About 5 years ago, when the world was on lockdown and long distance became the new normal, I met a man, Nelson, that I started talking to. He sold me dreams that only people with silver spoons should have even been allowed to dream of. He said that if only I was his girl, he would take me around the world, to places my eyes had seen but my feet had never touched. Not only that, he said he would love me as Christ loved the Church.

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While I was getting to know him, there were rumours flying high and low that we would destroy each other. I heard them all, identified those who said them, and said that we were going to show them that love conquers all. The visions he brought, I held his hands and said we could do it together.

He was into ministry, God’s work, just like myself, but he wasn’t working or had a side business he attended to. I came into his life and started to put things together. I would work, bring the money, and share it with him.

I was schooling all this while. Then I completed tertiary and life got steady for me a bit. I moved to working with a company and took a loan from the office. That loan was our first debt together. We rented a place to lay our heads and bought some things that could make our life more comfortable.

A short while after that, an opportunity arrived for him to travel to the States. Was I worried, happy, sad? I had mixed feelings. We had just started out. We needed time to grow in love and grace, but since it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I couldn’t have let him stay, so I let him go.

For me, I was worried about the loans I took. How was I going to pay them alone? Would he return? There were many stories of lovers getting jittery when they left abroad. I didn’t want that to be my portion. But he promised me. He even had to rely on my life savings to make it. He said, “I promise I will pay as soon as I get there.” He swore heaven and earth that he would do right by me.

We even got pregnant intentionally to seal our act of love.

Well, I am sad to say that I was fooled.

Unfortunately, things changed when he got there, just as my friend had said would happen.

Even his family didn’t come to name the child when I gave birth. My family had to do it for me.

I returned to my office after maternity leave, only to be given my sack letter because of what I had done.

Months and days before his travel, we didn’t know where help was going to come from. His family members made only promises and left it there. He was agitated, and it got me worried too. So, we cooked up a plan.

I was working at a microcredit union where we gave loans to people. What happened was that my boyfriend would bring people who wanted to take loans. Then I would work on the documentation, including travelling to assess their businesses before we gave out the loans.

Only that these people were not real. The loans the company gave out were redirected and given to my fiancé to travel.

It was during my maternity leave that they found out they had not received the money and that it was all a charade.

I was even arrested. It took the grace of God for me to be bailed out. I was given my sack letter too.

I got another job working as a salesperson, only for me to be defrauded again on the job on the morning of the heavy rainfall that destroyed everything.

I can’t keep on pretending like everything is okay.

The loan I took for him and my savings is worth GH₵50,000. I don’t think he has any intentions of paying it. I am left to pay it off.

Where do I go from here?

The question is also, how?

I reported the matter to the police, but you know how such cases are treated sometimes. They took my statement, promised to do something about it, and nothing.

Who Would You Choose, A Rich Man Or A Man Who’s Good In Bed?

He said if he will take me back, or even step up to take care of the child, I will have to curse myself. He demanded that I swear an oath that I want to come back to him before he will even come to name the child.

I am tired. Very tired of all this happening. But I trust that God will fight for me. But while He fights for me, I ask how I can get him to pay. I really, really need him to take up the responsibilities. I can’t do it all on my own. Help me

— Eunice

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