Poverty....the root of all evil

Dear diary,

I remember one desolate Friday night when Jihad broke between two of my friends who were married for three years. John and Jennifer, I would often refer to them as the “Johns”. They fell in love so hard that it became impossible for their parents to separate them; in just two years of their relationship Jennifer announced she was pregnant. It was one of those good news bad news situation because not only were they too young and in school but they also came from strong opposing tribes that did not allow intermarriage between them.  “I will marry you no matter what the situation is” said John. He wasn't ready neither was Jennifer, but they knew they could overcome anything together. Two months later they were married, Jennifer had to drop out of school since the teachers wouldn't allow a pregnant girl in school while John had to find means of earning an income for his new family. Luckily he secured a job in one of the best paying companies as an office clerk.

I know you are wondering what could cause hell to break out between two people who were perfect for each other.  On that night as many of our Friday nights I would go to their house for a movie as we talk about this and that. Everything was good until Mrs Boss (the wife of John’s boss) knocked the door. She had found several intimate messages exchanged between her hubby and Jennifer. She wasn't there to make peace she was there for blood. For the first time I saw the look on John's eyes that I could not describe. After I managed to get Mrs Boss out of the house I could feel the tension in the air... I knew I could not leave Jennifer all alone in this messy situation (she had told me everything already).

How could you?? Said John, five years of honoring and treating you like a queen I thought you were but you were just a whore, how could you cheated on me, on us? How could you reduce everything I have worked so hard to build into a word cheating? This is not a game, it is not trial and error it is our marriage, our lives and our son’s. You just didn't care and broke everything, I sacrificed everything I had to be with you Jennifer, I gave up my family for you “He roared”.  Jennifer was sobbing, trying to alter the words " am sorry" .. Is there anything I need to get tested for? he asked as he was heading towards the door and disappeared to the unknown place. I felt bad for her, not because she had a right to cheat on him but because I could understand her reasons and he wouldn't even give her a chance to hear her side of story.

Okay before you start giving me you're-a- whore-too look allow me to tell you her side of story. Four months after Jessie was born, Jennifer had gone to John’s office to pick up some cash for groceries. On that day she bumped into Mr Boss (Johns boss), after he introduced his self he asked for her cell number, she denied his request and left the building. She never told John because she didn't think it would matter, after all it’s not like she was going to see him on regular basis. Two months later John was involved in a Fatal accident, was in a coma for weeks, his relatives wouldn't help him because they disowned him the moment he chose Jennifer over them. Jennifer’s relatives wouldn't help her because she had brought shame upon her family for getting pregnant and dropping out of school. She had a son who was only six months and no help from any corner except for me.

As if all this was not enough Mr boss dropped to the hospital telling Jennifer the company had decided to terminate John services since they had someone else who was more qualified than him. She looked at his dying husband and then their son who had no idea what was happening to his father, she knew she had to do something raising Jessie on her own was not an option.Jennifer dropped to her knees asking him to spare John.  Mr Boss agreed to spare John and to help with the hospital bills on one condition; that he gets to have her body every now and then. And that is how it all started. A month and a half later John was out of the hospital and back to his old job.

On that weekend Jennifer came to my house telling me how her guilty conscious was killing her, she had never lied to John before and now that she had, she did not know how to stop. After she had explained everything to me I knew she was doomed if she told John and she was doomed if she didn't  When it comes to cheating women are their own self enemies with guilt as their main weapon of self torture. I could understand her reasons for doing what she did. She loved John more than anything may be more than she loved herself, he was her life. She wanted so much with John and it wasn't easy to let him go, she thought of their son Jessie, how important it was for him to have John as his role model. But her mistake was to think that there was antidote to the uncertainty. I told her cheating on John will never get easier, it something she had to live with, but I wanted her to remember; the day she made that wicked deal is the day that she gave John another chance to life, a chance to see his son turn into a man and most of all she gave Jessie a chance to know his father.

Dear diary, there are those who say cheating and lying are not struggles, they are reasons to break up... but what about death?? Doesn't it break you up? Wouldn't you do anything to serve the life of someone that you truly loved? Wouldn't you give anything to see them one more day? Some will say those who cheat on their partners who are loyal to them don't deserve them, that it is a trashy attitude to disrespect a person who is loyal to you. But what if it’s the love you have for your partner that made you cheat?

A lot of people look at Jennifer as a traitor, phony and may be fake. But I know she was a hypocrite with the best intentions, and may be I would have done the same thing if I was in her shoes. Cheating does not necessarily mean you don't love your partner, sometimes is means you love him too much and you could give up everything you had if it would mean seeing him alive and happy. And that’s a sad story that happened to my dear and lovely friends Jennifer and John. Ciao!!