This is a story a once loving couple,Johnson and aleeyah,Johnson was 21 and aleeyah 18,when they met as teenager,both were from a striving family,they were into a relationship,and within the period of two years, aleeyah got pregnant, Johnson was writing his secondary school leaving exam,while aleeyah was just leaving jss3, and that was the end of their education,some months later Aleeyah gave birth, things were really tough, both her parent and Johnson’s parents were struggling to make ends meet,after giving birth,she had to live with Johnson’s mother (Mrs Bhadmus), who made life a living hëll for her, because Johnson’s mother doesn’t like the fact that Aleeyah is a Muslim.
Johnson on the other hand was doing all sorts of menial jobs he could get his hands on,in order to set up his family and take responsibility for his wife and daughter,most times he works at a car wash park,at times he sell water in the traffic and so on.
After six months, aleeyah also start hĺwking fruits,she follows her mother in law to the market where she assist in selling goods, aleeyah is a very determined and hard working lady, within a year, Johnson and aleeyah were able to gather some money to rent a room apartment, aleeyah was so happy,at least she would have her own freedom,they got the house and they moved in without any belongings except for their piece of clothes and a pot and a coal pot which she used in cooking.
Things are not fine yet,but they are full of hopes, Johnson is still doing his menial jobs while Aleeyah still hĺwks and do nails and pedicure stuffs with her child,the couple are always hustling in the rain and sun,at times there won’t be any food to eat,sometime they go to their parent for food, still their love is intact, when there is food,they eat with love and play as couple,when there is no food ,they console each other and pray,things were going on and on,and their daughter whom they named olamide is a year and six months On a fateful day, Johnson was at his workplace where he works,a customer came and brought in policemen to arrest Johnson, accusing him of stealing his wrist watch from his car, while washing his car the previous day,Johnson could not defend himself,his boss quickly sent the message of his arrest to Aleeyah,on hearing the news of her husband’s arrest, she sprung up and dashed to her brother’s shop called Kozeem, before they head to the police station.
On getting to the station,the complainant chief Akin, claimed the watch Johnson stole was sent to him from abroad, and it cost #20000(as at then #20000 is a lot of money,which can buy even a piece of land),on hearing this Aleeyah started crying and pleading saying her husband can never steal,all her pleas fell on deaf ear,as Chief Akin insist on getting his watch or the money, Kozeem isn’t doing well financially,so couldn’t help,Mrs Bhadmus met them at the station on hearing what happened, she started cursing Aleeyah and accusing her of afflicting her son with bad luck, saying she was against their relationship but Johnson would never listen,Aleeyah could not do anything but cry,she has no one to run to.she was helpless.
Johnson spent three nights at the station,as his family couldn’t get the money, Aleeyah has become a shadow of herself within this three days,she was going from family to friends to help release her husband,but no one was willing to help,till she thought of going to the Chief Akin to plead, for her husband release,he asks her to pay the money or else he will charge her husband to court.
Mrs Bhadmus was running around to see if she can raise the money,but her efforts were all futile,she took some people with her and Aleeyah to go and beg Chief Akin,and he gave them the grace of repaying in installments, asking them to meet at the station to sign an undertaking to pay the money monthly
The next day,at the station, Johnson has been released and he was writing an undertaking to pay Chief Akin monthly, though he was not happy about it,but there is nothing he can do.