"Yes, what is your response? You have nothing to lose if you comply and marry me, but I bet you, your school and life will be destroyed if you fail to. Do not say I did not warn you. To be forewarned, is to be forearmed." He declared, and Anu heard him chuckled.
Anu could not respond to Femi for some minutes, fear went through her body, and she trembled at the thought of her quitting school.
But then she later braced up. Why should I jeopardise my freedom for a man like Femi? He has proven himself that he could be brutal. He is the type of man who will tell his wife to stop working and would be giving her Peanuts.
There was a time they were chatting, and he said that he would never tolerate his woman to earn more money than him. According to him, the woman will misbehave and treat him with contempt.
My reply then was that if the woman were a godly one, she would see herself as an helper, support her man and they would live comfortable as a couple.
The woman is a helper in every sense of the word. She is a helper spiritually, physically,emotionally, mentally and financially. He disagreed with her and vowed not to marry a woman with a higher pay.
So if he sponsored me in the university, then she would control her life and would fight her financial independence. Such men are toxic.
They are narcissist and would imprison her out of sheer envy and ego. Anu reasoned in her mind, determined to sponsor herself until she finished. Even now, she does projects for students, and help a lot of them for pay.
There are many things to do online. She is a writer and she has started learning how to edit from one of the brilliant editors. By the time she is done, she will become an editor professionally.
Femi thinks that I have no choice but I will prove to him that my worth as a woman cannot be squashed, I will keep on upgrading myself to become one of the best woman ever. No man will treat me as a second class citizen. I know my worth and value. I have a lot to offer. I have choices in life. I will never allow Femi Badmus to dehumanise me after Bayo had done his worst.
Bayo will regret treating me badly and Femi will bite his fingers. As for Babajide, he earned my respect for doing good to me, but I will show him that he is no god. He was given opportunity to raise me from the gutters and he has messed it up. His time is over in my life.
I will prove to everyone my real worth. No more sponsorship from men. God will sponsor me through my value. I will provide solutions to the needs of men and they will in turn pay me for my services. Money they say is in people. Give them solutions to their problems, they will pay you in cash.
The more Anu thought of these things, the more determined she became, until her courage increased and her strength grew big to face her challenge of sponsorship.
"Hmmm", she breathed in and breathed out.
"Femi, are you still hanging there?"
"I'm afraid, yes I am waiting for you to make right decision please. How lenient or generous I am."
"Wow, my dear Femi, once upon a time, I would have been eating from your hands by now, but not anymore. I will rather beg a woman of honour and dignity to assist me. Stop feeling too important. I will not reduce my worth before any man again. I have heard enough of men. All of you should leave me alone. I will take care of myself, as you can see that I am of age."
"I do not pity you at all, but I will still let you know that my arms are wide open, go and reconsider your decision, peradventure you will reason better." He hissed and cut the phone not allowing her to talk further.
"Thank God, I can breathe. To hell with your sponsorship. I've had enough." Anu spoke out to no one in particular.
I know that Anu will beg me to have me into her life. She is proving stubborn, but she would be broken into pieces. I give her one month, she would return to me. Femi thought in his mind.
Femi should know by now that I would stand by my words, but he wouldn't because he is used to women of easy virtues. Anu mused in her mind.
Three months after, Anu started to find her feet, adjusted to the new thing life offered her. She refused telling anyone else about her woes, but rather determined to sponsor herself in the university.
God was faithful in helping her with others projects. God has endowed her with extra brilliance above average. She girded herself with strength, advertising her expertise in handling projects.
She had clients not a few, flooding her space. She charged properly to pay her school fees, course work and needs in the school.
Meanwhile Babajide Badmus missed Anu so much that he had wondered how she is coping. He decided to call her.
"Oh my dear benefactor, I'm glad to hear from your end." Anu replied sweetly, having forgiven him for not hearing her side of the story.
"I'm glad to hear your voice. So how are you coping with your studies? Who paid your second semester money?"
"Thank you Babajide for your care, I quite appreciate you. Your brother meant to punish me but it turned out for my good. Iam coping very well. As to the payment, God did it."
"Who paid for you?"
"God paid for me!"
"Don't be silly, I know that God is good but He uses people, He wouldn't come down to do it by himself. So please tell me the truth. I am willing to pay back the person. "
"There will be no need. You have done more than enough. You are still taking care of my brother. If you must know, your brother wanted to pay my fees, but I declined because he wanted to force me to marry him. Now I know that God wants me to depend on Him."
"What? I'm a big fool for believing his lies against you. Hmmm, please forgive me, but who paid for you?"
"Must a man pay for me? I have not been lazy, but hardworking, thanks to my mom who trained me. I helped students do their assignments and type projects to sustain me.
God is faithful please. I do not need you or anyone else. If I need help, I will contact one of my senior female friends to help me. I'm grateful for reaching out. Thank you please." Anu responded to him nicely.