I think about it every day. Okay, that’s an exaggeration. I mean, I think about it every time I see my daughter playing heartily with her father. Among all my children, she is the one who looks like me. All the others look like him. So I can’t tell if she is indeed his child or, she is a product of that carefree night with Nii. This is why I can’t stop thinking about it. I am talking about the DNA test. I keep wondering if I should do it and clear my conscience or keep doing everything to protect my family’s peace.

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP CHANNEL TO RECEIVE ALL STORIES IN YOUR INBOX

In case you are wondering, Nii is not my ex-boyfriend. Nor is he someone I had an affair with. I have been faithful to Kojo, my husband, since we got married. Even throughout our relationship, I only strayed once. And it was that crazy night with Nii.

Now let me tell you all about Nii. He is a guy I met 20 years ago during an exchange program when I was in the university. The very first time I set eyes on him, I felt butterflies flutter in my tummy. I dismissed it as just nerves but it wasn’t. The feeling was so intense that I felt sweet tingly sensations when he walked gracefully and sat in the seat in front of me.

He didn’t greet me when he sat down. On any day, I would have felt annoyed by his seemingly lack of manners but that day I was too distracted by the intoxicating smell of his cologne to be bothered.
When he eventually turned around to talk to me he said, “Hello, my name is Nii. I am from Ghana. What about you?”

I smile so wildly I almost forgot to answer. I even made the sign of the cross in my mind. I kept saying, “Thank God he is also from Ghana. This means if I start talking to him, we’ll continue when we get back home.”

I liked the possibility of having him in my life. I know, it was too soon. But in that moment, it felt like we should last forever.

For the first few days, we didn’t really talk. Just exchanged pleasantries whenever we ran into each other. Then came the day we were divided into groups for an assignment. He was in my group. I liked having him in the group, maybe a little too much. I am pretty sure I would have made a fool of myself if it hadn’t been for another girl who was working with us.
Instead of focusing on the task at hand, I kept looking at him and thinking, “Gosh, he is smart, funny, attentive, and so goddamn handsome. He is the full package.”

After that day, I noticed he no longer turned his back to me when he sat in front of me. He’d tilt slightly to the side, just enough to steal glances. I’d smile and scream internally, “Apicki!”

On our final day, we went on a group excursion. Right before we boarded the bus, he leaned in to my ear and whispered, “Imma save you a seat.” I smiled, my heart giddy with excitement.

I sat next to him for the entire trip. We didn’t talk much but from what I gathered, he was reading the same program as I was. We were in different schools though. I also found out he knew some of my coursemates. It all felt so cosmic.

On the return trip, the weather got cold. He offered me his jacket and then held my hand. I remember the moment he took my hand into his. His touch was gentle, deliberate. I felt sparks flying between us. We didn’t need words. The silence said everything we felt.
When we arrived, he walked me to my room, said goodbye, and then walked into the night. Herh, I was so disappointed. No number. No promise of keeping in touch. Nothing.

I went back to Ghana the next day feeling empty. I kept thinking he would take my number from one of my coursemates and call me. He didn’t.
Eventually, I moved on. I started dating someone else. Nii became a pleasant yet confusing memory I put behind me.

Guess who I met again at a work training after five whole years? Small world, I know. It turned out we worked in the same company, but we were in different parts of the country.

I was seeing someone else at the time we met again. And things were pretty serious between us. But it was Nii, you know. The one who got away.

During that one-month training session, Nii and I were too busy to spend time together. But in the last week of the program, we talked. I remember asking him why he never made a move back then. He said he was scared I’d reject him.

That should have been the end of it. Closure. But it turned out we needed more.

The last day of training was for socialising. I spent it with Nii. We ended up kissing a few times. In the heat of the moment, we decided to give in to our desires. “Let’s do it just once to quench our passion,” we agreed, “we will use a condom.”

It wasn’t until we finished and lay in each other’s arms panting for breath that I remembered that I went, “Oh shit! We didn’t use protection.”

READ ALSO: I Will Stay Single For Life If I Don’t Marry My Ex

Two days later, my boyfriend, Kojo visited me at home. We did everything lovers do. A month later, I found out I was pregnant.
We were planning to get married already so we fast-tracked the wedding. That way no one would ask questions.

I wasn’t sure if the baby belonged to Nii or Kojo but I chose Kojo as the father. I built a life and a family with him and moved on with my life.

Call a Friend and Ask For Thousand Cedis (A Prank)

But sometimes, when I look at my daughter, I wonder if she belongs to Nii. Nii and I haven’t seen each other since that fateful day but we still talk. He knows about my concerns. He has seen my daughter’s photos.
He tells me, “For the sake of your peace of mind, why don’t you conduct the DNA test and let’s put this to rest?”

The truth is, I have a happy family. I don’t want to stir the pot. What if I find out she is Nii’s? Then what? I don’t want to open a whole can of worms. I want to know, am I right not to take the test? I always feel a little guilty when I see Kojo showering our daughter with love.

—Mannah

This story you just read was sent to us by someone just like you. We know you have a story too. Email it to us at [email protected]. You can also drop your number and we will call you so you tell us your story.

#SB