An unexpected beneficial tragedy


    Standing close to the window,I pulled the curtain rails to the right….I was looking through the window from my office located on the third floor of the central hospital.It’s just 10am in the morning,I could see the sky turning cloudy and darker, I needed no one to tell me it’s going to rain soon.

       There I stood stairing,the rain dropped heavily,while it rained…..memories flooded back..rushing through my mind.
‘’Mama, Mama’’…. I said in a weeping voice.Please talk to Baba for me, I don’t want to get married to that dirty old man.I…………… …… sobbing profusely, I didn’t know what else to say .I have cried and pleaded with my parents ever since they told me Alhaji Sanni is coming to take me away.

Drawing me close to her chest,Mama said…’’Aisha!!!..wipe your tears,it’s a good thing you are getting married.That’s our tradition,the culture cannot change because of your fantasies,dreams and desires.It just can’t change child……it comes to a stage in life when we all have to make sacrifices, and Aisha,that stage is now,just let go of all those your dreams,forget about the scholarship you were offered,and that your obsession about becoming a medical doctor……our culture has always put a woman’s place in the kitchen.You will make a great wife and mother’’.

      According to my parents,Alhaji Sanni paid my bride price when I was a baby,he is married to 7 women.I often wonder why he is insatiable……he happens to be Baba’s friend.I have never liked him,and why would…..is it his very yellow teeth,or his smoking habit, or the way he stinks…or even the he looks at me lustfully…I just can’t stand him,yet am betrothed to him….who or what will save me from this dilemna?

      Realising my pleas fell on deaf ears,it always have.Baba doesn’t want to listen to me anymore…I sluggishly stood up and went to my room.Lieing on the bed, my eyes are swollen,have cried a lot,my voice was weak and my soul was heavy.Here am I , a 12 years old girl wondering what is going to happen to me , my family have made final conclusion with Alhaji Sanni.I will be getting married to him in a week’s time.

       I wondered ’’ what kind of culture takes away a girl’s happiness…..i’m tired of all this sentiments…..why does the woman have to be the one making sacrifices?,my elder sister Sinat got married at 10,her dreams of becoming an engineer was shattered.I have often heard how Mama gave up her love for painting to marry Baba……I’m tired of a culture and society that always makes a woman the sacrificial lamb.I don’t want to be a sacrificial lamb’’….
‘Aisha!!!!!..am going to my friend’s place,prepare tuwo before baba comes from the meeting’’. Mama said standing close to the door,I wondered how long she has been standing there.

      ‘’And I don’t think I need to tell you again to stop crying,’’ she said and finally left the room.
Days passed ,sooner than I expected,my wedding was tomorrow…all preparations were in place,our house was filled relatives,everyone was happy ,except me.I couldn’t sleep all through the night,I just rolled on my bed.When morning came,the excitement at home still continued.As I was been dressed by Mama and some older relatives,i knew my life and joy had been taken away from me.
The wedding was scheduled to start by 2pm,but by 3pm Alhaji Sanni was no where to be found, and the guest were tired of waiting.

     ‘’Is it that he has changed his mind,’’I wondered. Some minutes past 3, a man that happens to be Alhaji Sanni’s brother rushed in weeping….’’Sanni is dead….we have been looking for him since yesterday,we found his corpse and that of a lady some minutes ago in an hotel room ,how he died we don’t know’’he said.
I just stood still looking, whether I was sad or happy,…..i don’t know.Mama hurriedly dragged me to my room.

        That evening,Baba strolled into my room.he sat very close to me….he said…..’’Aisah i have tried in my own way to choose your path,but fate played a fast one on me.I think I will allow you to follow the path you have chosen for yourself,get your documents ready,we are leaving for Yola tomorrow.
‘’For what baba?’’..I stammered.
     ‘’I thought you wanted to be a doctor’’, he replied…… I jumped on him…weeping and laughing at the same time….thank you !!!!!!!!!! Baba……I said

       After six years in FGGC Yola,I had the best WAEC result in my school and I was offered a scholarship to study medicine in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.During my internship in London,I met Rashidi,…my husband…….
    ‘’The patient needs your attention’’ a voice said..….I was startled back from my thoughts.
Ok..i will be there in a minute’’,I told the nurse.

      Hanging the stethoscope around my neck,as I walked in the corridor of the hospital,I imagined how would the girls going through the situation I went through cope,could they be lucky like me,what will be their fate,who would help them?….all these I pondered on as I entered into the patient’s ward.

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4 Comments

  1. love the storyline ,parents should not dictate for the children,it w asa blessing indeed

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  2. what is life without happiness to accompany it,why on earth will people want to take away something that even God won't and can't take away from us,our free will.what a nice story.Aishe what is for you is for you.your weren't in vain.happy at ending line of the story.

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  3. our parents are there to help us make the right choice and not to join our in doing what is not right.people should learn to say its not good we should not do it or its good we should follow it.i thing i know and will stand by it is that no one should be forced to something against his/her will not even culture,because that culture won't just be there while i go through hell in life.Aishe can you set yourself as a living testimony while parants should no decide the fate of their children and why such tradition should be amended,so that other ladies will benefit from your breakthrough.

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  4. My heart goes out to these girls ,many of whose destinies are already decided.I have never seen or heard of an African culture that favours the woman. Why?

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