The decision

Her father had a policy

He called his children early one morning

“I have built a great life for myself and I want to help my children get a good start in life, so this is what I propose, you are all graduates with great jobs! I want you to save a certain amount as soon as you can, when you have saved this particular amount, I will contribute the same amount and use the total sum to buy each of you a house! That way I will be able to give each of your inheritances while I yet live”

The children loved the idea

He had four girls and one boy

The children got to work

The first daughter was the first to raise the targeted amount, their father matched it and bought her a duplex in the heart of the city

She got a lucrative job abroad and within a year she was also able reach her target, and as promised, her father matched her savings and also bought her a house

Her elder sister was an accountant

She was an engineer

They were both single

Her elder sister went for her masters in South Africa

She needed someone to help her settle in quickly

One of her father’s friends had a son already resident in South Africa

Her Father’s friend’s son met her at the airport

He was handsome and very responsible

She fell for him after a few days

By the time she wrapped up her Programme in South Africa

They were engaged

They married a year later

He had graduated several years before

He had a great job

But she only had a student visa and it had expired

They discussed their options

He decided to resign and return home with her

He called his father

His father loved the idea

His father got them a temporary accommodation in one of his son- in- law’s flats (his first daughter’s husband)

“You will stay there until you can stand on your own two feet, you have a good resume and in no time you will get a job”

They returned home together

They got married

They had a daughter

They married into the in-law’s (his elder sister’s husband’s) house

One year, two years, three years

He couldn’t land a good job

Not for want of trying but for lack of jobs in the country

The in-law told them he needed his flat

She went to her father

“I want to move with my husband and daughter into my duplex, the one I paid half the price to buy”

He father said No!

“Men are opportunists, once he knew he was living in a free house, he wouldn’t bother getting a job”

She understood

She agreed with her father

She told her husband she got a good offer for a duplex

They would be paying a reasonable amount as rent

Her husband went a begging and a borrowing, he gathered the fund

He paid into a certain account

They moved in

He didn’t know his wife owned the house

He continued to hustle

Her father kept half the paid rent in her account and kept the other half

His intention had always been to rent out the houses and use the profit to pay for the houses he promised his other children

He was not stupendously rich but he wanted to leave the same inheritance for all his children

Her sister’s husband eventually got a job

They paid the rent on time

Sometimes his father increased it, but it was always within reasonable limit

And her sister’s husband always paid

One day they went for Christmas party in her father’s house

Her father was giving the three children whom he had bought houses for a report of the earnings on their properties

Her sister’s husband heard them

He realized she owned the house he had been paying rent on for three years

It hurt him deeply

He nursed his retaliation

Eight years after their wedding

Her sister’s husband had saved enough money to buy his own house

He left for work one day

And refused to return

Her sister became jittery

Where was my husband, why wasn’t he coming home?

Nobody knew!

He was picking his calls and telling all those who cared to as that he was fine

He stayed away for four months

She went to his office, the club and his friends, everywhere…

She saw him twice but he didn’t give her an audience

She didn’t even know what she did

When he eventually surfaced from his secret place

He had impregnated another lady and wanted a divorce

Her sister went berserk

What sort of irresponsible buffoon had she married?

He told her his reason in court

It was quite a shock

But whatever explanation she had was too late

He left a lucrative job in South-Africa only to be deceived by his own wife

He was paying rent for a duplex owned by his own wife

It was the height of deceit and betrayal

Everybody tried to explain

It fell on deaf ears

He got his desired divorce

Her sister’s heart was shattered

The home was broken

It was a sorry sight

She was determined not to make the same mistake

She still lives in her parent’s house

She had her duplex

Right beside her sister’s own

Many suitors had come calling

She was weary

She wanted the one who the property wouldn’t matter to

But the economy had crippled many potentials

She finally met a young man with a lot of potentials

He had nothing at the moment but he was not the type of guy that would stay down for long

She got caught between the devil and the deep blue sea

She was afraid he wouldn’t be motivated to work hard if he knew he had such a cozy and nice landing cushion

And she was equally afraid if she kept it a secret, he would eventually find out and feel betrayed!

Should she declare she had a house and risk being taken advantage of?

Or refuse to declare and probably end up face the same repercussion as her sister?

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