About five years ago I met this girl, let’s call her Rose, who blew my heart away. At the time I thought she was everything I wanted, and we fell in love. Three months later we were living together.

Although she was from a rich family I was able to meet her expensive demands because I had a good job. To please her I moved from a moderate house in South B to an expensive apartment in Westlands. Thanks to her I ditched all my friends and my dingy drinking joints for more classy destinations. We never shopped anywhere except in Nakumatt.

Rose was basically the high maintenance kind that looked for class in everything but then she was a sight to behold. Walking with her made me very proud.

After a year of dating she bluntly asked me when I planned to marry her. I told her to wait for a while because I was not yet ready to get married.

A marriage trap

She didn’t throw a tantrum but three weeks later she proudly announced that she was pregnant. For someone who religiously insisted on birth controls I was surprised.

I suspected that she had got pregnant to trap me into marrying her.

We lived in peace for a while but five months into the pregnancy I lost my job. I did not panic because I had saved up some money that could last sometime. But Rose refused to cut down on her spending and two months later I was in the red.

She completely refused to spend her money although her bank account was fat. Instead she took off to her parents claiming she could not stare poverty in the face. I struggled and managed to earn some little cash, which I sent her. I wanted to be a responsible father.

Comeback girl

After sometime I landed a good job and the moment she heard of it she tried to come back but I refused. I was ready, however, to take care of the baby.

When he was born I did everything a responsible father is supposed to. I spent time with him, and consistently paid for his upkeep. When he was old enough to start school, the mother took him to an expensive school but I didn’t mind. I wanted him to have the best.

My friends advised me to stop wasting my money on the woman but I ignored them for the sake of my son.

About two months ago, my ex-girlfriend and son appeared in a magazine, but I did not pay much attention until some friends made me read it.

In the magazine article she claimed she was a single mother who took care of her child alone without the help of the child’s father. She said that the man had deserted her when he realised that she was pregnant. She told of how she is doing all that is within her power to make sure that her son got the best in life.

Though I love my son dearly, I’m deeply hurt by her lies.