Mariam's family and our family had been friends for more than a decade. We have been through thick and thin together and have come to appreciate each member of our families.
After trying to make ends meet for several years with no luck, Mariam and her husband decided to travel overseas to seek greener pastures and they did well by informing my family about their intention to travel abroad.
We went through the documentation, required medical evaluation and visa interviews together in person and through fasting and prayers.
After a lot of tryers, Mariam family were granted the United Kingdom (UK) visas and we were all happy for them. Intact we celebrated together as a family.
A few days after preparation began. Mariam's family started telling people that needed to be told about their relocation plans. Along the line, some properties needed to be given out because they cannot move with them or leave them in their present house because it's a rented apartment.
As a friend to the family I requested for one out of Mariam's sewing machine because she used to be a seamstress and she promised to hand it over two days before they travelled.
Unfortunately, Mariam's children needed to buy some winter jackets but they had no money for it. Mariam pleaded with me that she had to sell the sewing machine she promised to give to me as a parting gift to raise the money for her children's winter jacket but I took no offence.
Infact I had to help her look for a buyer since I could not raise the money to buy it from her and I was glad to help. At last, Mariam and her family relocated and we kept in touch. We do voice and video calls during the weekend.
One Tuesday afternoon, I saw Mariam's call on my phone and i was afraid at first because it's unusual for her to call at that time of the day during weekdays because she knows I will be at work. I had nothing much to do so I answered the phone anyway.
Only for me to hear Mariam speaking to her husband on the other end about the sewing machine issue. Her husband told her that it was wrong for her to lie to me that she needed money for the children's jackets and that instead she should have come out straight to me that she was not going to give the sewing machine out without collecting money for it.
It was at that instance i knew that the call was dialed without Maria's knowing about because Mariam cannot call me to leak her own deceitful secret to me. Then it dawn on me that Mariam has never seen me as a sister the way I saw her.
Immediately I hung up and pretended as if I heard nothing in fact the next time she called I made sure not to mention anything about the call to her but I was really hurt by her actions. Will her actions affect every other person I might meet in the future? Definitely no.
Thanks for reading till the end.
Images used are Ai generated.