Tina is born in a traditional family who hold traditional values sacred, but a whim of obsession which she mistakes for love makes her defy the ways of the tradition. The gods are not happy, but it's too late for her and she can't avoid the repercussions because it's the will of the gods.
Tina, presumably thought her mother wouldn't notice her absenteeism. She stealthily walked ounces behind past her like a sly cat,
bestowing fleeting glances to be sure that her intentions wouldn't be foiled by her carelessness.
"If I don't see Rabu today, I will die, or go crazy. This love will kill me."
She said and lingered around her father's compound. A sharp stone peels her heel and she grimaces in pain. She groans and whirls at the corner and peeks around suspiciously. Her heel bleeds profusely and she flips off the blood with her hand and licks it.
"Damn it! All this trouble in the name of love!" She muttered to herself and smiled slightly. There wasn't any human figure visible.
"You are safe now, Tina! This is the perfect opportunity. You Dare not goof around or else your nagging mother will impede your plans." A moment's thought told her. Mauda, Tina's mother, first hides behind the door of her hut and keeps peeping through the tiny hole on the door. The position of her hut was convenient because it stood in the middle of the two other huts in her husband's compound; the bigger ones in the rear belonged to Kaija, her husband and another, to Shooca, Kaija's second wife. It was easy to identify everyone in or around the compound. She gropes out of the hut and pretends not to have seen her. She resumed her chores. Her daughter took the path behind the hut and strode towards the neighbour's compound. Mauda left her presumed task and trailed behind her. She was determined to substantiate the rumours that her twelve-year-old daughter was straying off with a neighbour's son.
"Today, you will have it coming, Tina. You won't escape my anger. It had better not be true or else..."
Despite her periodic warnings about her daughter's nasty behaviour she had cultivated lately, the latter had vehemently refused to take heed of her advice. Kaija, her husband had severally warned her that if he found out that there was a gist of truth in the gossip that was floating around the village about his daughter, he wouldn't hesitate to marry a third wife. Mauda wouldn't wish this to happen. What if his new wife was able to bear him male children? Was this not what he had always wished for? Was it not the same reason that he had married Shooca, his second wife hoping that she would give him an heir? At the thought of this, Mauda's mind was unsettled. She didn't want to lose her stance in the family. If it turned out to be authentic that her daughter had diverted from the morals of the society, and Kaija learnt about it, Mauda would no longer be Kaija's favourite and would be shorn of all the privileges of being a first wife. She seldom wished for that to happen. "No, it can never happen! Somehow, I have to make sure I secure my position."
She would always tell herself. And if her daughter lost her virginity, she would be a disgrace to her and the whole community. Mauda would be a laughing stock amongst other women. If Tina got pregnant before marriage, she would be a pariah, because it was taboo. She had to do something to stop the foreboding disaster. She quickened her pace yards behind her daughter and then stealthily trotted at a slackened pace.
Mahuge's compound was some metres away from Kaija's compound. The two homesteads were immediate neighbours. It would be easy to notice all that happened around from both ends if not for the many trees and shrubs that had grown on the raised ground between the two homesteads.
"Amelia!" Mahuge called his second wife. He had just received an unannounced visit from his in-laws' side. Tony, after hearing about her sister's new joy, couldn't wait to pronounce his abrupt visit to his in-law.
"I couldn't wait to congratulate Amelia for her newfound joy. I am sorry if I bumped into your compound unexpectedly. Said Tony with an apologetic gesture, and resumed anxiously,
"You know how long she has been praying for a male son; Two whole years of ceaseless prayers and sacrifices! At last, the gods of our ancestors have answered our prayers."
He formed a broad smile on the corner of his mouth and thanked Mandwa, his small god.
"It's true, it hasn't been easy," Mahuge said and seemed preoccupied and impatient.
"What is taking her so long?" he muttered and distended his eyes towards the direction of Amelia's hut. He ground his jaws and his gesture altered. Manage was a fierce man to whom every member of his family bestowed maximum respect. One whom the society held with much esteem because he had borne many sons and had many wives. All these distinguished him from many of his age mates. He respected the traditional beliefs and customs and therefore the gods were happy with him was a very rigid character with a heart of a beast.
