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In the beautiful village of Eket, there lived a young boy named Okon. Okon was the second child and only son of his parents. Before Okon’s mother gave birth to Okon, she had waited five long years to conceive him, so when their golden baby boy was born, his parents did everything they could to pamper him. It was almost like they turned all the love from Okon’s older sister to Okon, and they always treated him as the most important child in their family.

Luckily for Okon, his father was a wealthy trader who could afford to give him whatever he asked for, and somehow, his inability to say No to Okon spoiled him. Growing up, Okon had no respect for his older sister, Mfon. In fact, he didn’t also respect his mother because he had seen how his father always treated his mother and how he often said demeaning things to her.

“Okon, come here. Didn’t I tell you not to take that money from my bag?” Okon’s mother, Nse, yelled.

“Woman, don’t talk to me like that. I have told you several times to not shout at me,” Okon said to his mother.

That day, Okon had taken some money from his mother’s purse without her permission. When she asked if he had taken it, he casually said yes without showing remorse.

When Nse yelled at Okon, she expected he would apologize or return the money to her, but when she got the rude response, it made her angrier. Out of anger, she slapped Okon on the face, and he burst into tears.

“Okon, my son. What is it? Why are you crying this hot afternoon?” Okon’s father asked. Okon’s father was outside discussing with his friend, but when he heard Okon crying, he rushed inside the house to see what had happened.

“She beat me,” Okon said as he pointed to his mother.

“Is it true, you stupid woman? Did you touch my son?” Okon’s father asked in an aggressive tone.

“Papa Okon, I’m so sorry. I slapped him out of anger. He took my money, and I was only trying to caution  him,” Nse said in a trembling voice.

“How many times have I warned you not to touch him? Last week, you pinched his cheek, and today you slapped him. If I allow you, you might kill him tomorrow,” Okon’s father said while pulling out the belt from his trousers.

“Papa Okon, please, it has not gotten to this. I’m sorry; it will never happen again. Okon, please beg your father for me,” Nse said in a teary voice, but Okon did not answer. In fact, Okon was very pleased with what his father was about to do.

“If I don’t discipline you and you kill this boy for me, people will say that I let you get out of control,” Okon’s father said, then he began to hit Nse with his belt in Okon’s presence.

“Now, go and apologize to him,” Okon’s father said after lashing Nse for almost 10 minutes.

“Okon, I’m sorry…I,” Nse stuttered.

“Open your mouth and talk; the boy cannot hear you,” Okon’s father yelled, ” Or do you want me to hit you again?” He added.

“I’m sorry, Okon. I will not touch you again,” Nse said. Immediately after she said that, Okon sighed loudly and walked out of his mother.

After that incident, Nse never touched Okon again, no matter how angry she was, because she knew Okon’s father would beat her mercilessly if she did.

“It is your fault, my friend,” Ima, one of Nse’s friends, told Nse. After that incident happened, Nse went to visit her friend Ima, and when Ima saw the bruises and belt Marks on her body, she asked if her husband had hit her again.

“How is it my fault?” Nse asked.

“Didn’t I warn you against marrying Akan? I told you that Akan had serious anger issues, but you wouldn’t listen. If he could beat his own mother as a teenage boy, then who are you?” Ima said 

“Ima, you don’t understand. Akan only beats me to correct me. If you look at it from my perspective, he is only doing it out of love. If he doesn’t love me, he won’t discipline me,” Nse said.

“Beats you out of love? Nse, can you hear yourself? You sound stupid, and sometimes, I wonder how we even became friends,” Ima said, ” If Akan loves you like you claim, then he would never lay his hands on you,” Ima said.

“My friend, you will not understand. I know what I am saying,” Nse defended.

“Okay, what did you do this time that Akan had to correct you like this?” Ima asked.

“It’s Okon o. That boy took some money from my bag, the money I was supposed to use to order some goods, and when I asked him about it, he insulted me. So, I slapped him out of anger, and his father had to beat me,” Nse said.

I don’t understand you. Please explain better,” Ima said.

“Akan beat me because I slapped Okon,” Nse said.

“Are you serious?” Ima asked in shock,” You mean he did this to you because you slapped your little boy?” Ima added.

“Yes, but I have learned my lesson. I will not touch Okon again, so Akan doesn’t get angry,” Nse said.

“Ehn eh! Wonders shall never end. So you cannot even discipline your child in your own house. If any of my children insulted me, God knows their father would be holding me back,” Ima said.

“Hmmm! You know how much Akan loves his son. That’s why he is pampering him like an egg,” Nse said.

