As soon as Emma saw her mother and father at the airport, tears rolled down her cheeks. She had just arrived after visiting her life partner—ex-life partner. When she left the country two weeks before that, she hadn’t imagined she would come back, having experienced so much loss. At that moment, all she wanted was a hug from the people who loved her the most. The people who had never betrayed her.
“Should we pass by the doctor?” Emma’s dad asked.
“No, Diallo’s parents already took me to one,” Emma responded.
“Don’t mention that man’s name,” said Emma’s mother.
“Not now. We’re focused on Emma’s physical and mental wellness at the moment. We can deal with the rest later,” said Emma’s father firmly. He was always the calmer one.
Emma sat at the back of the car without uttering another word until they got home. She knew she’d soon have to deal with the gossip of her break up with Diallo, but she was glad to be back. A couple of days later, there was a family get-together. She wasn’t ready to face everyone, so she opted not to go. However, the day after the family event, one of her cousins visited her.
“Is it true you had a miscarriage, and you broke up with Diallo?” The cousin asked.
“News sure does travel fast in this family,” Emma responded.
“I’m so sorry. How far along were you?” The cousin asked Emma.
“I was a week shy of three months,” Emma replied with tears in her eyes.
“I can’t imagine what you’re going through. I am here if you need anything,” said the cousin as she hugged Emma.
After minutes of crying and hugging each other, Emma found the courage to ask the cousin, “Okay, get on with it. I know you have gossip from yesterday’s get-together.”
“The aunties were sad to hear about your baby, but they said they expected Diallo to disappoint you. Many didn’t think you’d even last as long as you did. They said you should have seen he was not serious about you when he refused to marry you culturally or in church,” said Emma’s cousin.
“I’m not even surprised by their reaction. My mother said Diallo had been wasting my time, and agreeing to a life partnership arrangement instead of a legal marriage gave him leeway to avoid many commitments. She blamed me and my father for not insisting on a wedding,” Emma responded.
Emma continued to explain to her how she’d met Diallo while working in South Africa. They quickly became friends and started dating within no time. She had lived in South Africa for three years, and she spent two of those years living in Diallo’s family home. Diallo came from a wealthy family; his father was Tanzanian, and his mother was South African.
The family accepted her from the initial meeting, and they lived harmoniously. Diallo was the only son and firstborn. He had two younger sisters who became like sisters to Emma, too. After dating for a year and a half, there were questions about their next step. Emma thought it should have been marriage, but she was not too sure about it, so it was easy for her to accept Diallo’s idea of a life partnership.
That decision triggered a lot of conflict with her mother, who insisted on following the cultural proceedings. Diallo travelled to Kenya to visit Emma’s family and came with tokens, but they didn’t have the traditional wedding. Eventually, Emma’s mother stopped asking about it when Emma’s father asked her to stop imposing her ideas on the children. Emma and Diallo looked happy and sure of their decision.
The relationship grew stronger, and when Emma’s contract ended and she moved back to Kenya, they both travelled back and forth to see each other. Diallo would come to Kenya for a week or two every so often, and Emma would, too. They attended each other’s family events just like a typical married couple. Diallo’s appearances helped silence the family members who doubted his commitment to Emma, but there was a consensus that marriage would have been better.
This was going to be their fifth year together had they not broken up. Like many couples, they had been going through a rough patch, and Diallo came to visit her. A month and a half later, she discovered that she was pregnant. The visit hadn’t really solved their issues, but Emma had hoped the news of the pregnancy would change the trajectory of their relationship. It did for a while.
Diallo’s commitment to the relationship seemed renewed. He called several times in a day to ensure she had eaten and was well.
They decided she should go to South Africa for a while. Everything was fine, but when she got there, she realized Diallo would leave the house for long periods. He had claimed he was conducting business, but something felt off. Then, she overheard Diallo arguing with one of his younger sisters.
“I’m not covering for you anymore. Emma deserves the truth,” said the younger sister.
“Shhh! You’re shouting. Kendi is due anytime now, and I can’t leave her alone. I promise I’ll make things right and tell Emma,” Diallo told the sister. That was when Emma walked in.
“Tell me what? What are you making right?” Emma asked Diallo.
“Baby, how much did you hear?” Diallo asked Emma in panic.
“What are you hiding from me, Diallo?” Emma asked.
A cornered Diallo asked Emma to sit. He then told her that he had impregnated another woman, Kendi. They were going to have a son, and she was almost due. A day later, Emma had her miscarriage. She wanted to leave that house immediately, but they insisted that she wait until she was physically in a better position.
“That is awful. I’m so sorry he hurt you in that way,” said Emma’s cousin.
“Losing the child after finding out he was having one with someone else felt like a shot in my gut,” Emma told the cousin.
“I should probably not tell you this, but Auntie Ciku said that maybe you lost the child because you didn’t have a ruracio, so you didn’t get ancestral blessings or something. You know her and her beliefs,” said Emma’s cousin.
“I can’t even deal with their gossip. I need to get through my heartbreak and mourn my child,” said Emma.
She spent the next couple of months travelling around the country, trying to fill the void of the loss. Eventually, she started healing. Diallo tried contacting her a couple of times but she severed all ties with him.
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