Had I known – Why a lady got aborted five times and committed two murders

Last Updated on June 10, 2018 by Memorila

A young lady was impregnated five times by her boyfriend who had her abort them. At the end, he deserted her. She became barren and had to take the life of the boyfriend and the doctor who aborted her in all occasions. Sanni Ahmed Busoye narrates

It was like a dream, but it was not. It seems strange to me when I saw myself in the position of a criminal. I could not recall what I did, but all I could see clearly is two lawyers with one against me and the other fighting on my behalf. They were opposing and challenging themselves. But in spite of that, I can’t recall my offence. Because of that, the judge postponed the case for two weeks.

It is the day again! The two lawyers began with their arguments. By then, I started recollecting my memory. The lawyer on my behalf tried to convince the judge by saying that I have a brain problem. With this, the lawyer against me asked permission from the judge to ask me some questions. He moved to me and asked “Madam, why did you kill the two late commissioners?” A loud noise covered the court. It was a massive question! By then, I recalled what happened. I looked at him and against my lawyer’s statement, I said, “I am not mad and I know what I am doing.” Another loud noise covered the court again!

Before I answered his question, tears rolled down my face. It was a sad event which I don’t ever want to remember in my life again.

I started, “It was a long time ago when I met Abba. He became one of the persons I loved most in my life since the day I met him, and he also shows loads of love to me. Abba has no family; I took responsibility for all his feeding, in fact his living, though I am not from a rich family. But I tried my best.

“One day, I asked Abba what he will like to do in his life. He responded in a sharp voice by saying he will love to further more on his education. I assured him that I will help him to pursue it both financially and morally. He was so happy to hear that. And this was the day Abba told me that he loves me. I was even happier than him when I heard that. I felt so conscious from that day because I always get happy when I remembered that statement.

“Abba got admission into Bayero University, Kano. During his first year, it was very sad to him when I said I was pregnant. He felt so sad. Abba encouraged me to abort the pregnancy. Due to the love I have for him I agreed. He took me to the doctor that will do it and it was aborted successfully.

“During his second year, I also brought the same issue to him, he also asked me to abort it, I agreed and it was done by the same doctor. In his third year, the same issue arose, and it was aborted by the same doctor. When Abba was in his final year, I brought the same issue of pregnancy, he asked me to abort it again, by then I questioned him on why he was doing so, and he bailed himself out with some irrelevant excuses. But to save our love, I abided by his points.

“Abba completed his four years in university, he was posted to Enugu for his NYSC and I rejoiced with him by saying I am pregnant again. He frowned his face and asked me to abort it again; I disagreed with him and insisted that I will never abort it. He stood up and asked me to take care of the baby when I deliver. By that, I consoled him and agreed to abort it, but I was scared. Abba took me to the same doctor. The doctor calmed me down by saying he has aborted eighteen pregnancies from someone before, and the person still delivered five children. By hearing that, I agreed and it was aborted. Two days after, I started feeling unconscious, my mother was scared but I lied to her that it was fever, but God helped me and I survived it.

“After a year, Abba returned from service and got employed in a local government area. I was so happy, and we rejoiced together. Whenever I asked him to fix a date for our wedding, he disrupts it with other issues. One day, Abba told me that he would go for tourism which will last for a month, and he will fix our wedding date when he comes back. I agreed!

“More than a year after, Abba did not return. I was even afraid that perhaps something wrong has happened, until one fateful afternoon when my friend brought an invitation card to me. I could not believe what I saw on it! ‘Abba weds Halimat’! I laughed and insisted that it cannot be my own Abba.

“One of my friends who knew their house took me there. It was exactly my own Abba. I saw him with another lady that was even pregnant. I did not get angry by that because the prophet also married more than one wife; but Abba insisted and begged me that he cannot marry me again. I stood on his leg, crying and begging him, but he insisted that he can’t marry me because he doesn’t want to marry two wives. I was escorted home by my friend, I couldn’t stop crying and my mother advised me to go for another man. But it is difficult to exchange love; he was the only person I loved.

“Some days after, I was in a restaurant eating when a guy came and sat beside me. He introduced himself as Umar but I didn’t listen to him. He demanded for my number but I didn’t answer him. After I finished eating, I carried my bag and walked out.

