ECOMOG Single Mum says....."I hate Junior, because he reminds me of Timothy" !

Ever wondered why would a mother have such a thought? I have contemplated suicide many times, not because my Princess was the issue here , her dad maybe , but never would I give room for a devilish thought to roam freely in my subconscious mind. Me? Hate Princess? Why would I think of such a thing? Uyai's had her reasons. A few days back, I ran into an old friend, Uyai. We have been friends from way back in the secondary school but had lost contact. She was not looking her pretty self. I couldn't wait but ask her what was wrong with her. She couldn't fight back the tears. We were by the road side, I suggested we head for a close by eatery to sit and talk about it. This was more serious than I thought. She began by taking me back to way back when we were bubbling teenagers and her crush back then, Timothy. Of course, who wouldn't remember Uyai and Timothy. They were an item amongs us all then. Tribal difference wasn't a problem for their love. Their parents had a different perspective to these things. He was from the Bauchi (Northern part of Nigeria) and she was from Ikom,in Cross River State. Timothy joined the Army. Back then, it was an achievement to be in the Nigerian Army. Everything was heavenly. Name it, free transportation, free accommodation in the Barracks, school was subsidized for kids. Life was good as a soldier man's wife. That was until Timothy was called up to join the Peace Keeping Force in Liberia (ECOMOG). Timothy was so happy. He was going to be paid in Dollars! That was all that he was thinking about, not his young wife and kid that he was leaving behind. Another hidden agenda was of course the curiosity to find out how true the stories that the first set of troops sent back on how the women in Liberia were lovely to behold. Timothy's mind was already made up. Uyai got to know very late of this excitement that was eating Timothy up. He joined the others in Liberia and that was the end of their marriage so to say as he stopped writing, calling and eloped from there with the other woman that he met and married in Liberia. Life! Now every time Uyai sees Junior, she is all infuriated with hatred. I went over to hug her and gave her a very good back rub ( I suspected that should work cos it does work for me when I am all broken up inside). My once bubbling, pretty Uyai is now a single mother and a confused woman. I bet the pain is more because she had a pretty picture of "ever after" in her mind set for marriage. Sincerely, is the child to blame? What has little Junior got to do with his father's irresponsible attitude of eloping with another woman and abandoning his family? Should there be a law protecting a serving officer's wife who leaves family on "AWOL"? *( AWOL [ˈeɪwɒl], A.W.O.L. adj(Military) Military absent without leave; absent from one's post or duty without official permission but without intending to desert)