Getting married to the love of your life is the ultimate ‘happy ever after’. Most especially here, where till death do us part is taken quite literally. Divorce is never the answer, but for this 29-year-old woman it was.

How did you meet?
Through our parents. I used to make a joke to my friends about how my marriage was arranged. His parents thought it was about time he settled down, so did mine. I don’t even know if there was a courting period. Both our parents were so involved from the get-go, we both knew how it was going to end.

And the proposal?
Came about 9/10 months after we met. It might as well have been the introduction. There was no ring right away. He had his parents escort him to meet with my parents and I, to inform us of his intention to marry me. After he spoke and his dad spoke, my dad turned to me and just asked do you accept, and I nodded.

Did you feel coerced?
No. Never. Not even a little bit. For me, it was just why not. I had never had a boyfriend, never dated anyone. Before we met I had always wondered how I’d go about it. He’s also has a genuinely good heart. There were just no downsides to it.

So no ring?
Oh the ring came, a couple of weeks after. Lol very unceremoniously though. He just sort of handed it to me.

How old were you?
23, I turned 24 a couple of months after the wedding.

The wedding was…
Small by Nigerian standards. About 300 guests in total. My parents are simple people they hate anything elaborate. I think his Mum would have liked something bigger. But my parents are very persuasive.

The honeymoon…
Didn’t happen. It was marriage then husband’s house. There’s a significant age difference between us so he was already settled down, living in a family appropriate accommodation.

The first year was…
Uneventful really. We were like housemates. I cooked and cleaned, he went to work. I was working in my Uncle’s firm before we got married. And after the wedding, I just sort of stopped going. We attended social functions together and always had dinner together (his idea). He didn’t want kids right away so I had to get these shots every three months.

Were you in love?
I don’t know. I was quite fond of him in the early years. I don’t think we were as close as couples could be. But we had our moments.

Continue: https://www.zikoko.com/her/what-she-said-what-its-like-to-be-divorced-before-30/

Everybody with his or her own problem...the truth is that lack of communications and tolerance of each other is the major problem..for crying out loud, these are 2 different people with different attitudes