THE POISONED HAPPINESS (Part 2) (FICTION)

To really enjoy the story read the Part 1 first

This couldn’t work out because Yusuf was on a government scholarship and was ready to return to his country as soon as he finished his studies. On my part, I was ready to follow him anywhere he went, even to the ends of the earth.

      When it became obvious to my parents that I was going with Yusuf, come what may; they accepted the inevitable.

     We got married in my neighbourhood church in 1988, and less than a year later returned to Nigeria.

     Around the same time, I was getting involved with Yusuf, Maria was also falling in love. Maria’s beau was a young and handsome civil engineer called Giorgio. Giorgio worked in his uncle’s construction firm. He was a nice, easy-go-lucky chap with curly red hair, something very unusual in an Italian. Maria and Giorgio had a fairy tale romance and got married around 1989, just as I was leaving for Nigeria with Yusuf.

       In Nigeria, the federal government took up Yusuf’s employment and, his rise within the bureaucracy was very rapid. By 1992, we moved from Maiduguri in northeastern Nigeria to Abuja the country’s capital. All this time, I was in constant communication with all my family and friends in Italy. This was before the internet, so all communication was by telephone and snail-mail. Maria and I were still very close and, the distance didn’t change anything.

 Little did I know then that my seeming act of benevolence would be the disastrous seed that would destroy a close, loving, and kind family.   

      By 1995, we were both mothers of three daughters each. Maria’s husband was now a partner in his uncle’s construction business, while my Yusuf was not doing badly. The two families were progressing nicely and everybody was happy.

      After the transfer of power to civil rule in 1999, my husband found himself in a position where he could exert considerable influence on the nation’s policymakers. With this in mind, we started thinking of expanding our fortunes.

      In Nigeria, the government is the biggest customer of any good or service, and the best goods or services to sell to the government are either related to oil or infrastructure. Nigeria is an infrastructure poor country, and as strange as this may sound given the country’s economic resources; the need for construction work was enormous. With this in mind, I discussed the idea of inviting Giorgio to Nigeria with Yusuf. My husband thought this was a good idea, and told me to discuss it with Maria. I agreed to do this.  I called and discussed my thoughts with her, she liked it and, promised to discuss the issue with her husband.

       Maria called back a week later. She said that she had spoken to her husband about our discussion, and he liked the idea. The plan was that they will come to Nigeria, make their fortune in 10 years, and retire rich in Italy.

      I was thrilled to hear this. Imagined all the fun that Maria and I would be having within the high-octane expatriate community in Abuja. Little did I know then that my seeming act of benevolence would be the disastrous seed that would destroy a close, loving, and kind family.    

This amazing story is to be concluded in Parts 3-4. Watch out!!!