After the burial of my husband, life changed for worse.
He was an army captain, and died at the frontline in one of the war-torn areas of Uganda. I hate to remember those days because I, too, wanted to die. I was heavily pregnant with our second child. The army institution is well organized. I was called by my late husband’s employers to sign many documents.
A considerable sum of money was given to me and the children. I tried to start up businesses, but they miserably failed. I did everything possible to fend for my children, but there seemed to be a kind of ill luck following me. The shops would either be broken into, or con men would take my money. I would also give out goods on credit, but the money would never be recovered.
Every day, I went to my husband’s grave and cried. I was tired of living. I wanted to die. His name is Kanyesigye, and I fondly called him Kanye. Kanye and I loved each other. Although we had small differences and fights, I never cheated on him.
Five years after his death, I was a struggling single parent. Then I met Capt Okello, Kanye’s friend, who had been out of the country for military training. I told him how life had turned out for me since the death of his friend. He decided to take the children back to school, and helped me with so many other things.
One day, Okello told me how his wife had cheated on him and got pregnant when he was out of the country. I knew Olivia was pregnant, but did not know Okello was out of the country for that long. I did not care much, anyway.
“Whenever I ask her who the father of the baby she is expecting is, she just walks out on me,” Okello told me. “If I had left her pregnant, she would have told me. By now, the baby would be at least three months old. But she is just six months pregnant. This baby was conceived in my absence.”
I thought my problem was bigger than his. I have children to look after, and I don’t know how to do it. He has an option of leaving his wife for another woman. He is just a sympathy seeker.
“Elizabeth, I had built a house in Mukono. I expected to take my wife to live there, but since the trust between us has been broken, we are ending it here,” he said. “Would you like to live in it in order to ease the rent problem you have?”
This had been the best news for me, in years! I readily accepted, and Okello organized a lorry for me. The house in Mukono is beautiful. I like it. Okello visited every day, until he expressed his love for me. What would a widowed woman do? I did not have a husband, and Kanye’s relatives had abandoned me. I decided to embrace this new love.
We lived happily; I loved, respected and supported him all the way. His ex-wife, Olivia, got married to the father of her baby. I had produced two children with him, and our marriage was registered at the Registrar of Marriages. There was no problem with my union with Okello until last month… I saw Kanye; yes, my ‘dead’ husband appeared physically!
He walked to me, and said he had escaped from the camp before the rebels hit it. He did not know what was buried in the coffin, but it was not him.
I feel so disturbed. I don’t know what to do. Even when Kanye did not blame me for getting married to Okello; even when he said he wouldn’t interfere…
What should I do?