'Cletus, I’m sorry I cannot marry an illiterate’

My name is Tonia. I was only eight years old when my parents and younger brother died from food poisoning. On the night before they died, I went to bed early hence I didn’t eat the yam porridge they all had as dinner. The next morning, they all complained of stomach pain and were rushed to the hospital by our driver but not before calling Aunty Vivian, my mother’s younger sister.

She promised to go straight to the hospital to see them. She, however, promised to come and take me to see them as soon as possible. “Tonia, please stay at home with the maid. I will go straight to the hospital and see your parents and brother. I promise to come and take you to see them as soon as possible,” she said over the phone. However, she came to see me about three hours later just to give me the sad news that changed my life forever. “Tonia my dear, there is something you must know. I know you are no longer a child. Your parents and brother are dead. The doctor said they died as a result of food poisoning,” Aunty Vivian revealed. She cuddled me while we both cried out our hearts.

Immediately after their burial, my father’s siblings took over all his property and left me with nothing. I was very sad and lonely but Aunty Vivian promised to take good care of me. I had to start living with her family. I used to attend an expensive private school but with all that happened, I had to stop going to school for sometime because Aunty Vivian could not afford my school fees. Later, she enrolled me in the public school which her two children attended. However, she could not fulfil her promise for long as her husband won the American Visa lottery and they had to travel out of the country. I could not go with them since I was not their child.

Nevertheless, before they eventually travelled, she handed me over to her best friend, Monica and her family. Aunty Vivian in my presence pleaded with Monica to take good care of me and treat me like her own child. I thought I had finally found a family and a home where I will be loved and accepted but how wrong I was. The six years I stayed with Aunty Monica and her family was like living in hell. I was treated more like a house help. Aside from being maltreated, I had to drop out of school in JSS 3 because Aunty Monica informed me that Aunty Vivian had stopped sending her money to take care of my personal and educational needs, thus, she could not waste her hard-earned money on someone like me. When I could not bear the maltreatment any longer, I ran away not even knowing where I was headed. All I knew was that I had to leave the house before she killed me.

At age 14, I found myself on the street. I slept in an uncompleted building for one week while I begged to eat. Nevertheless, I didn’t know that the man who sold fruits some houses from the uncompleted building had noticed that I begged around the area. One day he called me and said, “Young girl, I have noticed that you beg people for money every day. Don’t you have a family?” “No, uncle I don’t have a family,” I said. He introduced himself as Cletus the fruit seller and I introduced myself as Tonia. He told me that I could come to him for any assistance. I accepted.

Three days later, he told me he wanted to have a serious talk with me. He said, “Tonia, I want you to stop begging. I promise to take good care of you. Second, I want you to stop sleeping in that uncompleted building because it is too dangerous for you. Finally, I want you to come and live with me and my younger ones. We live in a two-bedroom apartment, you can share a room with my sister if you don’t mind,” Cletus suggested. “Thank you. I am very grateful and I appreciate all your help,” I said. He took me home that evening and introduced me to his younger sister, Mercy. She accepted me with open hands and we started living together as a family.

Cletus promised to cater for my education and, immediately, he sent me back to school. Although, I had to start from JSS 2, I knew it was better than not going to school at all. Cletus continued selling fruits by the street side to pay our fees, meet our personal and general needs as well. Thank God his fruit business continued to prosper. Unfortunately, Mercy died mysteriously when she was 16 years old and this affected him so much.

However, a year later, I got admission into the university to study Economics. When I informed Cletus, he reminded me that he promised to cater for my education and so he would fulfil his promise.

Anyway, a year later, I got admission into the university to study Economics. When I informed Cletus, he reminded me that he had promised to cater for my education and would fulfil his promise.
In my first year in the university, I came home one Saturday afternoon and decided to see Cletus where he sells fruits before heading home to rest. I didn’t meet him there. Surprised, I went home and met him sleeping at the corridor. I quietly walked into the house and decided to prepare something for us to eat before he woke up. As I was cooking, he woke up and asked, “Tonia, when did you come?” “Brother Cletus, I came in about 30 minutes ago,” I replied. “I must have slept very deep since I was very tired,” he said. “On my way home, I decided to check on you first at your fruit shop. As I could not see you, I came home and met you sleeping at the corridor. I hope there is no problem?” I asked. “There is no problem, I only decided to rest today,” Cletus explained. Although, he assured me that there was no problem, deep down in my heart, I knew that he was troubled. From the way he was eating when I gave him his food, it was obvious that he was forcing himself to eat.