“Nse, if I’m being honest with you, the truth is that I don’t feel any pity for you. When Okon was still a small boy, he would tell you things like, ‘Shut up, get out of here’ and other things he shouldn’t say to his mother. Didn’t I warn you? Of course, I did, but you wouldn’t listen. You told me he was still a small boy and didn’t know what he was saying. Now look at the result,” Ima said.

“Hmmmm! My sister. I didn’t even tell you. The last time I took Okon to the market to shop for some clothes, you should have seen how he disgraced and insulted me. At first, the shop owner thought I was Okon’s maid, but even at that, she was angry that Okon was so disrespectful. You should have seen the shock on her face when I told her I was Okon’s mother,” Nse said.

“Nse, you still have the time to correct this boy. He is only 10 years old. You better do something; if not, he will grow worse and likely end up like his father,” Ima said.

“I have heard you,” Nse said.

Even though Nse claimed that she would do something, she knew deep down that there was nothing she could do. Okon was always with his father, and if at all she tried to punish him for being rude or refusing to do any of his chores, Nse knew her husband would beat her again.

Out of fear, Nse watched as Okon grew up and became a very disrespectful child. It got so bad that when Okon was a teenager, she couldn’t even raise his voice at him because she feared that Okon would hit her or join forces with his father to hit her.

When Okon was 17 years old, something like that happened once. Earlier that day, Okon went out to hang out with some of his friends and he returned home very late in the evening. Upon returning, Okon realized that there was no food in the house. His older sister had eaten his food, but Nse had no idea.

In anger, Okon went to his mother’s room and began to yell at her.

“Woman, where is my food?” Okon yelled at Nse who had been sleeping.

“Your food is on the dining table, didn’t you see it?” Nse asked in a confused tone, but Okon took it as a mockery, and he jumped on his mother and gave her the beatings of her life. When Akan, Okon’s father, who happened to return home at that time asked what had happened, Okon told him that Nse was trying to starve him and in anger, Akan joined his son to beat Nse.

That day, they beat Nse until she nearly passed out. If not for Okon’s older sister’s intervention, Nse would have passed out. 

After that day, Nse lived in fear, and she did everything to ensure that Okon and his father were always happy, even if it meant pounding yam and making soup by 1 am for them.

As for Okon, as he grew older, he learned a lot of terrible habits from his father, and he got worse every  passing day. A few weeks before Okon travelled to the city to study at the university, his father called him one evening to advise him on how to treat women.

“My son, listen, a woman has no place in this community. Men are the head and will always be the head. If you get married tomorrow and that woman cannot bear you a son, then she is useless. Have you heard me?” Okon’s father asked.

“Yes, I have,” Okon answered.

“As a man, your power is in your fist. No matter what happens, do not let any woman disrespect you. It doesn’t matter whether she is your mother, sister or your wife. If any woman disrespects you, teach her a lesson. You have seen how I discipline your mother whenever she messes up; that is what real men do. By disciplining any woman around you, you are showing her that you’re in control. Wherever you go, do not let any woman step on you. Is that clear?” Okon’s father asked.

“Yes Papa. It is,” Okon said.

“You can see how humble and submissive your mother is. Even if you call her by 2 am to make food for you, she will not complain or argue. That is how women are supposed to be. Also, if you have a son in the future, your wife must accord the same respect she gives to you to your son. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise,” Okon’s father said.

“I know that you’re going to the university, and after you graduate, the next thing will be for you to get married. So I am telling you all these things now in case I am not here anymore,” Okon’s father said.

“Don’t worry, Papa. Nothing will happen to you. Thank you for the advice. But I have one question,” Okon said.

“What is it?” Okon’s father asked.

“What if I meet a more successful woman than me…?” 

Before Okon could complete his sentence, his father had already given him a response.

“Okon, never try to marry a woman who is more successful than you, or else you will regret it. As a matter of fact, don’t ever let your wife get to the point where she is more successful than you. Have you heard that?” Okon’s father said, ” Any woman you marry must be under you and, if possible, dependant on you. She can help you grow your business or whatever you’ll do, but she must always be under you,” he added.

“Okay, Papa. I have heard. I was just asking because I’ve seen women in this village who are more successful than their husbands,” Okon said.

“Don’t mind those men. They are weaklings,” Okon’s father said.

Two weeks after that conversation with his father, Okon left for the city to study at the university. Even with his terrible anger issues, Okon was very intelligent, and he aced his academics.

While in the university, Okon only hung out with other boys who had the same ideology about women, and sometimes, they would tease the ladies in their department and say demeaning things about them.

