Black-market marriage

‘Assalamu alaikum Hajiya Bint. It’s really a good thing you arrived now. We have finished packing. This is the last thing I am putting in the boot.’ She replied, putting a small suitcase there, while her two kids trailed along behind.‘But where are you going? And are you picking your husband at work or is […]

‘Assalamu alaikum Hajiya Bint. It’s really a good thing you arrived now. We have finished packing. This is the last thing I am putting in the boot.’ She replied, putting a small suitcase there, while her two kids trailed along behind.
‘But where are you going? And are you picking your husband at work or is he returning to join you?’ I asked, shaking her hands.
‘No, we are not going with him. In fact you are the only reason I’m returning to the sitting room now. Otherwise this was supposed to be my last trip to the parlour. I do not mean to rush you Hajia but we have to part quickly so he wouldn’t come and meet us here.’ Hauwa explained, leading me into the house.
‘Well I don’t mean to pry but are you walking out on your marriage?’ I asked, incredulous.
‘Not really, because apparently I never had a marriage. What I had was a sham, a doubtful union whose legal status I’m not even sure of.’ She declared, walking me towards her bedroom.
‘A sham marriage, a doubtful union? Just what are you talking about?’ I asked, sitting on the side of her bed.
‘Well, I never felt the need to tell you this Hajia because when we met I was a happily married wife and mother. But Isa was not my first choice for a husband. My first choice was my close friend’s elder brother, Abdallah. We were so in love he kept telling me we will be married as soon as I finished my secondary education so that I could continue my education from his home. I agreed, of course, because that was all I wanted to be, his wife.
All our family members were aware of our courtship. But one day Abdallah came and told me that his very wealthy uncle had sent him a funny proposal, that he had chosen him to marry his only daughter. I asked why ‘him’ and he replied that the uncle said he had asked the young lady to choose a husband from among her suitors but she said she wanted only him, who was never among her suitors. Anyway, he assured me that he had turned down the offer and had made it very clear that he wanted only me.
Weeks passed and Abdallah returned to tell me that pressure had accumulated from all quarters on him to marry his cousin, so the only way out was for him to accept but warn them that he will be marrying me also. I cried the whole night because of heartbreak. I couldn’t believe that Abdallah will allow anyone to force this situation on us. I tried all I could to get angry and tell him I did not want to be part of that arrangement but I loved him too much to take that risk. I told my parents about it and also said I was willing to go along with his plans. They understood and said they will pray for what was best for me.
Suddenly Isa came into my life. He swept me off my feet because he had all of Abdallah’s good looks, sensitivity and politeness. But unlike Abdallah, he was free. I mean he wanted to marry me immediately and he had no other attachments, no rich uncles to force their daughters on him. I quickly accepted his proposal and our parents began the formalities. We got married three months after we met and the rest is history. We had an idyllic five years. He encouraged me to go to the university and earn my first degree, we had our two children and were generally happy, most of the time.   
I’d always noticed a particular drawer which he kept locked all the time and which he never opened when I was in the room. Many times I’d felt tempted to ask what was in that drawer and why was it always locked but something held me back and I end up telling myself there was no need to force him to say what he didn’t wish to declare. I was just too grateful to Almighty God for the way he came into my life at just the time I was feeling betrayed by Abdallah, that I didn’t want to pry too much into his life.
Suddenly, yesterday he left that drawer unlocked. I think he was in such a hurry that he just forgot to lock it. I went in to clean the room and quite by chance I touched the bedside drawer and suddenly numerous white envelopes starting falling out. All of them from one company. I opened a few of them and each had just one line. ‘This is your payment for the month of so-so.’ I went through several of them and some of the payment dated back to the year of our marriage. It seemed obvious that he was being paid monthly for something I didn’t know about.
I always knew that we were rather comfortable for the kind of money he makes as a university lecturer but I never thought to ask whether he had another source of income. I waited for him to return from work yesterday and after eating his dinner I asked about the envelopes in the drawer. He looked so shocked and horrified that for seconds he couldn’t  even answer me. And when he did, it was to ask why I was checking his things. I reminded him that for five years, I had steered clear of that drawer till he left it open that morning.
He said he was sorry but he needed that second job to keep us happy and comfortable. I insisted on knowing what he did for them but he said he was just their consultant. I knew he wasn’t telling me the truth so I threatened to go to the address on the envelope and demand to know what he was being paid for. I told him that if he turned out to be a criminal I will not hesitate to expose him to the police. I yelled and hollered and said that he might be a robber or a cultist for all I knew. At this point he got disturbed and said he will tell me the truth.
Holding my hand, he left the dining chair and went to sit in the sitting room. He swore undying love for me and said what he had to say changes nothing because he really and truly loves me. Then he confessed that he was being paid for being married to me.
‘For being married to me, what do you mean?’ I asked totally shocked.
‘Yes, Abdallah’s uncle didn’t want you to marry him before or after his daughter had married him. He said he had heard about Abdallah’s love for you and he knew his daughter stood no chance as long as you are in the picture. He asked her brothers to look for a good young man from among their friends and secretly send him to you. I was a friend to one of them and what they had to say convinced me to take the offer. I went and saw their father and he was satisfied with my looks and behavior.  He gave me money to start courting you.
But from the moment I saw you I fell for you. I have loved you ever since Hauwa. The only reason I kept collecting his money was because I knew it will come in handy to us and the old man wasn’t losing anything by giving me that amount monthly.’
To be contd.