There is a woman in my life whom I deeply appreciate and who continually inspires me. Her name is Francina, she is my loving mother and a symbol of strength and resilience. Her fortitude, evident in every hardship she faced—including my birth—is a testament to her spirit. After all, having me wasn’t easy, considering my father already had another wife and she was just a young girl.
One Sunday in 2000, a man named Simoni—who later became my father—approached my mother. She was skeptical of men at the time. She was very beautiful, and almost every man in her community was attracted to her. However, she followed my grandmother’s advice: never trust men, they’re all liars and deceivers, and considered every man who approached her as insincere.
When Simoni came to her, my mother choose not to listen to my grandmother’s advice. She listened to what he had to say, which was unusual because she normally didn’t allow men to talk to her, not even for five minutes.
Simoni was delighted to meet my mother. Despite already being married, he continued to talk to my mother. His first wife was unable to bear children, which troubled him deeply. When he met my mother, he saw beauty and thought of her as the future mother of her children.
My mother, upon discovering that Simoni was already married, hesitated. The thought of them being together scared her, as it could ruin her reputation in the community. Simoni did his best to convince her, but my mother was reluctant. In the community she grew up in, polygamous marriages were frowned upon. Moreover, she did not want to compete with another woman for a man.
Whenever my mother tells me of her reluctance, I think about how I nearly didn’t exist. At the end of the day, I suppose I should thank her for accepting my father’s proposal!
After a long time and persistent attempts from Simoni, my mother finally decided to give him a chance. Their relationship deepened, and they became lovers.
Unfortunately, Simoni’s wife died six months after he and my mother began dating. During these first six months, my father was hestitant about making his relationship to my mother public. The bad news about his wife hit him hard, but my mother was there to comfort him.
After Simoni and Francina got married, settling into her new life was not easy for Francina. She felt isolated in his big family, many of whom didn’t like her. Nevertheless, they had no choice to accept her, and show some respect. When my father learned of his family’s disapproval, he decided to move away, far from his family. He built a house in another area, far from his relatives, so he would stay in peace with my mother.
I was born not long after. My arrival was like a dream come true for my father, who always wanted children. I brought comfort to his life and he wanted more children. My mother thought she was dreaming because she never expected to hear such words from my father.
My twin brothers were born two years after. What a celebration… Having two boys at once was shocking and exciting at the same time. My father threw a party, inviting many friends to celebrate.
The saddest part of this story is that my father did not live long enough to see his children reach adulthood. His death was heartbreaking. It was suspected that his relatives used charms to poison him so that they could take all his properties. They even came claiming his property after his death, which shocked the community.
My mother decided to take the case to the court. She told her lawyer that all properties, the house and the two cars were in her name. The family was so shocked to hear it, and she was right. In the end, my mother won the case and we kept all the property.
My father’s relatives could not accept the loss and wanted revenge. They decided to bewitch us so that my whole family would die but we didn’t. My mother is a very prayerful person and I believe her prayers are the what’s keeping us alive until today. I will forever remember my father for being there, and for keeping his relatives away from us. Sometimes your own relatives try to finish even though they are supposed to protect you.
16 June, 2023