In his first year at university, Okon did not have anything to do with any girl, but in his second year, that changed. There was a beautiful girl named Ebere in Okon’s department. Somehow, Okon had fallen deeply in love with her without knowing.

It was even his friends who noticed that he always acted differently whenever he was around her, but Okon denied it at first and claimed that he could never love a girl like Ebere. Two months later, Okon found himself getting closer to Ebere, and within a few weeks, they became friends.

But there was a problem: Ebere did not like how Okon viewed women and how he talked about them. Sometimes, Okon would brag about how he would beat up his mother when she misbehaved, and Ebere was not okay with that. She even found it very disturbing that Okon could beat up his own mother. 

Aside from the way Okon viewed women, Ebere noticed that Okon had a very dominating personality. He always wanted things to go his way and never did what Ebere liked or wanted.

About two months after Okon and Ebere became close friends, Okon asked her to be his girlfriend, but Ebere turned him down.

“Ebere, what’s wrong? I thought you liked me. Why did you say no?” Okon asked in a heartbroken tone.

“I really like you, Okon, but I can’t be with someone like you,” Ebere answered.

“I don’t understand. What do you mean?” Okon asked.

“Okon, you have very serious anger issues, and I don’t think I can cope with that. Also, you keep telling me that you will discipline me if I mess up. How do you expect me to hear all that and still agree to date you?” Ebere asked.

“Is that why you’re saying no to me?” Okon asked.

“Yes, Okon. I’m sorry but we cannot be in a relationship,” Ebere said.

“Ebere, I really like you, and I don’t want you to leave me. What if I change? Will you consider me?” Okon asked.

“Yes, but only if you change,” Ebere said.

“Okay, Ebere, I promise to change. All I’m asking is an opportunity to prove that to you,” Okon said, ” Please, be my girlfriend,” he added.

“Okay, I will be your girlfriend,” Ebere said excitedly.

Since Okon and Ebere were in the same department and studying the same course, they became very close, and soon, everyone else knew that they were dating. 

In the first few weeks of their relationship, Okon tried his best to remain calm, and he did many things to please Ebere,  but as time passed, his true colours began to show. If Ebere did something that annoyed him, he would yell at her and even hit her. 

The first time it happened, Okon asked Ebere to come over to his house and spend the night with him, and Ebere promised to do that. Unfortunately, she couldn’t go to his house that evening because she was caught up in choir practice. To make up to Okon, Ebere went to his house very early the following morning, but Okon was already furious.

“Where did you sleep last night?” Okon yelled at Ebere as soon as he saw her.

“My love, I’m so sorry I couldn’t come; I had to sleep at my friend’s place, whose house is close to the church,” Ebere explained.

“You stupid liar, you think I don’t know that you’re a prostitute and that you went to see your client last night?” Okon yelled.

“Jeez! Okon, why would you say something like that? You know very well that I was at church, so where is all of this coming from?” Ebere said in a disappointed tone.

“Is it me you’re talking to like that?” Okon asked and the next thing, he slapped Ebere.

“Okon, did you just slap me?” Ebere asked in shock.

“One more word from you, and I will teach you a lesson today,” Okon yelled aggressively. From the way Okon was breathing heavily, it was apparent that he was so angry.

“Okon, you slapped me?” Ebere asked again, but this time, Okon did not respond. He pushed Ebere down and beat her up mercilessly, and then he walked out of the room.

He left Ebere in a terrible state, and she lay there and cried for almost an hour before she left.

After that day, a week passed, and Ebere did not talk to Okon. Whenever Okon tried to speak to her in school, she would ignore him and walk away. She also refused to take his calls or respond to his messages.

One evening, after several unsuccessful attempts to talk to Ebere, Okon went to her hostel and refused to leave until Ebere came out. The worst part was that it rained heavily that day, and Okon stood in the rain for nearly two hours, shivering.

When some of Ebere’s roommates saw how desperate Okon wanted to make things up with Ebere, they pleaded with her to go out and talk to him. Later that day, when the rain stopped, Ebere went to speak to Okon, and he used the opportunity to apologize to her.

“My love, I’m so sorry for the way I reacted. One of my friends mistook you for someone else, and that was why I reacted that way,” Okon lied. 

“It’s fine, I forgive you. But promise me this will never happen again. If it happens again, I will break up with you,” Ebere said.

“I swear, it will not happen again,” Okon said.

When Okon swore that he would never abuse Ebere again, Ebere actually believed him. But a few weeks later, the same thing happened again, and Okon begged Ebere for forgiveness, and she still forgave him.

