I didn’t want to go home, but I had to. I wanted to clear my suspicions. I wasn’t jealous because Efe was already cheating with two other woman I knew about. I did nothing, and I don’t know if it was stupidity or irresponsibility that made me stay in that relationship. I loved him, yes, and everything was good except of his abuse. I was scared I would never find a man again, and I thought God had given me Efe.

I found Zoryll washing her clothes at her place. She looked very unhappy, but I thought she had her personal issues. She was washing her clothes roughly, though, and her face was pale and drawn.

“Hello,” I said, speaking calmly.

After my greeting, Zoryll turned her back frightened, and I could see it in her eyes. “Hello,” she said in a low tune. Sadness was plastered on her face, and she continued with her washing, but without being as rough as before. She was trying to hide her emotions.

“How are you?” I asked with a smile, which I knew was weird because she would think I was happy while she was sad. “I saw Efe with your phone. He said you sold it,” I continued gently, and that was when she suddenly gave me attention and stopped her washing. She was like a tree with no leaves.

“Is it written an H sign at the back? He stole it,” she said. She was calm when she spoke, but she soon gushed at me in rage.

As Zoryll spoke, I noticed her puffed eyes. Something was terribly wrong with her, but I knew she wouldn’t confide in me. “He said you sold it to him,” I protested. I didn’t know what to believe, even though we all know that a story has two sides.

“He’s lying, he stole it. He was here and he came …” she said and suddenly stopped, like she was hiding something. I had a feeling my suspicion were right.

“What? He came and what did he want?” I asked while trying to hold in my anger.

“He stole my phone. Can you tell him to return it?” she pleaded, and I could tell that she really needed her phone back. It was very important to her, but I decided not to ask a lot of questions, even though I was curious. If I had to ask Efe, he would beat me.

“OK, I don’t know if he still has it, but I’ll try,” I said, trying to comfort her.

I had refused to take the phone from Efe. I wanted a new phone from the shop because I felt like it was wrong to accept the phone. Efe had gone to the bar after I refused the phone, and he never returned with it. I didn’t know what happened to it, and I didn’t care less.

“Thank you,” she said hopefully.

After talking to Zoryll, I walked away with emotions of anger and confusion. I never asked Efe anything that had to do with the phone after that, and I carried on with my life as usual. I avoided Zoryll all together because I was ashamed I had made a promise I couldn’t fulfill. She, also, carried on with her life, and I saw that she had a new Samsung phone a month later, but she hated me. I always adored her dressing and tried to be her friend, and I didn’t care that Efe loved her. All I knew was that he would always come back to me, or at least I prayed so.

A year later, I graduated and found work. I was not going to depend on Efe anymore. I had my own money, and I was happy, but he had plans for my money.

“I don’t want to stay at your parents any longer,” he complained.

“Where do you want to stay?” I asked calmly.

“Buy a small piece of land, and I will build a house for us,” he answered while rubbing his thighs.

We were in my bedroom at my parent’s house at the time. After dinner, he had assured to me that he had something to talk about with me. His plan sounded good, so I agreed and talked to the chief following day. I later got a piece of land in my name.

“You’re a wise girl,” my mother praised me. She didn’t know the plan was not my own, but Efe’s.

We first build a one roomed shack, then he hustled to get money so we could build a two roomed house. He slept alone in the shack for a month, and I only went there in morning and returned evening. I didn’t feel safe in it, the heat was too much, and snakes and lizards made uninvited entries. Efe wasn’t beating me anymore, and I assumed all was well. Maybe he had changed.

“I’ll add money so we can build a brick one. Look, I’m tired of sleeping alone,” he complained.

In six months-time, we had built a three roomed brick house. My mother was excited and we had a party. I was earning a reasonable salary, and it was too much for me. I had to buy Efe cigarettes, and sometimes beer, in order to make him feel good. I wasn’t a punching bag for a while, but he couldn’t live without cigarette and beer, or he would be as angry as a hungry dog. That anger made me get abused, so I figured I must avoid it. I made sure I gave him an allowance, and he could use it for his cravings.

Tell us: Dou you think the main character should leave Efe now that she can afford to be alone now?