CHAPTER FOUR

I turned towards Umma who was wiping her eyes with the back of her hands, she gave me a sympathetic smile and opens her arms for me, I crawl to where she's sitting giving her a very tight hug

"Umma please I can't get married, talk to him please umma make him understand" I said in between tears

" khairee you have no other choice than to accept  your father's decision, he's so adamant about getting you married No one can change his mind"

" No Umma try to make him understand you are his wife he will listen to you"

"He won't khairee, yesterday I spent half of the night begging him but to no vail he's so strong willed, he even warned me not to talk to him about this if not I will see the worst of him"

" Oh ni nashiga ukuna what am I going to do now?" I said covering my face with both my palms

"Just take heart my dear may be that's what is best for you" Umma stated

" No umma I can't give up now, Am going to ask inna to beg him, I know he will listen to her"

"Tabdijan! Inna? Lallai yarinya, let me tell you One thing you don't know, inna will never support you on this matter because she's much more against this Western education than your Father is."

"But why umma?" I asked a little bit confused

"Your grandmother lost her first born because of this western education. Your father was not her only child, he had a brother who was taken to a boarding school in the city and he never came back, they believe he was dead on his way back home during Holiday. That is why she and your father despises Western education so much".

"Allah Sarki she must be devastated at that time, may his soul rest in Jannah". I prayed  'my only chance is now gone' I thought before ambling out of the room with a very heavy heart, I'm totally oblivious of what to do next. I decided to visit my friend Bilkisu their house is next to ours

"Umma na tafi gidansu bilki" I announce before leaving

"Alright karki kai yamma" umma replied

"Ok" I headed to Bilkisu house,she's also the same age as me and we attended the same primary school. Unlike me, she's not much interested in furthering her education and so she's already betrothed and will tie the knot with the love of her life in the next summer.

"Assalamu Alaikum" I said before heading into the house.

"Wa'alaikumussalam" mama(bilkisu's mother) answered

"Ina wuni mama"

"Lafiya khairee Ya Maman naku"

"Lafiya lau is Bilkisu around?" I asked looking towards their room.

"yes she's inside go meet her in the room" I went ahead inside the room only to find her sleeping with her mouth agape. I smirk evilly and grabbed a sheet of paper by the bed side, squeeze it and put it in her mouth. She woke up instantly and smack me on my hands

"what the hell was that" she yelled

"my own way of telling you your mouth is opened" I grinned mischievously

" Now see who's here, to what do I owe this visit?" she asked and yawn at the same time

"well I needed someone to talk to and I thought of you"

"what is it you want to talk about? "

She asked giving me her full attention. I dropped a heavy sigh and told her everything that happened between me and my parents

"I don't know what else to do bilki" I concluded

"Honestly I will advice you to obey what your father decided, he will always choose what is best for you" she adviced and I nodded . We talked for some moment and I left. I was not satisfied with her advice, at the same time I'm oblivious of what to do next, Allah knows I don't want to get married.

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Days turn into weeks and weeks into month and now it's only 7days to my so called wedding, during this period of two month I tried my possible best to convince my Abba to change his mind but I failed, I even talk to Inna but she declined and even shouted at me which Was the first time. Umma have always been there for me, she's always there suiting me with her sweet words. I can't thank Allah enough for blessing me with a loving, caring and understanding mother, She's always there to support me.

I was sitting in my room when I heard a familiar voice shouting my name from outside

"KHAIREE" she shouted again stepping into the room.

"kai bilki why are you shouting my name like that" I groan glaring at her.

"Amarya kenan your Ango is out there waiting for you, yaazo taadi" she teased knowing how much I hate the name 'Amarya' and the word 'taadi'

"I'm not going anywhere, let him rot there" I stated clearly pissed, what does he want from me

"No you won't do that" she said

"Yes I will " I replied

"you will have to go and see him" I said sternly

"Toh uwata, make me go" I challenged her, folding my arms across my chest.

"I'm not your mother but I know what to do to make you go" "Inna, Inna" she yelled my grandma's name

"keh why are you yelling my name like that, do you want to break my eardrums? " Inna replied coming into the room, she came for the wedding preparations and will not leave till after the wedding is 'over' as she claimed

"Inna it's this your granddaughter, her husband to be is out there waiting for her but she's insisting on not going out" Bilki stated looking at me while I glared at her

"khairee stand up and go, why are you being so sturbbon this days" Inna stated giving me the dont-you-dare-argue-with-me look. I stood up and grab my hijab, stamp my foot before storming out Of the room.

I went straight outside where I saw him leaning on the wall chewing God knows what 'kolanut? May be I thought.

"Meya faru, why are you here" I said turning my head to the other side

"Assalamu alaikum" he replied ignoring my question

"wa'alaikumussalam" I mumbled

"well isn't it obvious that a wife to be is asking her husband to be what he is doing in their house? " he asked grinning Like a fool. I rolled my eyes and ignored him

"how's the wedding preparation going on your side?" he asked again

"Listen Garbati, if that is what brought you here then you better drag your legs and leave from here, because right now you are my least favourite person. The mere sight of you is giving me headache, I don't know how you tried to convince my father to get me married to you but I assure you inshAllah this marriage is not going to take place".

