EGO: MY SISTER.

Ego is pregnant and I am not happy about it.

She is my sister and it is causing me so much pain.

I have been married for five years now and no pregnancy has reached five months.

My husband is even mocking me just because my sister is pregnant.

Ego came to live with us to enable her to get a job in town.

She is my younger sister and my only sibling.

I noticed changes in her character coupled with the late nights. I was always alone at home because my husband kept late nights too.

Oh! well, my sister has joined the nightlife gang.

My marriage? It is not the happy one.

I asked her one day about the job she was seeking and she said: "I don't need it anymore; I have a man providing for me".

I got interested to know who the man was but she refused to name the mystery man.

'A man won't provide everything for you, you have to make something for yourself, I told her with emphasis.

Ego is a beautiful girl; 26 years of age, tall, with a slim waist and a moderate behind, dark skin with beautiful eyes. She looks like the younger version of our mother.

I guess that is why I was over protective of her.

We lost our mother and my father thought it wise to remarry; worst decision ever.

My stepmother was not prepared to play the role of a mother to us. She wanted children of her own to raise; we are still waiting.

So I raised Ego. I did everything for her; put her through school.

I made sure she lacked nothing.

What do I do for myself? You may ask.

I am a businesswoman I deal on original swiss lace and gold jewelry; business is going well. I cook, clean, and keep my home.

But, my husband prefers Ego's cooking to mine.

I did not mind at all.

So long as my home is at rest; Ego cooks.

And cook she did.

She cooked open her legs.

Now she is pregnant in my home for my

husband.

There is nothing I did not do to get pregnant.

Is it when my husband took me to see one local fertility expert woman.

She examined me by inserting her fingers inside me; it was so painful.

Then, told my husband and I that the positioning of my womb is not right. That she will insert something inside me to correct it.

Truthfully, I could barely walk well when she was done. I drank the herbs in some liquid she gave me judiciously.

Still, I did not conceive.

The pressure from my in-laws was mounting.

Taken to diverse prayer houses that were somehow fetish in nature.

The last one I went to was something else. I returned weeping, asking God for forgiveness.

I was done. I needed rest.

I informed my husband that I am willing to adopt but he kicked against it.

That was when I realized that I have to surrender completely to God.

Surrender I did.

One of those days while studying the Bible, I came across Ruth 4:13 how God granted Ruth conception.

I felt peace in my heart about the childbearing issue.

I was jolted back to reality by the knock on the door.

I opened it and behold it is my late mother's sister.

Oh! Well, my troubles just increased.

She has been asking me to follow her to a Prophet that can pray for me to conceive but I refused. Not after all the past experiences.

I refused to go through that path again.

So, it caused a rift between us.

"Finally, a cry of a child will be heard in this house", My aunty echoed. She was dancing and clapping while making up songs just to mock me.

Ego and my husband came out of our room; now their room.

"Ego my dear, you have done nobly. You have proven that in our family we do not have barren women", Aunty Nne Nne continued her praises.

"Aunty, are you forgetting she is pregnant for my husband?" I asked.

"And so what? You should be grateful that she has wiped away shame from you".

"Clement my son, you are a real man. You will finally carry your child soon".

She continued to sing and dance in which Ego and my husband joined her.

"God, this is too much for one woman."

I withdrew to my room weeping.

My issue now was how to inform my father; his heart might not handle it well.

I needed to speak to someone. So, I went to my Pastor and told him about the storm I was in.

He called my husband. Who came for the meeting but was not reasoning with our pastor.

"Pastor, it is either she accepts my new wife or she leaves my house"

"Alright, Sir. If your wife said this to you how would you feel?",

" If she slept with your brother, how would you react? Remember, it is her sister that you got pregnant." Pastor asked.

" I am the man here". This discussion is not going to change anything." He was now yelling.

"If she likes let her report me to the gods of her village, what I have said stands."

He stormed out of the Pastor's house.

I was sobbing bitterly.

"All I asked was for my sister to be given another place to stay. That is all."

"Pastor, look at me Eunice, I am a beautiful woman, or am I not?"

The pastor's wife looked at me and said " I have always admired your long legs, your natural hair tied up in a ponytail.

How you have maintained her figure. Your skin can be used to eat rice; a beautiful shade of brown.

The way you smile is so soothing."

"Thank you, ma'am".

She made me laugh through my tears.

I always admire her when I see her in church.

Well, I smile a lot but die inside.

Here I am now, smile gone.

Totally shattered.

I looked over at my pastor, he was deep in thoughts.

His wife excused him inside the room.

They came back to meet me and began to tell me their idea.

At first, I was against it.

But, They made me understand that wisdom is needed here.

Also, for my safety and happiness.

"Eunice, in as much as we will pray about this issue, some actions have to be taken."

"First, what do want to do? Your husband has given you an ultimatum."

I looked into her eyes and said, "I do not know".

I began to cry again.

"Here is what I think you should do."

"When you get home, tell your husband that you are sorry about how you reacted. That news was just so startling.

Yes, he will rave and talk just to show his man ego."

I was objecting vehemently.

"Please, just listen to me. When the children of Isreal were leaving Egypt, they did leave empty.

So, you cannot leave that house empty.

I have got your attention"

"Yes, what do you think I do?"

"Now, tell him to give you three months to prepare for the new wife's coming; I mean your sister moving in permanently.

Move out of the room you shared and ask him for money to change some things around the house.

Also, you would like to be given some properties with the papers."

Do you have any properties?

"Yes, just a piece of land that I bought"

"Good, for the next three months, you are to rent and furnish another house quietly.

I know it will be hard to act normal, but try."

"Eunice, please hold yourself together. I will try to check on you every day", my pastor's wife hugged me with tears in her eyes.

" Thank you, Sir and Ma. I am so appreciative of the support"

"I will do as instructed". I felt relieved like oxygen has been put back into my lungs.

As I was about to step out of the house, my phone rang and it is my father.

I guess my shameless sister and my husband have gone to report their not-so-wonderful deeds.

My father must be broken right now. He must be blaming himself for things that were beyond his control.

It is not your fault Dad, I said this out loud.

I must have looked like one who is psychologically unstable.

How can my stupid sister run to our father to break the news? Calling her stupid is high praise because her stupidity is below stupid.

I will return his call later.

I needed to gather my thoughts and strategize how I will present this idea.

The thought of apologizing to him irks.

I walked to an extent before realizing I had left my car at my pastor's compound.

"Come on Eunice, this is not good for you" I scolded myself.

Well, it is good I am not driving. Who knows what would have happened.

I am a strong, bold, and brilliant woman. This storm can not break me. I have to face this head-on.

I ordered an Uber to get home.