what he could do for me.

Then my sick uncle became bed-ridden and he helped me with him. He fed, bathed and even cleaned up after his mess with the help of his friend. After a couple of weeks, my uncle passed away and he still helped bury him to an extent of digging his grave together with the help of friends.

That was my ‘aha’ moment.

As time went by, we found out that I was pregnant. That was the best moment of his life. It was rather a stressful pregnancy for me because of financial situations but his efforts and love were just enough. I often felt like I was dreaming, as I believed there is no such man in this world. It showed just how lucky I was.

Five months into the pregnancy, I lost the baby. My mother called him to the hospital and I watched as he kissed his dead baby boy, crying helplessly. It broke my heart that he lost the baby that he wanted, wholeheartedly.

Sometimes life isn’t fair.

After the loss of our baby, I was so shattered that I even broke down at our local clinic, where I was referred to a psychologist. He became his supportive self and accompanied me to my counselling sessions. He was loving, committed, loyal, supportive and too soft towards me as I was to him. We were looking forward to doing a lot of good things in the year 2020.

On the 31st of December, he came to my home a few minutes before we crossed over the year. I woke up and there he was, sitting on the couch waiting for me. At midnight, after the countdown, he hugged, kissed and wished me a happy new year. We then went to sit outside to watch the firecrackers. He saw two stars in the sky and said that it was him and I. He put his arms around me and told me how much he loved me. He told me that I shouldn’t doubt myself as I am the only one he loves. A few minutes later, he left and those were our last moments together.

In the morning, I woke up, washing his white T-shirt that he wanted to wear. I then sent him an SMS wishing him all the good things for the new year. Hours later, I was shocked to find out that he has been arrested and his family was looking for his ID document, his friends said.

Shortly after that, my mother, young brother and my partner’s aunt came together. I told my mother what those friends had said. When she said it was not that way, I assumed he might be injured or in hospital. She told me that she needs me to be strong, like how I survived the pain of losing my stillborn (daughter and son).

I immediately felt numb when she told me that he was gone. We went to the crime scene and all I saw was his dead body lying on the street covered in blood; he was stabbed to death. I discovered that the world is not a safe place to live in. It then clicked to mind that I sent an SMS to a corpse hence he never replied.

He was my pillar of strength when we were grieving our boy and now I was grieving for them both. I remember when he told his mother that only death will do us part and it was a prophecy that came true.

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