Landlord said we cursed his house by fornicating

Dear Pastor,

Thank you so much for the good work you are doing. You have been helping many people, so I hope that you can help me. I am a university graduate. My boyfriend is still pursuing his tertiary education. We are living together, but the landlord did not know that we were not married. When I came here to live I came alone, but I told the landlord that my husband was away and will be back very soon.

Two weeks after moving in I introduced my boyfriend to the landlord, but I introduced him as my husband. Everything was going well until a friend of my boyfriend stopped by and asked for him, and the landlord told him that his wife was inside. The friend responded by saying, ‘Wife?’ He told the landlord that he did not know that his friend was married. The landlord came in and called me, and I realised that it was one of his schoolmates. The guy was on top of his voice saying how come we were married and he was not invited to the wedding. I tried to quiet him down, but he was still very loud, and the landlord heard everything. After he left, the landlord asked me why we had to lie. I feel that I have let down myself and my boyfriend, but I had to insist that we were married.

The landlord told me that all the tenants that he has ever had were married people, and he didn’t want any couple to bring curse on his house by living in fornication. I feel so ashamed to know that I lied to get this place where we are living. My boyfriend says we can get married very soon, but he doesn’t have any money to buy a ring. I would like to have a ring on my finger. Why should we hurry up and get married just to please my landlord? That is the question I would like to ask you.

Initial Withheld

Dear Writer,

You and your boyfriend lived as a couple and the only thing you have not done is to make the relationship legal. You said the landlord would not have rented you this place, so you lied about being married. The landlord’s reaction wasn’t good. I don’t know what he meant by the place being cursed if a couple is not married and is living there. To me, that is foolishness.

On the other hand, if he said he would have preferred a married couple living there, I could understand that, but you are not bringing a curse on his house. He is taking that too far. Your boyfriend is willing to marry you but he can’t afford a ring. You want a ring on your finger to show off. I would suggest you marry this man and let him buy the ring when he can afford it.

Pastor