Thread by @jarumamagazine

Relationships have always been complicated from the very beginning of time.

My name is Zainab Salihu, I am from Niger state but grew up in Kano, I am the first born of my parents. #DIVORCEDIARIES #Jaruma

People judge you for making mistakes when they have not been in your shoes.

My mother died when giving birth to my brother when I was 5 and 2 years later my father married my mother's cousin who at the time was a divorcee with a daughter.
#DivorceDiaries #Jaruma

My father although a driver for a private company always tried his best to see that he catered to us as best he could but as years passed by and he started having more kids things started becoming difficult. #DivorceDiaries #Jaruma

I in particular became like her kishiya, "ke!!, zo Nan Dan ubanki" you would always hear her shout, I started doing house chores immediately she came into the house, when my father commented she would say she was training both me and Safiya her daughter... #DivorceDiaries #jaruma

... who was a year younger than me but of course that was a lie. Safiya lived like a princess, hardly lifting a finger to do anything except when my dad was at home. #Jaruma #DivorceDiaries

When I was in secondary school, my father lost his job and had a stroke, this was when the hardship really kicked in, I was barely able to finish school. #DivorceDiaries #Jaruma

My step mother had a small restaurant and she took over most of the finances from my father before he could get better and that gave her more right to treat me like trash. #DivorceDiaries #Jaruma

She would insult me and my brother, tell us we are useless and a burden to her. I would wash, clean, cook, iron and dust but will still not escape her insults. #DivorceDiaries #Jaruma jaruma.com.ng/2020/01/17/div…

There were times that I would be aloud only 1 meal a day, I prayed and prayed to leave this house, sometimes I felt like running away. My only escape was my dreams and imagination, I would imagine marrying a really rich guy... #DivorceDiaries #Jaruma

... and he would carry me away to a beautiful palace and we would leave happily ever after.

I got admission to study English in BUK and I was lucky enough to get my uncle to help pay for my tuition. A week into lectures I met Abdul. #DivorceDiaries #Jaruma

Apparently he was in his final year but he was carrying two of hundred level courses. Abdul was a nice friendly guy, he started talking to me when he missed classes and heard there was going to be a test. #DivorceDiaries

He introduced himself and asked if he could borrow my notes, later he tried to become acquainted so that he can sit next to me and copy, obviously he didn't read a thing! He even offered to pay, but I declined. #DivorceDiaries #Jaruma

With time I came to like him and he came to depend on me, he would come when the term has gone far to photocopy my notes, attend tests and then write exams. I would summarize the course and we would do a little tutorial before any exam. #DivorceDiaries #Jaruma

It turned out Abdul was from one of the rich influential families in kano and as I got to know him I came to like his humility, kindness, and generosity - he was good to everyone but his greatest weakness was abuse of drugs. #Jaruma #DivorceDiaries

He would say he had meetings or business trips and disappear for days but it wasn't so, at first I believed him but eventually got to find out. #DivorceDiaries #Jaruma jaruma.com.ng/2020/01/17/div…

Abdul and I became close, I wouldn't say we dated I was more of a confidant to him, I would talk to him about cleaning up his act, stop drugs and concentrate on his studies and he would always respond positively. #DivorceDiaries #Jaruma

... But after awhile I would see things were still the same. Abdul knew about how sad I was at home and even paid for my 3 hundred level tuition after my step mother poisoned my uncle's good heart.#DivorceDiaries #Jaruma

Sometimes he would take me shopping, buy me a phone and other nice things like clothes, jewelry and perfume. I soon realized that I had found my prince but since he didn't declare his love I kept quiet and prayed for the best. #DivorceDiaries #Jaruma

One day we were talking, he mentioned that he really wanted to get married but most girls didn't understand him. Later when we parted ways and went home, he called me saying he realized I understood him and he had loved me from the first time we met. #DivorceDiaries #Jaruma

I laughed it off and told him that he wasn't serious, although I was ecstatic about it. I knew he had his issues but I was pretty sure I could manage him and most of all I wanted to get out of that hell. #DivorceDiaries #Jaruma

After our wedding we settled in a nice two story building house in Bompay road. My step mother was shocked from the very beginning of the introduction till the marriage. #DivorceDiaries #Jaruma jaruma.com.ng/2020/01/17/div…

She even tried sabotaging the wedding at a point cause she wasn't happy I was getting married first and to a rich guy but she didn't get her way so she started sucking up to me immediately after the wedding. #DivorceDiaries #Jaruma

I settled in and finished my final year, miraculously Abdul was able to finish last year and graduated. He went for his camp in Calabar then redeployed to serve in Kano, during his service he got a job offer from a private company and I was so excited... #DivorceDiaries

Athough he didn't seemed too happy about it, he was more interested in business but I felt this would give him some experience at least he will have to learn how to wake up early everyday. #Jaruma #DivorceDiaries

Unfortunately my joy didn't last long because Abdul messed up and lost the job, then he got another job and then another one, all this while he would look for a way to sabotage the job. #jaruma #DivorceDiaries jaruma.com.ng/2020/01/17/div…

He would rather just stay home, go out and hang out with his friends; party, take drugs and smoke weed.

Follow the link to continue reading this story... jaruma.com.ng/2020/01/17/div… #DivorceDiaries #Jaruma