"hahaha, Khairee kenan so you still haven't give up, lallai yarinya toh Lemme tell you something, my marriage with you is inevitable and nothing can stop it from happening so long you and I are alive. So you better give up on that stubbornness of yours".

"Give up? Even in my wildest dream nothing of such will happen, so you better get that into your thick skull, I WILL NEVER GET MARRIED TO YOU". The moment closed my mouth I felt something very hard hit my right cheek, before I could register what happened I felt the same thing on my left cheek. I held both cheeks crying

Did he just slapped me?

Oh my God he slapped me!

I raised my head to look at him only to see Abba beside him fuming like A hungry tiger, what... When did he get here? So it's Abba that slapped me

"How dare you talk to him like that, have you lost your senses? isn't he your husband to be? Keh even if you are not betrothed to him isn't he elder than you? Is this how you should talk to an elder,  is this the kind of moral I've given you?" Abba snapped at me but when he didn't get any answer from me he furiously dragged me into the house and threw me on the floor in the middle Of the house, he went straight to his and came back with a koboko(bulala) in his hand.

What is about to happen....when did Abba get this koboko....i mean we never had any.... Don't tell me he is going to flog me I was brought back to reality when I felt a very sharp pain from my arm down to my lower back before I could register what just happened I felt another stink around my thighs I screamed seeking for someone to come and help me while he kept flogging me like I mean nothing to him. 

Inna came out from the bathroom with a plastic kettle in her left hand, immediately she saw what was happening she dropped the kettle and ran towards me

"innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un what is happening here? " she yell while dragging me to her,  she then turn toward Abba who was still finding a way to strike me again

"Habu what is wrong with you, why will you beat this girl mercilessly?" she asked

"Inna ki barni na Kara mata since she doesn't hear what, I saw her outside cursing Garbati like his mother, this girl is turning into something else, I have to teach her a lesson"  she gasped covering her mouth with her hands before stating

"Oh ni dije are you out of your mind? how can you curse your husband to be, don't you know your Jannah will be under his feet the moment you are married to him?" she asked rhetorically. "stand up let's go the room" she said again helping me up, we entered my room which I now share with her.

"sit down" she ordered and I sat down, she holds both my hands

"Khairee listen to me carefully, what you did today is completely unacceptable, you shouldn't do that, Garbati will be your husband in just a few days, he is a good man and he loves you, so you should also love him and also be good to him". I stared at her blankly like a statue I am not willing to say anything all I want now is Umma to come back from the market I know she won't blame me for whatever happens.

"Assalamu alaikum" I heard Umma's voice from outside, I quickly stood up and ran outside and hugged her

"what is it khairee what happened?" she asked hugging me back

"Um...umma a.. ab..bba flogged me" I answered in between sob

"SubhanAllah why would he do that" she asked confused but before I could answer her question Inna beat me to it

"Wanna yaron Garbati ne yazo shine ta zage shi tsab se kace uwarshi(I found her outside insulting this boy Garbati) "

"zaagi kuma(insult)? khairee why would you curse him? Is that how I thought you to treat your elder ones?" Umma asked narrowing her eyes at me. She grabbed my hand and dragged me into her room closing the door behind us, we sat down on the edge Of the bed facing each other.

"Umma believe me I didn't curse him" I stated

"Ummulkhairee tell me the truth" she said sternly

"Wallahi I did not curse him,  I..I just told him that am not going to marry him that's all" I stammered, she frown and stated

"why would you tell him that, didn't I tell you to leave this matter to Allah (swt)? he's the maker and the all knowing he knows what is good for you, be patient please khairee  innallaha ma'assabirin  indeed Allah is with those who are patient, or don't you want Allah to be with you? "

"Yes I want Allah to be with me, but Umma did you see how Abba flogged me, he was really furious and disappointed, am not sure if he still loves me" I said

"Don't say that dear,  he's your father he loves you beyond measure, he just thought marrying you off is what's best for you and you're just like him, strong willed and persistent ". She said in a worried tone

"I'm just fighting for my right" I said defensively

"what right are you talking about hun? We women in this village are not given any right whatsoever, our job is just to give birth and take care Of the house, we are not given any regards" she stated

"That's what am talking about Umma, women shouldn't be treated like that, we should betreated with utmost respect and care"

"Khairee just saying it won't change it, beside this men are so full of themselves and they believed that they always on the right path "

"I know that's why I want to take a step forward and prove to them the value of women" I stated, she looked at me for some seconds and shooked her head

"You are still not over with this your studying issue right? "

"No Umma am not over it and I won't be"  infact I have a plan,  a very good one I thought

"A plan, What plan I hope you are not planning anything stupid?" she curiously asked with concern laced in her voice.

Oh no I said it loud

"Erm... No I was planning on ways to convince Garbati to let me study after erm.. we got married" I gave her a smile which did not reach my eyes, she then shook her head and dismissed me. I know she didn't believe me but I can't possibly tell her what am planning.