Episode 1: The Decision
Emeka had been dating Amarachi for almost seven years, and everybody who knew them assumed marriage was the next thing. They met in their second year at the university, survived school together, and somehow managed to remain together even when life after graduation became difficult.
Amarachi had watched Emeka struggle through school when money was scarce. There were times she bought him food without making him feel like she was doing him a favour, and there were months when she quietly sent him transport money whenever he needed to travel.
Emeka never forgot those things.
After graduation, they both started looking for work, hoping that life would finally become easier. It didn’t.
Emeka eventually got a teaching job in a private secondary school, earning ₦150,000 every month.
The salary wasn’t impressive, but to him, it was better than nothing.
He rented a small room in a compound not far from the school and began trying to save whatever he could. After paying rent, feeding himself, helping his mother occasionally, paying transport and handling the endless little expenses that came with being an adult in Nigeria, there wasn’t much left.
Still, Amarachi believed they could start somewhere.
One Saturday evening, they sat outside her parents’ house discussing their future.
“Emeka, when are we going to get married?”
He looked at her and smiled nervously.
“Amara, you know I want to marry you.”
“Then what are we waiting for?”
He became quiet.
That silence had become familiar to her.
“Your salary?” she asked.
He nodded.
“One hundred and fifty thousand is not enough to start a family.”
She sighed.
“So what do you want us to do?”
“I have been thinking about doing my master’s.” he replied,
She stared at him.
“Master’s?”
“Yes.”
“For what?”
“It will help me get a better job. Maybe if I have a master’s degree, I can move to a better school or get a job with the government. I can’t just marry you now and start struggling with children.” he explained
Amarachi looked away.
She understood his fear, but she didn’t understand his decision.
“Emeka, we’ve been together since university.”
“I know.”
“You have been telling me for years that once you start working, we will settle down.”
“I still want that.” he defended
“But now that you have a job, you want to use the little money you have to go back to school?” she poured out,
“I’m trying to improve myself.” he insisted
“Or you’re trying to postpone marrying me?” she queried
The question caught him off guard.
“That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it?”
Emeka didn’t answer.
Amarachi had heard the same explanation many times.
First, it was, “Let me finish school.”
Then it became, “Let me find a job.”
After that, it was, “Let me settle down financially.”
Now that he had finally found a job, there was another reason.
She wasn’t getting younger either.
At twenty nine, she had already started hearing the uncomfortable questions from relatives.
“When are you getting married?”
“Are you still with that boy?”
“Does he actually intend to marry you?”
She had rejected several men because of Emeka.
Some were financially comfortable.
Some had good jobs.
One of them was a man her aunt introduced to her who was already building his own house.
She rejected them all.
Not because Emeka was the richest man she had ever met.
He wasn’t.
She stayed because she loved him and believed that they were building something together.
But recently, she had started wondering if she was the only one building it.
One evening, she told her friend, Chidinma, everything.
“I don’t understand him again,” Amarachi said.
“What did he do?”
“He wants to go for master’s.”
Chidinma laughed.
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Not when you’ve been waiting for seven years.”
Chidinma became quiet.
“So what does he want?”
“He says he needs to become financially stable before marriage.”
“Maybe he has a point.”
“Then what have I been doing all these years?”
Chidinma didn’t have an immediate answer.
Amarachi continued.
“I have sacrificed for him too. I have rejected people because of him. I have defended him to my family. I have stayed when things were difficult. Now that it’s time for him to make one sacrifice for me, he says he needs another degree.”
Her voice became softer.
“I don’t need him to give me a perfect life.”
She wiped her eyes.
“I just want to know that he is serious about building a life with me.”
——————————————-
Meanwhile, Emeka had already paid part of his master’s fees.
He believed he was making the responsible decision.
In his mind, marriage was not just about love.
There would be rent.
Food.
School fees.
Hospital bills.
Children.
Family responsibilities.
Unexpected emergencies.
He had seen married men at his workplace borrowing money before the end of the month, and he didn’t want that life.
He wanted to be ready before taking Amarachi into marriage.
What he didn’t realize was that Amarachi was beginning to see his caution differently.
To her, it was no longer responsibility.
It was hesitation
———————
Days Later he called her to break the news.
“Amara, have you eaten?”
“Yes.”
“Are you angry with me?”
“No.”
He knew that answer.
Whenever Amarachi said “no” in that particular tone, it usually meant yes.
“I’ve already registered for the master’s program.”
There was silence.
“Okay,” she finally replied.
“Don’t be angry.”
“I’m not angry.”
“Amara…”
“Emeka, what exactly do you want me to say?”
“I want you to understand me.”
“I understand you.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
She paused.
“I just don’t know whether you understand me.”
The call went quiet.
For the first time in seven years, Emeka wasn’t sure whether Amarachi would still be waiting for him.
And for the first time, Amarachi began wondering whether loving someone for so long could become a mistake.
To be continued Tomorrow (Wednesday)…