As time passed, the two love birds graduated from the university at the top of their class. Since Ebere and Okon were reading partners, they always studied for their exams together, and as a result, they both graduated with first-class degrees. One year after their graduation, they both left for service and to ensure they would be posted to the same state, Ebere and Okon paid someone to help them do that. Luckily for them, it worked.

During their service year, Ebere and Okon’s relationship nearly hit rock bottom because of Okon. Each time he saw any of their fellow male corpers laughing or talking to Ebere, he would get furious and as a result, he would beat up Ebere.

In fact, things got so bad that Ebere began to walk around in fear. She would even avoid her male colleagues so Okon wouldn’t see them talking and get mad.

As usual, each time Okon beat Ebere, he would apologize for his actions and even buy her some gifts. Sadly, every time he did this, it would work. While they were serving, there was one-time Ebere’s phone rang around 11pm, and when Okon picked up the call, he heard a man’s voice. Immediately Okon heard the man’s voice, he began to yell at Ebere and beat her up. He claimed that Ebere was cheating on him, which was why the man called her around 11pm.

“Babe, I swear, I don’t know who that person is,” Ebere said, “Please, don’t do this,” she begged, but Okon had already begun to hit her with his belt. That night, Ebere received the worst beating ever, and by the time Okon was done, her entire body was covered in bruises.

After that happened, some of Ebere’s colleagues persuaded Ebere to break up with Okon, but she refused.

“Okon will change. I’m so sure of that. He has promised me that he will change, and I don’t want to give up on him now,” Ebere said. 

Every time her colleagues tried to talk to her, she would say the same thing, so after several attempts to persuade her, her colleagues stopped talking to her.

After one year passed, Ebere and Okon completed their NYSC and they returned back to their state. Before they returned, Okon had started applying for jobs and had attended multiple interviews during the last two months of his service.

Luckily for him, three months after he returned to their state, he got a good-paying Job. The job paid him six figures, and he used the money to take care of himself and Ebere. On the other hand, Ebere could not get a job easily, and as a result, she depended on Okon.

If she needed anything, all she had to do was ask Okon for some money, and he would give it to her. Even though Okon never admitted it, he enjoyed how Ebere was totally dependent on him. That way, he could control her and manipulate her.

To ensure that Ebere didn’t get a job, Okon would say something like.

“My love, I don’t even know why you are still applying for a job. I am taking good care of you, and I’m not complaining.” 

Sometimes he would even go as far as convincing Ebere that she didn’t need a job and should stop applying, and enjoy his money.

One year after Okon got a job, he asked Ebere to marry him. Knowing that Ebere was likely to say no to his proposal, a few weeks before he proposed to her, Okon ensured that he didn’t lay his hands on Ebere, no matter how angry he was. He also showered her with expensive clothes, bags, shoes, and jewellery almost every day. Also, If Ebere asked him for a certain amount, he would give her more than she asked just to make her happy.

Luckily for him, his plan worked; Ebere said yes, and shortly after that, Okon took Ebere to Eket to meet his parents.

Before Okon and Ebere travelled to Eket, Ebere had been looking forward to meeting Okon’s parents, especially his mother, but upon getting there, she was disappointed at what she saw. 

“Woman, what is keeping you for so long?” Okon yelled at his mother when she took so long to serve him food.

“If you keep our guest waiting any longer, I will come in and teach you a lesson,” Okon’s father said.

When Ebere saw how Okon and his father talked to Nse, Okon’s mother, she was shocked. Later that evening, Ebere tried to start a conversation with Okon’s mother, but a few minutes into the conversation, she noticed a pattern. Okon’s mother was very scared of Okon’s father, just as she was scared of Okon, but that wasn’t all.

Ebere learned that Okon’s father refused to let Nse, Okon’s mother, work or even start her own business. Aside from helping grow the fabric store that belonged to Okon’s father, Nse did nothing else.

When Ebere spoke with Mfon, Okon’s older sister, she learned even more shocking things about Okon. Before Ebere and Okon travelled to Eket to see Okon’s parents, she had gotten comfortable depending on Okon because she believed he loved her and didn’t want her to stress herself with working. But after she talked to Okon’s sister, she knew she could not take any chances with Okon.

That same month, Ebere began applying for jobs again, but this time she didn’t tell Okon about it. If she was attending an interview, she would tell Okon that she was going to visit her family. Ebere continued like this for weeks until she finally got her dream job.

Two weeks after their wedding, Ebere got an email to resume work, and out of excitement, she told Okon about it.

“What work are you talking about?” Okon asked in a confused tone.

“This was meant to be a surprise. I didn’t tell you while applying because I feared I wouldn’t get it,” Ebere lied.

