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Tahir (mariam’s father) was beaming with huge smiles, highly unusual of him. He only ever smiled when Fazilah, his younger wife brought him food. Tahir could only afford 2 wives, Mariam’s mother being the first, because he had never been a rich man all his life. Now that Mariam was 14 years old and ripe for marriage, he was going to give her to Samir who would in turn, give him 150 cattle and an ivory jewelry which Mariam would wear as a symbol of marital status.
Tahir’s unhidden pride soon began radiating about the house. Until he had confirmed the marriage dealings with Samir, he had kept it secret from everyone else, including Mariam. Mariam who had been most unaware of the development had only just returned from school during the wee hours of a Thursday evening when Tahir called her into his room and delivered the news of her marriage which was to begin on the day after the next.
Astounded by what her father had just told her, Mariam’s mind went numb. She had heard of other girls being married off early, in fact, other boys too. Only about a year before, had her cousin, Pubudu, been married to a 13 year old girl. The poor girl had cried all through the wedding ceremony. Mariam had however thought that her father would never do the same to her. He had previously told her he would wait till she was done with grade school. She wondered why he was in such a haste to many her off, when she was only still at grade 4. Mariam sat still and in silence for a few seconds and watched her father’s heavily wrinkled face as he nodded with pride and beamed at her as he told her about all the advantages of getting married off and especially to a rich grown man. His fore head lined with 5 stress-lined which formed folds everytime he shone his bright yellow eyes. His cheeks slightly saggy, not due to age but because he had spent most of his life slaving away.
Mariam, although scared, understood the situation and knew even though it was unfair on her, it would soon be time to give up her childhood and innocence, to create wealth for her father and rear children for an unknown man. Mariam left her father and began packing her few belongings and preparing her mind for a new life. Into her bag, her mother placed 2 tobes(traditional sudanese attire), one, bright red and the other, dark grey. It was all the possession her mother could afford to give her.
On the night before the day Mariam would finally meet her husband, she thought about her prospective future and wondered what sort of person her husband would be. Was he going to be kind or mean? She concluded he must be mean because if he wasn’t, he wouldn’t be coming to marry a child like her.
A certain noise that gradually became louder greeted Tahir’s home on the morning after the night before. It was the cattle Samir was bringing on behalf of his new bride, accompanied by a dark green van which Samir was in. With no delay, soon as the cattle was put Tahir’s possession, Mariam’s mother squeezed her arm as a sign of reassurance. She grabbed her bag and looked upon Samir’s face as she climbed into the van. From his face, Mariam knew he was a much older man, possibly middle aged. Through her mind’s eye, she could tell she wasn’t bound to have an enjoyable marriage, she had to obey tradition, what was she going to do about it became the question. It prodded her mind throughout the bumpy journey.
When they arrived Samir’s home, it was late at night. He wouldn’t let her to herself, instead, he partly dragged her into his inner chamber. He ripped off her tobe and in the most raspy voice possible, he said “let us complete this wedding”. That night, her body became synonymous with pain. With each rough entrance of his endless thrusts, he groaned and mumbled how much he had paid for her. Mariam felt as though her end had arrived, of course that she would have preferred.
When Samir was done, he pushed Mariam unto the floor and he slammed his sweaty body on his bed. Till the break of dawn, Mariam lay on the floor, stiff. She knew she had to escape this life. One of Samir’s older wives, Subin, an 18 year old mother of two, came to cleanse Mariam. The older girl had anger written all over her face. Mariam asked her how she could escape while they were at the baths, Subin immediately hushed her up and advised her to behave only according to how their husband would please, else, death awaited her. Subin’s advise did nothing to deter Mariam’s plot to escape.
Every night after Samir had his carnal way with her, she lay thinking of an escape route.
One night, Samir failed to summon Mariam, although she thought it strange, she thanked her stars and hoped it was because he had gotten tired of her. The next morning however, Mariam found this not to be the case. Another young wife of Samir had attempted to escape in the night but was caught and her judgement had just been passed. She was to be stoned to death. They called it honour killing, Mariam wondered what honour there was in a public killing.
The girl’s parents and family watched as the girl knelt in the sand while hefty men began shouting and throwing stones at her. Soon as the stoning had begun, a huge sharp stone landed on the rear of her head with such high momentum. She fell to her face and began bleeding profusely from her head and mouth. Mariam watched from a distance in anger and fear, the girl’s mother’s eyes welled up, the girl dead, along with her, Mariam’s dream of freedom.