Later that evening, he informed me that he had something important to tell me. He disclosed that his fruit business was no longer doing well and as such he had stopped selling fruits. “Tonia, my fruit business is no longer doing well and I spend a lot of money on it. I have decided to look for another business to do,” he revealed. “Which business do you want to do now?” I asked. “I don’t know yet but I will think of one and start as soon as possible. Don’t worry you will not stop going to school,” he assured.

The next time I visited home, Cletus was a truck driver. He worked for a construction company and he was so excited about it. “Tonia, I am now a truck driver for a construction company and they pay me well. It is just that sometimes I have to travel to other nearby states to deliver building materials,” he disclosed. “That is good. I can see that you are very happy with this your new job,” I said. “I am not ashamed to drive a truck as long as I can pay your way through the university. I know you are like a sister to me but I love you very much,” he said. “Cletus, I love you too. You have done so much for me,” I emphasised. For the first time, he kissed me. That was how we started an affair in my second year. No doubt, Cletus loves me so much. He was willing to do anything just to make me happy and also ensure that I completed my university degree.
Sometimes he comes to visit me in school with lots of foodstuff, beverages, gifts and money. On my birthdays, he makes sure I don’t feel alone. He ensures we celebrate it together no matter how small. He warned me to stay away from boys so that I don’t get distracted. I knew however that he was speaking because of his own interest.

In my third year, I had become older and wiser and came to the realisation that Cletus was not the kind of man I should even have a relationship with. I was so sure he was waiting for me to complete my university degree so that he would ask me marriage. The truth is that he is not the kind of man I want to spend the rest of my life with because he is illiterate. I still had to play along because of my education. At this point, a couple of young men had started asking me for a relationship. However, I was not ready to lose focus as I wanted to graduate with good grades so that I could get a good job after graduation.

As I had anticipated, I went home one weekend in my final year and Cletus spoke his mind. “Tonia, there is something I have been wanting to tell you and I guess now is the right time,” he started. “I hope there is no problem,” I asked. “No my dear, I just want to tell you that now that you are almost through with your university degree, it is time we started talking about our wedding plan,” he stressed. I didn’t know whether to smile or frown but I had to put on a fake smile. “Are you serious? Well, yes, I am in my final year but remember I still have a year to serve my country. Whatever plans you have must still have to wait,” I said. Although, he was not too satisfied with my answer, nevertheless, he had to drop the topic. Already my mind was made up, I cannot marry him.

Three months after graduation, he brought up the issue of marriage again. I stylishly told him I was not ready and he promised to wait until I wam ready. Deep down in my heart, I cannot marry him because he is not my type of man. About two months after I completed my National Youth Service Corps programme, I got a job with a bank and Cletus would not stay a day without bringing up the issue of marriage. I threatened to move out of the house if he continued to bug me about marriage. He temporarily stopped until some weeks later.
It was a Saturday morning, after breakfast he asked me if I was still not ready to get married to him and I said, “Cletus do you really think I am going to marry you? No way. I appreciate all you have done for me but the truth is that I am sorry I cannot marry illiterate.” He was shocked. A few seconds later he said, “Tonia, you call me illiterate? I worked so hard just to see you through school and you pay me by calling me illiterate? Thank you and God bless you.” “Cletus if you had told me from the beginning that you were going to marry me in exchange of training me through both secondary school and the university, I would not have agreed because you are not and will never be my kind of man,” I retorted. He angrily stormed out of the room while I gathered my things together. I knew that the rate he was going he might do something nasty to me because I rejected him outright.

A few days later, I moved out of the house. I now stay with Freda, one of my colleagues at work in Ikeja. Aside from staying miles away from Cletus, it is much closer to my place of work. Some weeks back, I ran into a young boy who lived in the same street with Cletus who informed me that Cletus was almost running mad because of me. “All he does is talk to himself while walking in the street. The only thing he says is, ‘Tonia does not want to marry me because I am illiterate’, and then he will smile,” the young man said.
I am grateful that he sponsored my education but I want someone in my own class and not a truck driver. The difference is very clear. Have I done any wrong by telling him the truth? If you were in my shoes, won’t you do the same?