When I saw her with their bags, I immediately knew sómething was háppening. She explained that she was travelling to Delta State because she had found farmers who were selling garri at a much cheaper price, and she wanted to go there herself to source for it.
She also told me that she had already secured a place in the market where she would be selling.
I was happy that she was taking the business seriously.
At least, the ₦400,000 I gave her was not sitting somewhere unused. She was already making arrangements and putting things in place.
She asked if the children could stay with me for a few days while she went to the farm.
I agreed without hesitation.
After all, they were my late brother’s children. I had never considered helping them a bûrden, even though there were times when the responsibility was financially heavy.
The children stayed with me while their mother travelled.
A few days later, she returned and came to pick them up. She looked tired from the journey but also excited.
She told me she had been able to get the garri at a good price and had made arrangements to start selling immediately.
She said, “I will start properly tomorrow.”
I smiled and wished her well.
I told her that I hoped the business would grow beyond what she was expecting and that she would soon be able to take care of everything concerning the children herself.
She thanked me.
After they left, I went about my normal activities.
Then I remembered something.
The next school term was approaching.
Without even thinking too much about it, I transferred the children’s school fees to her account, just as I had always done.
It had become a routine for me.
I paid their school fees because I did not want their education to be affected by whatever was happening around them.
A few minutes later, she messaged me.
She said she had seen the money.
I replied and asked how her business was going.
She told me everything was fine.
That was enough for me.
I did not ask for a detailed report or demand that she account for every naira I had given her. I genuinely wanted her to succeed.
For a while, everything seemed normal.
She was running her business.
The children were in school.
I continued checking on them from time to time, and she seemed determined to become financially independent.
Then something changed.
And honestly, I did not see it coming.
One day, she called me and said she wanted to talk to me about something.
I thought perhaps there was a problem with the business.
Maybe she needed advice.
Maybe she needed help with something concerning the children.
But what she told me had nothing to do with either of those things.
She said she wanted me to stop paying the children’s school fees.
I was surprised.
I asked her why.
She explained that there was now someone in her life.
A man she had started dating.
At first, I was happy for her. She had been a widow for some time, and I knew she deserved to have someone who genuinely cared about her.
But then she started telling me more about him.
According to her, the man knew about her situation and was willing to support her and the children.
He had also assured her that he would not allow her to continue struggling alone.
She sounded very confident about him.
She told me that he was already showing interest in her business and was ready to support her financially.
That was when I understood why she wanted me to stop paying the school fees.
She believed she had finally found someone who could take over that responsibility.
I listened quietly.
Part of me was relieved.
If this man was genuinely serious about her and her children, then perhaps this was exactly what she needed.
But another part of me was worried.
I had seen enough in life to know that not everyone who promises to take care of a woman and her children means it.
Some people make beautiful promises when a relationship is new.
Everything sounds perfect in the beginning.
They say the right things.
They make big plans.
They tell you not to worry because they will take care of everything.
But real responsibility is not measured by promises.
It is measured by what someone continues to do when the excitement of a new relationship disáppears.
I did not want to be the person standing between her and a new relationship, so I did not discourage her.
I simply told her that I hoped the man was genuine.
I told her to take her time and watch his actions carefully.
After all, it was not only her heart that was involved.
She had two children.
Any man coming into her life was also coming into the lives of those children.
I reminded her that she should not abandon the business she had started just because someone had promised to support her.
She agreed.
From that point, I stopped sending the school fees.
Not because I no longer cared about the children.
I still cared.
But she had made it clear that she wanted to take responsibility for them, and I respected her decision.
I also hoped the new man would truly be the kind of person she believed he was.
Because I knew what it had taken for her to get to that point.
She had lost her husband.
She had struggled to raise two children.
She had worked a 9-5 job.
She had gathered courage to leave the job and start a business.
And when I gave her ₦400,000, I believed I was helping her stand on her own feet.
Now, a new man had entered her life.
I could only hope that he would not become another problem she would have to recover from.
So I watched from a distance.
I did not interfere.
I did not ask too many questions.
I simply continued checking on the children and occasionally asking how the business was going.
To be continued….
Family Support
Episode 2