"You are a true man, a true son of the land. The gods must have favoured you." Tony flatters him trying to divert him from his present worries, but the latter pays no attention. He instead pouts and peeks through the compound impatiently. The compound was destitute of any members because they had supposedly gone to clear the land near his maize plantation. Presumably, only he and his wife, Amelia were around.
Mahuge extends ounces further towards Amelia's hut and yells in a sharp voice,
"Amelia, should I come and fetch you or..."
Tina's heart palpitated in fear. The sound of Mahuge's sharp voice set her teeth to the edge.
"I had better be careful. If he sees me here he will goad me with his tough questions. What would I answer? Nothing. I will just wet my pants!"
She talked alone like a madwoman. She raised her neck and could see Mahuge and a stranger in the compound. This was a good sign! "This must be my lucky day. I hope Rabu hasn't broken his promise. He said he would keep inside his hut and wait for me, oh Rabu! I wish you could open my heart and see how I, Tina, have designed your name on every chamber!" She thought and smiled amiably and crouched her eyes lingering around to be sure there wasn't anyone following her.
Eventually, Amelia comes out of the hut hurriedly to answer her husband's call. The sight of Mahuge made her tremble. He was boiling with fury. The furrows on his forehead deepened and the daze in his eyes implied danger. As Amelia advances the latter keeps tapping his left foot on the ground.
"I am doomed! He will batter me today." Her heart thumped fast in his chest. Tony stood dumbfounded. His in-law's temperament was alarming. When Tony saw his sister approaching, he was gripped with fear and anxiety.
Sadness clutched at his heart. "To think that I cannot instantly embrace my sister because I have to wait until my in-law permits me is devastating. What kind of tradition is this?" He muttered quietly. He had mixed feelings of anger, worry and sadness.
"What took you so long? You know I don't like waiting."
Amelia fell on her knees and cowered her whole body trembling in fear.
"My husband, I am deeply sorry. I..."
"You what?" He folded his hands into hard fists and hardly raised a hit on Amelia's shoulder when he heard Tony cough from behind. Mahuge instantly withdraws and tried as much as to control his temper
"I was breastfeeding Kanai. He wanted to sleep. That's why..."
***
Shalom is torn between chasing her love and living a lonely life. Her past unpleasant experiences have brought her nothing but sadness and self rejection. After her own father and step father sexually asaulting her, she feels she cannot love any man until Louis came into her life. She however decides to avenge herself in order to erase all the bad memories of her past in order to fully embrace love.
Esther never knew that life could be more intriguing that just being a house maid at her aunt's residence where she has to endure the pain and suffering subjected to her by by her relation. She has to pay for others mistakes but all is not lost. There's a beam of light at the end of the tunnel when love finds her despite her unfortunate circumstances. The mayors son will have to jump every huddle to make her his.
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
When they were kids, Derek saved Norah's life. Years later, after Derek ended up in a vegetative state from a car crash, Norah married him without a second thought and even used her medical knowledge to heal him. For two years, Norah was devoted, seeking his affection and looking to settle her life-saving debt. But when Derek's first love returned, Norah, faced with divorce, didn't hesitate to sign. Despite being labeled as forsaken, few knew of her true talents. She was a race car driver, a famed designer, a genius hacker, and a renowned doctor. Regretting his decision, Derek begged for her forgiveness. Just then, a charming CEO intervened, embracing Norah and declaring, "Back off! She's my wife!" Taken aback, Norah blurted out, "What did you say?"
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
"Love is blind!" Lucinda abandoned her beautiful and comfortable life because of a man. She married him and slaved off for him for three long years. One day, the scales finally fell off her eyes. She realized that all her efforts were in vain. Her husband, Nathaniel still treated her like shit. All he cared about was his lover. "Enough is enough! I quit wasting my years with an ungrateful man!" Lucinda's heart was shattered into many pieces, but she summoned up the courage to ask for a divorce. The news caused a stir online! A filthy rich young woman recently got divorced? She was a good catch! Countless CEOs and handsome young men immediately swarmed to her like bees to honey! Nathaniel couldn't take it anymore. He held a press conference and begged with teary eyes, "I love you, Lucinda. I can't live without you. Please come back to me." Would Lucinda give him a second chance? Read to find out!
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."