Dear MIMsters: How Do I Prove To My Landlady That I’m Not Dating Her Husband?

I’m a 25 year old lady. I was posted to a town to do my national service in 2014, far from home, so I had to look for accommodation. I was directed to a man who owns a hostel but when I got there, the rooms were all occupied but through our conversations, we got to know we are from the same tribe so he offered to help me get the accommodation.

Immediately, he called a lady to pick me up and show me the room. The lady drove me to her house – it was a four bedroom self-contained. She stayed alone, single and was in her late 30s. She rented one of the rooms to me for a year and I moved in October 2014.

She was so nice to me to the extent of giving a key to her room to me to keep and I respected her very much and helped her out with house chores. I always cleaned the compound and kept it neat.

I finished my national service in August 2015 and the rent ended October 2015 but I got a job after service in the town so I paid for extra one year to stay. By the grace of God, she got married in October 2015 and I was so happy for her but she and the husband stay in different town. He pays visit most of the weekends. To cut the story short, my landlady is heavily pregnant now and we are the only two who stay in the house.

The husband came visiting one of the weekends in June this year – I was on my way to the office when we both met at the gate. He was also going to town so he offered to drop me off since we were going to the same area. On our way, he asked questions about me wanted to know me better so I answered him out of respect. He requested for my phone number and I asked why and he said since I stay with his wife, and she’s pregnant, he wants me to be her security and be checking on her for him so I gave the number to him.

Initially, I was scared because I didn’t want trouble from his wife but the husband really exhibited to me he is very responsible and trustworthy. The husband calls every week to find out how his wife is doing. He normally addresses her like how’s your sister doing.

I am a banker and close from work late and do go to work very early so sometimes, I don’t even set my eyes on the wife for 3 to 5 days but I do knock on her door and check on her if I haven’t seen her for days. I went for one week training in another city recently and the man called me but I was busy and couldn’t pick the call. I forgot to return the call when I was free. After the training, I came back and was going through my contacts one evening and remembered the man called a week ago so I decided to return the call. I checked his Whatsapp, he was online not long before then, so I called him around 9pm but he didn’t pick. I then sent him a Whatsapp text, saying I was only checking up on him and I slept off.

I woke up and saw four missed calls from him but couldn’t return it because I was going to work that morning. I was at work having breakfast with my colleagues when I received a call from the man again. When I picked, it was my landlady. She asked how I was doing and if I’m at home. I responded I was at work and she asked where I got her husband’s phone number from. I told her I was having breakfast with my colleagues so I will call her back. I quickly washed my hand and called her phone number but it wasn’t going through, so I called her e husband’s number. He picked and I told him I wanted to speak with the wife. He gave the phone to the wife and she asked what’s the relationship between her husband and I. I was so surprised and told her, deep down in my heart, I’m telling her the truth, that there’s absolutely nothing going on between us and I wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.  I told her how I got her husband’s phone number and why he took my phone number. She was OK with my explanation and said she only wanted to know where I got the number from.

The very day the incident happened, I saw her in the morning but she never said she was traveling so I didn’t know she went to visit the husband. She came back that morning she called me and for two weeks she was indoor and I never set eyes on her. I finally saw her one morning while she was making a call and greeted her twice but she didn’t respond and I thought it was because she was on phone.

She has travelled for about three weeks now but never informed me she was traveling. I only noticed her car wasn’t at the car park. I called her severally but she didn’t pick. I used a different number to call her and she picked but ended the call the moment she heard my voice. I sent her Whatsapp messages that I’m only checking on her, she saw it but didn’t mind me. I’m so disturbed. I’m a very honest person and I mean no harm. Besides, I haven’t done anything wrong. Please I really need your advice. My rent expires next month. Should I move out? But won’t that make them think I feel guilty?