Bound by Marriage

Prologue 

The half Nigerian moon in the clear blue sky illuminated the bed room with its light. The shadow of the Mango tree and the tall straight pawpaw tree in the compound can be seen looking monstrous on the walls.

 I sighed heavily as I watched my husband sleep. My dear husband, the man whom I fell in love with sleeping at the edge of our bed.

I never imagined my wedding night to be a lonely one, what about my dreams of being in the hands of the one who I love.

I folded myself up on my side of the bed like a question mark without a dot. 

This marriage is a sham, maybe a legal sham. 

"It's a step forward" I muttered, even though deep down, I knew it didn't feel that way. It felt lonely. 

Only one thing joined I and Bayo together, not love, not passion, but an unwanted pregnancy. A mistake turned everything upside-down.

Bayo shifted and punched his pillow into a more pleasing shape, maybe he was having much trouble getting to sleep as I was. 

"Some wedding night" I muse, biting my lower lips in frustration. 

"Bayo" I called out, hoping he will just suddenly change to the loving and romantic man I know. But who am I kidding, truth be told, I still have hope.

"Hmm? " he growled out. 

"Thank you. For everything" I whispered sincerely, he saved me from the life time stigma and embarrassment, what would people say if they come to know the daughter of the ever religious and respected Imam is pregnant out of wedlock, without a man to father her child.

 That would have been an huge blow on my dad, and it would have ruined me. Who will want to marry a used girl like me. I don't want to imagine the dirty eyes my Muslim sister's will always watch me with.

For a long moment, only the hum of the fan blowing cool air into the room filled the silence. 

I watched Bayo slid his hairy hands behind his head. "I did this as much for me as anyone else" he muttered stairing at the ceiling before focusing his attention on my body. 

I sat up, aware that my flimsy wear made my body more visible to him. The way he looked at me, spiked up hope, maybe this night won't be as lonely as I imagined earlier.  But my hope shattered into pieces immediately he turned his back to me. 

****