For gooo/feature/jebose-boulevard/i-thought-i-would-live-with-majek-fashek-forever-ex-wife-rita/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>more than thirty years, Rita Fashek
and her famous reggae music legend, Majek Fashek, were soulmates until
drugs and alcohol addiction destroyed that dream. Rita said Majek got
hooked to drugs and alcohol which she said ruined their marriage and
fractured a once famous and successful family. “Jebose, I thought we
would live together forever; but as we grew into different rhythms of
life’s challenges, I discovered that forever was not enough time to
spend with him.”
and her famous reggae music legend, Majek Fashek, were soulmates until
drugs and alcohol addiction destroyed that dream. Rita said Majek got
hooked to drugs and alcohol which she said ruined their marriage and
fractured a once famous and successful family. “Jebose, I thought we
would live together forever; but as we grew into different rhythms of
life’s challenges, I discovered that forever was not enough time to
spend with him.”
The melodies of Majek’s daily dependence
on drugs and alcohol were dictating the steps of this once upon a
romantic dance that began in the ancient Benin Kingdom where they met as
secondary school interns.
on drugs and alcohol were dictating the steps of this once upon a
romantic dance that began in the ancient Benin Kingdom where they met as
secondary school interns.
“Majek and I met at a holiday job camp.
We were both hired as interns and something in both of us stirred as we
worked together as summer interns. Soon after we met, we fell in love in
great ancient Bini kingdom; that was before he became famous. We were
so much in love. I became pregnant shortly after marriage and we had
Randy. One year after Randy was born, we had another child. I never
thought I would divorce Majek. No one knows tomorrow. The future is
uncertain. Only God knows the future… I love him, but I am no longer in
love with him.”
We were both hired as interns and something in both of us stirred as we
worked together as summer interns. Soon after we met, we fell in love in
great ancient Bini kingdom; that was before he became famous. We were
so much in love. I became pregnant shortly after marriage and we had
Randy. One year after Randy was born, we had another child. I never
thought I would divorce Majek. No one knows tomorrow. The future is
uncertain. Only God knows the future… I love him, but I am no longer in
love with him.”
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This year, Rita turned her years of hurt and pain around as she left him.
“I have remarried and I am moving on with
my life. Jebose, when things don’t go right, what do you do? I am tired
of waiting for Majek. I have been living for years, alone, lonely and
with my children, waiting for him to come home. I waited all these
years; his brothers never cared. No member of his family reached out to
me. I am not getting any younger. I decided to move on. Majek abandoned
the children and me for so long, too long.”
my life. Jebose, when things don’t go right, what do you do? I am tired
of waiting for Majek. I have been living for years, alone, lonely and
with my children, waiting for him to come home. I waited all these
years; his brothers never cared. No member of his family reached out to
me. I am not getting any younger. I decided to move on. Majek abandoned
the children and me for so long, too long.”
You could feel the pains in her voice as
she spoke passionately about a man she still loves, despite everything: a
man she would sacrifice and do anything for to encourage him to seek
help with his severe addictions to drugs and alcohol. “I am no longer
Majek’s wife. I love him. But I am not in love with him. Majek is a
wonderful man. I am worried and concerned about his life these times. He
had been on this drug dependency for over 15 years. We have three
children; Randy is 30, Seun is 24 and our last boy is 12. My children
were denied affection of a father by his illness and addiction. I have
been the sole provider and single mother of our household in the past 15
years since he chose this lifestyle and walked away from us.
she spoke passionately about a man she still loves, despite everything: a
man she would sacrifice and do anything for to encourage him to seek
help with his severe addictions to drugs and alcohol. “I am no longer
Majek’s wife. I love him. But I am not in love with him. Majek is a
wonderful man. I am worried and concerned about his life these times. He
had been on this drug dependency for over 15 years. We have three
children; Randy is 30, Seun is 24 and our last boy is 12. My children
were denied affection of a father by his illness and addiction. I have
been the sole provider and single mother of our household in the past 15
years since he chose this lifestyle and walked away from us.
“I don’t know what went wrong with Majek.
I may never know. He is deep into substance abuse. I discovered his
dependency on drugs and alcohol after the birth of our second son, Seun.
He would leave the house and return stoned, ultra-happy and erratic.
The signs began to manifest that Majek was on drugs. I was scared and
didn’t want to believe it. But everyday then, he continued to plunge
into serious drugs and alcohol experimentation. They became normal
recreation for him. This behaviour wasn’t right. So one morning, I
checked him into one of the hospitals in New York. This was 12 years
ago. The hospital treated his addiction problems and he responded to
treatment, briefly.
I may never know. He is deep into substance abuse. I discovered his
dependency on drugs and alcohol after the birth of our second son, Seun.
He would leave the house and return stoned, ultra-happy and erratic.
The signs began to manifest that Majek was on drugs. I was scared and
didn’t want to believe it. But everyday then, he continued to plunge
into serious drugs and alcohol experimentation. They became normal
recreation for him. This behaviour wasn’t right. So one morning, I
checked him into one of the hospitals in New York. This was 12 years
ago. The hospital treated his addiction problems and he responded to
treatment, briefly.
“Days after he was released from the
treatment facility in New York, he was back on track on substance abuse.
