There was a heated argument in my office today and some of my co-workers think am stone hearted. Please help me judge this case and see if you agree with them. It’s a story of fifteen years but I will try to summarize it.

Ogheneveta was born in the United States and the last of four children. She has three brothers. Her father had always wanted a baby girl and had almost given up hope after the third boy. Her birth was a bundle of joy for her parents and she was the apple of her father’s eyes. Her parents bought a plot of land for each child but Veta got two plots being the only girl. Her parents wanted her to have a taste of Nigeria so after her master’s degree in civil engineering from Reutgers University, New Jersey, she went to Nigeria for NYSC. She served in Ebonyi state where she met Patrick. They got married two years after and she made arrangements for Patrick to come over to the US. Patrick read philosophy from LASU, so getting a job in the US was not easy. He didn’t want to go back to school and didn’t want to do odd jobs either. They decided Veta who had a good job at Turner construction in Washington, DC would buy cars and Patrick would ship them to Nigeria, along with other things in the container to make money. Before long, business was really booming, but the only dark cloud in their lives was the absence of any child. Though they went to the best hospitals in the US, the reports were the same, ‘nothing was wrong with either of them’. Years went by and Veta thought they should adopt children but Patrick would have none of it. He said God is the one that makes babies. With prayers and fasting, nothing happened.

After five years of marriage, Veta was really worried and Patrick told her to exercise her faith by building a house on one of her lands and use the name she would want to name her son on the house. She thought it was a weird idea but she went ahead with it to show her faith. They built a twin duplex at Opebi, Ikeja and rented out the front duplex, leaving the back duplex for themselves, since Patrick went to Nigeria frequently to clear the containers and sell the cars and they both came home every December for Christmas. Two years later, still no children and Veta was desperate than ever. She decided to go for in-vitro fertilization. Patrick didn’t want any test-tube baby, said he didn’t marry her for kids and if God won’t give them any kids then so be it. Another leap of faith was to build the second house and name it after the daughter she would want to have. The plot at Ogudu was developed with four flats of three-bedroom each and it was rented out. Another seven years went by and Veta would not take it anymore. Patrick brought up the idea of the in-vitro and they both went for it. She got pregnant at the first insertion but because she was already forty years old, she was at high risk. She was able to work from home throughout her pregnancy and gave birth to twins named Patience and Patrick Jr. Patrick could not hide his joy and his mother was invited to help take care of the kids. Three months after the birth of the twins, Patrick had to come to Nigeria to clear the three containers that were at the port.

Veta was expecting his call to say he was in Nigeria but the call she got was from Patrick’s brother that Patrick was involved in an accident and was in critical condition in the hospital. Veta took the next available flight to Nigeria to be by his side. She left the twins with her mother-in-law and her parents. She got to the hospital only to be told that Patrick passed away one hour before her arrival. That was the biggest blow she would ever receive in her life, Patrick was the most loving and caring man she had ever known and now that they have the twins after fifteen years of marriage was as life’s way of been grossly unfair.
Veta stayed back for the funeral ceremony and Patrick’s mother could not make it for the funeral as Veta and Patrick had filed for her green card and her interview at the immigration office was the same day as her son’s funeral, but she came down the day after. Patrick’s family called for a family meeting shortly after the funeral to discuss. It was at the meeting that Veta found out that Patrick had another woman in Nigeria and she had two kids for him. The boy was a replica of Patrick, so the paternity cannot be disputed. The most shocking aspect of the revelation was that the kids were actually named after the names Veta had picked out years earlier for the kids she had hoped would have in the future. The boy was ten years old and the girl was seven years old. It became glaring that Patrick had been leaving a double life and the other woman had been living in one of their flats at Ogudu which Patrick claimed was a tenant.

The next blow came when Patrick’s family said the houses belonged to the other woman’s children since the documents were in their names. Arguments started and tempers flared but they succeeded in sending Veta out of the house. Patrick’s mother too supported the family members that the houses should go to the other woman and her children. Veta called her parents in the US and they told her to leave everything and return to the US. She had since returned to the US, she is still battling with depression and high blood pressure. Nothing seems to be real anymore. Her mother has practically moved in with her to help take care of the twins as she has been a complete wreck since she came back from Nigeria.

The immigration informed her last week of their need for more supporting documents from her for the petition for Patrick’s mother green card. Her brother told her not to send any more documents to the immigration on Patrick’s mother’s behalf. Her father was just going through his safe yesterday and came upon the C of O (certificate of occupancy) for the lands he bought in Nigeria. He realized Veta’s C of O of her lands are still with him. The blueprint and papers from the urban and regional planning office are in Patrick’s children’s name but the C of O and receipt of purchase are in Veta’s maiden name and in her father’s possession.

Am of the opinion that she should sell the land to whoever she wants as battling Patrick’s family in court can lead to them using charms on her besides her parents don’t want her to have anything to do with Patrick’s people again. I also support her brother that Veta should not send any documents on behalf of Patrick’s mother. Let the petition be denied and have her sit her butt in Nigeria. Some of my co-workers think am harsh in my judgment, please what would you do if you were in her shoes?

SInce Patricks mum has shown that she is scum after a woman that helped upgrade her son and family, she should be treated like scum and denied that option
Sorry she will go to America another way

On the land, she should fight for her right and get back her land and home
Payments made to contractors and land documents C of O will help show possession and ownership


Patrick is a big scum denying the opportunity of his wife to have been a mother early in life by claiming fake faith
Housing his 2nd wife in the house his first wife built!!
Imagine!

He should have built a seperate home for them

However if she wants to have mercy, once she reclaims the house from them, she can give them one flat
That guy is demonic; treating his wife and using her like that


This is about injustice of man to man so perspective is important

this is an old fairy tale story.....but my views was that if Veta was stoopid enough to A) put a house on the name of children that were not born "yet" and B) when she has children of her own NOT naming her children as the name she put on the deed, then all the blame is on stoopid Veta!

The scamming bastaardt Patrick! .

Veta should obviously stop all documentation for the green card. On the part of the land, it might be difficult to sell as the intending buyer would make all necessary searches. A buyer finding out the disparities in land and building ownership will run most definitely.

The way out is the court since there are evidences of land ownership by Veta as well as evidences that there are two sets of children from different mothers.

After court ruling which obviously Veta should win, she can then sell(a must sell) the property.(She could decide to give the other children some dough, that is if she is willing)

These people can try to harm her so she should just let them be but she should not let that nonsense mother in law come to the US. If a family that knows that it is Veta that was working and was the bread winner yet they did that to her then they are HEARTLESS.
Am sure they will squander the property and money in just a few years after all they didn't work for it.

Thank God Veta eventually became a mother, atleast God heard her prayers. She should be strong and stay alive for her children.

Moral of the story,don't ever be carried away by lovey dovey.The heart of man is desperately wicked.

byvan: Moral of the story,don't ever be carried away by lovey dovey.The heart of man is desperately wicked.

When bible said it, I thought it was mis-using words. I am of age now and know that it even underestimated.

My dear,the wickedness some store in that heart will astonish the devil himself.

Some Men sha!

The story looks real but here's the part i don't understand . . .

Why will she spend millions building houses in the names of her future children, and then go ahead to have those children and NOT name them by those names

Was she drunk

Ujujoan: The story looks real but here's the part i don't understand . . .

Why will she spend millions building houses in the names of her future children, and then go ahead to have those children and NOT name them by those names

Was she drunk

True but i think that the story is modelled on some non-fiction or an amalgam of experiences the OP has heard of