The Heart of a Man

The teenage girl’s mother’s POV

In 2020, she took the decision to save her life by leaving an unhealthy and abusive marriage, because of violence, cheating, and inconsistency, and even before she left the marriage, her ex-husband had already stopped taking full care of the three children they have together. As explained in the previous story, she took her daughter with her while she left the boys to the care of their father. Maybe she would have taken all three children, especially as the man has stopped caring for them, and has a new family, but she is only a struggling young woman with a low paying job. Anyway, she had to leave her teenage daughter to her will after she made the decision to stay back with her brothers.

The first call she received about her daughter who was in a boarding school was from a girl she did not even know, telling her that her daughter has been sick. The second call came from her pastor whose daughter is her own daughter’s classmate, advising her to go and see her sick daughter, because the illness was severe. She left Kubwa to Chukuku in Gwagwalada where her ex-husband now resides with his new family to see her, but reaching there, he denied her access. Even his present wife pleaded with him to let her see her daughter, but he remained adamant. He however placed her at a distance to be communicating with her daughter.

We already know that at that point, it had become a case of mental imbalance.

When she persisted in seeing her daughter closely, he almost beat her, safe for the intervention of some elderly passersby. So she left without touching her only daughter.

When she heard that her daughter had been transferred to his mother’s house in Bako, she took another chance, and this time around, she was able to see her. Unfortunately, her daughter’s condition had deteriorated so badly that she could hardly recognize her, as she kept on saying, “You are not my mother.” It was a heartbreaking moment for her as a mother. Nevertheless, she returned a second time to check up on her, and decided immediately to take her daughter with her so that she can give her the medical attention she deserves, but her ex-husband’s mother, however refused, saying that if her son does not give her the permission to do so, she cannot release her daughter to her.

She pleaded with her mother-in-law saying, “Mama, na woman you be o. If na your own pikin, you go wait for any permission before you carry her for treatment?” but still, the woman stood on her words, and so she was not allowed to take her daughter whose condition got worse by the day.

On 4^th September, 2021, her ex-husband’s sister called and was talking to her in tears, that if she does not come for her daughter, the next call she will receive will be the news of her death. On 5^th September, she went back to Bako; by this time, all hopes that the teenage girl would survive had completely gone, and so this time around, they did not stop her from taking her daughter. In their words, “Take your daughter, shebi una don chop her finish. Mind you, anything wey happen to her, we go hold you responsible.” Hurt and pained, she looked at her ex-husband and said, “How shameless can you be? You could not even take care of your own child. Maybe you have used her for rituals, that is why you have refused her treatment.” With that pain, she went to the nearest police station and narrated her story, and he was summoned. Before he arrived, the D.P.O kept insisting that he must take responsibility, but when her ex-husband arrived, and they both realized that the D.P.O and he are of the same tribe, they started communicating in their dialect and laughing. Afterwards, the D.P.O then changed the tone of his song. He told her that it was just a family issue, and that she should forget about writing a statement.

This woman was shocked to her bones; another proof that the police is not exactly your friend. In fact, she ended up regretting ever going to the police. She became confused. She was only a #17,000 salary earner, and so she cannot exactly cater for her sick daughter all by herself, and the people who have volunteered to support her financially have insisted that she put down a statement…just in case her daughter dies in her hands. She got so fed up and confused that she almost decided to leave the girl and go away, but a mother’s love won in the end.

Before they could move the girl from Bako to Kubwa was a tug of war, because she was mentally unstable, and therefore, stronger than three hefty men. When they arrived at Kubwa, she attempted to take her to the General Hospital there, but unfortunately, Government hospitals were on strike, so she was advised to take her to a private hospital.

For a struggling single mother, how would she be able to afford a private hospital?

Nevertheless, she took her daughter to Federal Medical Center; only that hospital was open for treatment, because they also operate like private hospitals. After paying for a hospital card and registration, they administered treatment on her, and a psychiatrist was assigned to her. In less than a week, she started responding to treatment! All through the treatment process which cost an arm and a leg, her ex-husband, her daughter’s father and his family members did not pay or assist with a dime.

Information reaching her presently is that now that her daughter is fully healed and back to school, her father is making plans to come for her.