He reconnected with his neighborhood friends and suppliers. Majekodunmi
would leave home for days and return to our apartment, soaked in dirt
and oozing of alcohol, behaving erratically, commanding and trying to
control us. He took his musical instruments and sold them for drugs or
pawned some so as to get money to feed his desire for alcohol. I tried
to shield the children from his life but sometimes it was difficult,
especially when he lived, partly and by his choice, with us in our New
York apartment. He went and came randomly, never cared about how we
survived. One day, he came home and said, “Rita, I am going back home in
Nigeria, take care of my children.” He walked away and never came back,
until I came to Nigeria two years ago to help him get treatment. Majek
doesn’t have any money. I worked very hard to support my children and
him. That was what his addiction did to him and to our family. He was
seen everywhere in New York drunk, sometimes sleeping on the floor of
subway stations as he waited for the train home. When he returned home, I
would cook, clean and feed him.
treatment facility in New York, he was back on track on substance abuse.
He reconnected with his neighborhood friends and suppliers. Majekodunmi
would leave home for days and return to our apartment, soaked in dirt
and oozing of alcohol, behaving erratically, commanding and trying to
control us. He took his musical instruments and sold them for drugs or
pawned some so as to get money to feed his desire for alcohol. I tried
to shield the children from his life but sometimes it was difficult,
especially when he lived, partly and by his choice, with us in our New
York apartment. He went and came randomly, never cared about how we
survived. One day, he came home and said, “Rita, I am going back home in
Nigeria, take care of my children.” He walked away and never came back,
until I came to Nigeria two years ago to help him get treatment. Majek
doesn’t have any money. I worked very hard to support my children and
him. That was what his addiction did to him and to our family. He was
seen everywhere in New York drunk, sometimes sleeping on the floor of
subway stations as he waited for the train home. When he returned home, I
would cook, clean and feed him.
“I had to take care of him. He was my
husband and also the father of my children. He was sick and his family
abandoned us. Before the illness, he was a wonderful man. Majek’s heart
is a pot of platinum. He is a very kind and loving person. He was a
great husband and lover. He cared very much for the children and I. We
felt his essence of fatherhood and husband whenever he was sober. Majek
did everything for me. He took care of me and treated me like a
superstar. These were the days when he was successful and a superstar in
Nigeria’s music scene. Whenever he went on music tour of Europe, Majek
would buy us boxes of clothes and everything else. Majek was the best
husband any woman could ever dream of. He was the best husband to me. He
was a charming lover. But his alcoholism and drugs addiction denied us
his love, care and humanity.
husband and also the father of my children. He was sick and his family
abandoned us. Before the illness, he was a wonderful man. Majek’s heart
is a pot of platinum. He is a very kind and loving person. He was a
great husband and lover. He cared very much for the children and I. We
felt his essence of fatherhood and husband whenever he was sober. Majek
did everything for me. He took care of me and treated me like a
superstar. These were the days when he was successful and a superstar in
Nigeria’s music scene. Whenever he went on music tour of Europe, Majek
would buy us boxes of clothes and everything else. Majek was the best
husband any woman could ever dream of. He was the best husband to me. He
was a charming lover. But his alcoholism and drugs addiction denied us
his love, care and humanity.
“I have been staying alone for years with
our children. He abandoned us. The children are grown now. I divorced
Majek three months ago. I had to move on with my life. I am not getting
any younger. I have remarried.
our children. He abandoned us. The children are grown now. I divorced
Majek three months ago. I had to move on with my life. I am not getting
any younger. I have remarried.
“My ex-husband is an alcoholic. I don’t
know how to help him. I did everything to make him get help. Only God
can help Majek. But we must not stop trying to make him seek the right
treatment.
know how to help him. I did everything to make him get help. Only God
can help Majek. But we must not stop trying to make him seek the right
treatment.
“I don’t regret marrying Majek. No hard
feelings. He was always there for us. I thought this journey with him
would last forever, but I am tired of being lonely, alone and abandoned.
I will do anything and everything to help him get well. Two years ago, I
came to Nigeria to get help for Majek. I encouraged him to go with me
to a treatment facility I found in Badagry, in the outskirts of Lagos.
He agreed and I got him admitted and I paid for his treatment. He was
responding to treatment. Few weeks into the treatment, this lady that
claimed to be his manager, came to the treatment centre, had sex with
him and convinced Majek to check out of the facility. He did. I cried
when he called and told me that he had checked out with his manager. I
spent so much money to get him treatment. She doesn’t care for Majek. My
ex-husband needs help. I plead with Nigerians to help us as we begin
another attempt to rescue him from the streets of Lagos and from his
addictions to substance abuse. It will require money to put him in a
professional treatment facility; hence we have set up an appeal fund to
help raise money for Majek’s treatment.”
feelings. He was always there for us. I thought this journey with him
would last forever, but I am tired of being lonely, alone and abandoned.
I will do anything and everything to help him get well. Two years ago, I
came to Nigeria to get help for Majek. I encouraged him to go with me
to a treatment facility I found in Badagry, in the outskirts of Lagos.
He agreed and I got him admitted and I paid for his treatment. He was
responding to treatment. Few weeks into the treatment, this lady that
claimed to be his manager, came to the treatment centre, had sex with
him and convinced Majek to check out of the facility. He did. I cried
when he called and told me that he had checked out with his manager. I
spent so much money to get him treatment. She doesn’t care for Majek. My
ex-husband needs help. I plead with Nigerians to help us as we begin
another attempt to rescue him from the streets of Lagos and from his
addictions to substance abuse. It will require money to put him in a
professional treatment facility; hence we have set up an appeal fund to
help raise money for Majek’s treatment.”