“I still met the same guy in the restaurant on the other day. He still came beside me and this was when I took a bit of my time to listen to him. From his words, he said he loved me and wanted to marry me as his housewife. I laughed a bit because from my past experience, I have categorized all men as useless. He further introduced himself by saying he was from a poor home and his mother was a beggar. From that, I kept calm and listened to him. After his introduction, he brought a small box from his pocket, it was a ring, and slipped it into my finger. I looked at my hand once again as I carried my bag and ran home without saying a word.

“I started dancing and singing when I reached home. It was my happy day. My mother didn’t know what brought joy to me till she asked. I only showed her my hand as the reply. By then, she understood and also rejoiced with me. What a great day I had, as I could not stop looking at my hand.

“Umar asked me to come and see his parents. I agreed and went with him. On getting there, what I saw was partially different from what he told me, because I learnt from him that his parents were so poor, but the house he took me to was as beautiful as the White House of America. He asked me to sit down, I could not stop looking at the house, it was so beautiful, and soon a woman whom I saw in the newspapers came out. She asked me whether I know her, I replied in a fearful voice, ‘Yes! You are Senator Khadija’.

“She laughed and continued, ‘Very good, I am the mother of Umar’. My heart missed a beat as I quickly knelt down and greeted her; she let me know that Umar has explained everything about me to her. The door was knocked and a man entered. As I looked up to see the man, it was the doctor who aborted my pregnancy, our faces met together, I tried to match his leg secretly but he reacted faster and called the senator inside.

“I started feeling unconscious till when Senator Khadija returned, she looked at me angrily and asked me to go out of the house. Umar was dumbfounded; he didn’t know what was happening because I didn’t explain that to him. As I was retreating slowly, Senator Khadija asked the security man to take me out. By that I saw an end to my life. I could neither cry nor laugh. All I just have in mind was to commit suicide.

“I got home and tied a rope to the ceiling, I stood on the table and I asked God for forgiveness if I died, because I had learnt that whoever kills himself or herself has committed the worst offence in the sight of the Almighty God. I hanged the rope on my neck and pushed the table down. I was rescued some few seconds before I died by my mother, Umar and my friend. I was almost dead. Umar rebuked me on why I could do such a thing. He said he understood the situation I found myself in. He filled my heart with joy by saying his mother has agreed to our marriage, and I should love him the way I loved my former fiancée, because it was a great love for a woman to abort five pregnancies for a man. Umar concluded that his mother said we will move to Paris in six months’ time, which means I should be pregnant by then. I was so happy and I thanked God who spared my life until I was rescued.

“Nine months later, I wasn’t pregnant. This made senator Khadija to take me to hospital for test. The result of the test was that I could not deliver again, my womb had been damaged. Senator Khadija pursued me away; she called me many names, such as ‘pagan’, ‘dog’, etc.

“From that, I did not see an end to my life, but I saw an end to the lives of those that ruined my life to this stage. I didn’t know where I got a gun to claim the doctor’s and Abba’s lives. I tried to escape but my effort was thwarted by the Nigerian Police. The next place Umar could visit me was the prison. Tears came from his eyes, rolled down his cheeks and ended on his lips. He could not utter a word as he continued weeping. He later calmed himself down and said, ‘Had I forgotten that the patient dog eats the fattest bone?’ I could not reply as I also continued weeping. He let me know that his mother has agreed and allowed us to adopt a child. He removed the Paris visa from his pocket and showed me, that the senator has given us the visa to leave in the next day.

“It was so painful; I said silently, ‘If possible God can give me another chance on earth, I will ask a man like you to please marry a woman that can be the mother of his children.’ Umar held my hands as his tears fell on them, and assured me that I will be free and out of this place, but I couldn’t believe it. Tears soaked my body like water as I saw Umar off.”

This was all the explanation I gave to the lawyer; the court was silent, everybody heaved a deep sigh, and the judge was silent for a while. But since it was a case of murder, he sentenced me to life imprisonment. A loud echo thundered out. I wept as the officers led me to the Black Maria.

I learnt my lesson! I now know that patience is the master of attitude. If I have acted patiently, I would have been great, in fact, in my promised land. This was how I, Fatima, ended my matrimonial life in prison.

Moral: Patience is the master of attitude!

Sani Ahmed Busoye wrote this piece while schooling at Federal College of Education Kano.