Not All That Glitters. 1

This is a True Life Story, although the character has been changed and other things in order to protect the owner of the story.

Arinola a bubbly young lady from a comfortable family.  Grew up in the city of Lagos Nigeria. She is ambitious and talented  whatever she finds her hand doing,  she does it well. After her Tertiary education she gained employment into a good firm. She earn a decent wage for living for a single lady and life was good. One day something happened that changed her life, she met a guy called James.

Arinola and James,met through Arionla's colleague at work,she was a writer in one of the most popular Magazine in  Lagos Nigeria. She enjoyed her writing skills and was passionate about it. She usually writes about domestic Violence.

When she was introduced to James,she felt he would just be a normal friend like most guys she had been introduced to that has lived abroad all their life. He left Nigeria at a tender age. They became good friends, they exchanged emails and calls most time. As time went on they became lovers.

One particular holiday period, she visited him spending  two weeks in order to get to know him more. She was already in love with him and all she could find out was that he was a loving man. Arinola met James's mum and sisters(James's  Dad is late). She felt so welcomed that she was looking forward to settling down with her dream man(James) someday.

Their relationship grew deep and they became fond of each other. James asked her to join him abroad for greener pastures and they will get married afterwards then start a family. All arrangements were made and she joined James abroad.

On getting to the new country, Arinola realized she couldn't get a job immediately because of the language barrier, she embarked on a course to learn the language. Whilst she was trying to put necessary requirements in order to secure a job in place, she found out she was pregnant.

That changed the love life of this supposed lovebirds.  James started smoking weed in the house, to Arinola's amazement. She couldn't believe it because she had never seen him had alcohol not to talk of smoking.

She thought she could change him so she decided to speak to him about it. All her pleading and advice was a waste of time and energy because James didn't yield positively. He became a strange person,  he will go out for days and not even call to inform her about his whereabout or check on her well being.

The journey of pregnancy was traumatic for Arinola because anytime James followed her to Anti-Natal(s) clinic, he will rain insults on her. Arinola found comfort in crying all day life was becoming unbearable day after day living with James.

She had a saving grace one day  when James's sister called from Nigeria that she will be visiting them when she comes to deliver her baby( James' s sister). She was so glad and overjoyed because prior to that call, she was suicidal. She awaited the arrival of  Rolake (James's sister). At least she will have someone to share her pain and situation with.

Rolake arrived and Arinola told her everything that has  been happening (Rolake stayed at a Hotel during her visit). Rolake led Arinola l to Christ Jesus and told  her to be prayerful. Rolake also said if she had met Arinola one on one before she relocated with James that she would have advised  her against such decision. Rolake promised to speak to her brother and that she will report the case to their mum back in Nigeria.

Rolake was God sent to Arinola. She lectured Arinola about God and told her  to go back to her parent in Nigeria and stop co-habiting with her brother(James) bevause its a sin before God. Rolake told Arinola how irresponsible and rude James was. When she(Rolake) spoke to James about the situation, he insulted her (Rolake).

He called his sister all nasty names you can think of. No one was respectable at the sight of James this shocked Arinola. He banned  Arinola from using His mobile phone. He went to Arinola's facebook page blocked all her male friends and other female friends. He became very controlling beating her at will, home became a living hell.

Most discussions with him resulted into insult. Sexual intercourse was a rape session between them Arinola was the victim. Arinola was falling apart she couldn't think straight. She summoned the courage and  started attending Sunday church service with Rolake. She got to meet new people and made new friends.

Everyone advised Arinola to wait in order to get her permanent residence in the country whilst living with James before she leaves and also to have her baby. People bought clothes for her and feed her whilst James neglected her. All the hormonal changes of pregnancy took place without support from her baby father.

He became more violent towards her beating her till she couldn't move. One day the police came in after Rolake called them when James was beating Arinola because she was visiting them. Rolake spoke on Arinola's behalf because of  language barrier. Rolake told the Police that Arinola was pregnant, James told the policemen to take Arinola away and that she has no right to stay in the country.

That day Arinola felt like the ground should open and swallow her. How could someone who brought her to a foreign land, someone she loved do such to her, she could not hold the tears back as it fell. That night she had to sleep at Rolake's hotel room.

Some weeks later Rolake had her baby and was ready to move back to Nigeria. It was like she shouldn't go because Arinola has grown to confide in her and seek help through her from the police. At the airport they both cried but couldn't console each other. Rolake prayed for Arinola and insisted she should  be prayerful but take necessary steps

After Rolake left, Arinola moved back to James's place she was five month pregnant. She and James had another arguement and as usual he hit her again. The neighbours called the police  and the police made her sign a lawsuit against him for her safety.

On the 19th of February she delivered Gabrielle a beautiful girl. She was so happy, She thought things would be better now that she has a child for him but that was the begining of an unending abuse based relationship.

To be Continued stay tuned for the next part.