“But Ebere, I told you you don’t need a job. I can take care of us. Soon, we will start having children, and you will need to take care of them,” Okon said in a persuasive voice.

“Okon, this is what I want, and the money I’ll make will support this house,” Ebere explained.

Ebere knew that Okon was not happy about the good news, but she had to play along.

“How much are they even paying you?” Okon asked casually.

“Since I’m just starting, the pay is 150k a month, but they might increase it as I become more experienced,” Ebere said.

“That’s not bad. But you know that I can give you more than 150k every month,” Okon said.

“I know, my love. But I also want to experience what it feels like to make my own money,” Ebere said.

“Ok, if you say so. Then there is no problem,” Okon said.

The following day, Ebere resumed work at her office. Every day, she would wake up very early to make food for Okon before leaving for work, and then she would return home around 6.30 in the evening.

The first few days after Ebere started working, Okon tried to keep his cool and pretended to be very supportive, but two weeks later, he began to complain. He claimed that Ebere was no longer taking care of the house like she was supposed to and that she had become less concerned about his needs. 

If Ebere tried to defend herself, Okon would beat her up and wouldn’t even apologize for his actions like he used to. In the twinkle of an eye, he became very aggressive and would hit Ebere at the slightest provocation.

For a year, Ebere endured Okon and his physical abuse. When her colleagues at work began to notice the constant bruises on her body, she covered that up by wearing longer clothes and refused to talk about the abuse.

Ebere believed that she would continue to bear with Okon until he changed, but then, something terrible happened that ruined her life.

One Tuesday evening, Ebere returned from work as usual and went straight to the kitchen to make dinner. While she was in the kitchen, Okon returned from work.

“Is my food not ready?” Okon yelled.

“Babe, please hold on. The soup is ready; it’s just left for me to make Eba. The water is on fire and will soon boil, Ebere explained.

“So you had to wait for me to return before you made Eba?” Okon growled.

“Babe, why are you like this, na? You know I just returned from work. From the office, I went straight to the market to buy the ingredients for the soup. You can see I didn’t even take off my work clothes and I’m very tired. Please just wait,” Ebere said.

“Is it me you’re talking to like that?” Okon said aggressively as he got up from his chair. The next thing, he began to hit Ebere.

“Babe, please stop,” Ebere growled in pain as Okon hit her, but Okon wouldn’t stop. He even pushed Ebere to the floor and kicked her several times in the stomach and chest until she began to bleed from her mouth.

After minutes of hitting and kicking Ebere, Okon stopped, but he didn’t notice that Ebere was no longer moving.

“Now, get up and make Eba for me, or else I will empty this pot of hot water on your face,” Okon yelled, then he walked back to the living room without even looking at Ebere.

A few minutes after Okon settled in the living room, he yelled for Ebere to come and serve him his food, but he didn’t get any response.

“Ebere, If I come back to that kitchen, eh, you will not like what I will do to you. What you just got is the tip of the iceberg,” Okon yelled, expecting that Ebere would rush to the dining table with a tray of food, but she didn’t.

“This woman, you are really testing my patience. Do you think I’m joking with you?” Okon yelled again, but this time, he angrily stormed to the kitchen.

“Ebere, why are you still on the floor?” Okon asked when he saw that Ebere was still in the same spot he left her. Then he walked closer to her, and he realized that she was not breathing.

“If this is a joke, you better stop it,” Okon said in a shaky voice as he shook Ebere’s body.

“Ebere! Please get up. I promise I will not hit you again,” Okon said. By this time, he began to fear that Ebere had died, “Babe, please get up,” he added, but he didn’t get a response.

“Help me! Help me!” Okon said as he ran to one of his neighbour’s house for help. Before Okon went there, his neighbour had overheard the argument between him and Ebere, and he also heard Okon hitting her.

“My wife… She is not moving, “Okon stuttered, ” Please help me,” he added.

With his neighbour’s help, Okon rushed Ebere to a nearby hospital, but unfortunately, Ebere was declared dead on arrival. Okon had beaten her to death.

That same day, Okon’s neighbour called the Police and reported everything to them. When the Police arrived at the hospital and confirmed everything, they arrested Okon immediately.

Later that week, Ebere’s parents buried their daughter, and they followed up the case with the Police. After weeks of going back and forth, Okon was charged to court, and he was found guilty of first-degree murder. As punishment, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

While in Police custody, Okon did not understand the consequences of what he had done until he was sentenced to Prison, where he spent the rest of his life and eventually passed away there.

As for Okon’s father, after Okon was sentenced to Prison for beating his wife to death, Nse, his wife, left him after almost 30 years of marriage, and he lived alone in his old age.

The end

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