Tahir’s unhidden pride soon began radiating about the house. Until he had confirmed the marriage dealings with Samir, he had kept it secret from everyone else, including Mariam. Mariam who had been most unaware of the development had only just returned from school during the wee hours of a Thursday evening when Tahir called her into his room and delivered the news of her marriage which was to begin on the day after the next.
Astounded by what her father had just told her, Mariam’s mind went numb. She had heard of other girls being married off early, in fact, other boys too. Only about a year before, had her cousin, Pubudu, been married to a 13 year old girl. The poor girl had cried all through the wedding ceremony. Mariam had however thought that her father would never do the same to her. He had previously told her he would wait till she was done with grade school. She wondered why he was in such a haste to many her off, when she was only still at grade 4. Mariam sat still and in silence for a few seconds and watched her father’s heavily wrinkled face as he nodded with pride and beamed at her as he told her about all the advantages of getting married off and especially to a rich grown man. His fore head lined with 5 stress-lined which formed folds everytime he shone his bright yellow eyes. His cheeks slightly saggy, not due to age but because he had spent most of his life slaving away.
Mariam, although scared, understood the situation and knew even though it was unfair on her, it would soon be time to give up her childhood and innocence, to create wealth for her father and rear children for an unknown man. Mariam left her father and began packing her few belongings and preparing her mind for a new life. Into her bag, her mother placed 2 tobes(traditional sudanese attire), one, bright red and the other, dark grey. It was all the possession her mother could afford to give her.
On the night before the day Mariam would finally meet her husband, she thought about her prospective future and wondered what sort of person her husband would be. Was he going to be kind or mean? She concluded he must be mean because if he wasn’t, he wouldn’t be coming to marry a child like her.
A certain noise that gradually became louder greeted Tahir’s home on the morning after the night before. It was the cattle Samir was bringing on behalf of his new bride, accompanied by a dark green van which Samir was in. With no delay, soon as the cattle was put Tahir’s possession, Mariam’s mother squeezed her arm as a sign of reassurance. She grabbed her bag and looked upon Samir’s face as she climbed into the van. From his face, Mariam knew he was a much older man, possibly middle aged. Through her mind’s eye, she could tell she wasn’t bound to have an enjoyable marriage, she had to obey tradition, what was she going to do about it became the question. It prodded her mind throughout the bumpy journey.
When they arrived Samir’s home, it was late at night. He wouldn’t let her to herself, instead, he partly dragged her into his inner chamber. He ripped off her tobe and in the most raspy voice possible, he said “let us complete this wedding”. That night, her body became synonymous with pain. With each rough entrance of his endless thrusts, he groaned and mumbled how much he had paid for her. Mariam felt as though her end had arrived, of course that she would have preferred.
When Samir was done, he pushed Mariam unto the floor and he slammed his sweaty body on his bed. Till the break of dawn, Mariam lay on the floor, stiff. She knew she had to escape this life. One of Samir’s older wives, Subin, an 18 year old mother of two, came to cleanse Mariam. The older girl had anger written all over her face. Mariam asked her how she could escape while they were at the baths, Subin immediately hushed her up and advised her to behave only according to how their husband would please, else, death awaited her. Subin’s advise did nothing to deter Mariam’s plot to escape.
Every night after Samir had his carnal way with her, she lay thinking of an escape route.
One night, Samir failed to summon Mariam, although she thought it strange, she thanked her stars and hoped it was because he had gotten tired of her. The next morning however, Mariam found this not to be the case. Another young wife of Samir had attempted to escape in the night but was caught and her judgement had just been passed. She was to be stoned to death. They called it honour killing, Mariam wondered what honour there was in a public killing.
The girl’s parents and family watched as the girl knelt in the sand while hefty men began shouting and throwing stones at her. Soon as the stoning had begun, a huge sharp stone landed on the rear of her head with such high momentum. She fell to her face and began bleeding profusely from her head and mouth. Mariam watched from a distance in anger and fear, the girl’s mother’s eyes welled up, the girl dead, along with her, Mariam’s dream of freedom.
I read this earlier before i found out about Hazel's blog...Deep and sorrowful what some women have to go through even as we speak.
ReplyDeleteBlame on being African and our stupid cultures..
Not all tho.