🧖♀️MARRIED💞
Episode 1.
©Miriam Edem
Weddings! One of my very treasured fantasies. I look forward to that day with every fiber of me, not just the day but to have a happy home, but it looks far fetched to me. Looking at my family, I felt very uncomfortable and sensed something was wrong, but I couldn’t place my mind on exactly what is happening when everyone seemed comfortable with it.
I came from a background where all the females get pregnant without getting married. Its either they get raped, or fall in love with men who will abandon them, and we all found ourselves in the big compound I heard my great grand father built before he died.
Did I just say great grand father? Yes, so many beautiful and elegant ladies has been born, and that’s how we’ve filled the compound with bastards….. For those raped and after some few years, they die mysteriously and life continues for those still living.
It was not a funny situation to me as I just lost my sister who left the village for greener pastures but never returned. To make it worst, her body was found on the street with some parts missing and the shocking thing I heard from my family members was, she should be buried anywhere they like. They were not concerned about her body neither did they want to see her because of shame and what the villagers may say, and it really pains me.
As I sat outside the backyard crying, Mary ran in calling my name which I quickly cleaned my tears and stood up.
“What are you doing? Please help me to fetch water nau? Mary asked. There was a traditional marriage going on at her place, and the third one in four months. I do help her in fetching water whenever it happens, I wonder the year she will also fetch water for any family member of mine during that big day.
“Sharon what are you thinking na? Please come and help us, its for cooking, she said dragging my hand and I sniffed cleaning my tears again.
“You were crying? What happened? Mary asked.
“I lost my sister, Amaka, I replied.
“What? After leaving for the city? That’s bad o, sorry, Mary said and I nodded.
“I’ll go change up, I said and went in to change up so I can join them.
On the way back from the stream with the water on our heads, Mary kept talking of how her sister traditional wears are so expensive and how she’s getting married to a Navy man.
“Wow he must be so rich, the other one of last month was an accountant right? I asked.
“Yes a big accountant and I’m sure mine will be a pilot, Mary replied.
“My sister is getting married to a sailor next month and he promised to take us all to the city one after the other, Chinyere said.
“We will all leave the city anyway, because I’ll be the wife of a big man, Mary said.
“And mine will be an engineer, I happily said too but Mary scoffed.
“But your family does not get married. You’ll just give birth to bastards like them, that’s what your family is known for na, I heard Mary said and I intentionally let go of the calabash on my head and it scattered into pieces.
“What! Mary screamed out.
“Why did you do that? Will you pay for it! The others shouted on me.
“You should be grateful its the calabash and not your teeth because the next time you mock my family in that manner I’ll scatter your face, I shouted back.
“What can you do? Is it a lie huh? Tell me where is Amaka now! Mary shouted calling my late sister name and I pounced on her.
We got separated and I got home with torn clothes, but that was not my problem because my heart was so heavy. My sisters….. Yes we call ourselves sisters even though they are males in the family, we call them brothers also all born out of wedlock. For the males they tend to leave the compound when they are of age to hustle and to give room for more bastards to be born and occupy. In my case, my mom had me for married man and my father took me with him when I was 5 years old but I saw hell when i stayed with his wife. I had to return back to my mother when I was 10 while from time to time he comes around to drop upkeep for me only if the ancestors touches his heart to do that.
With the mood I returned back home, my sisters were alarmed and asked what happened but I ignored and went in. I was still furious with what Mary said, I dream so big for myself and wish to settle down comfortably, how can Mary said I will also give birth to bastards like my sisters? I wondered and my mother walked in. My mother is so very young that you’ll mistake her for my elder sister because she had me when she was 16. Don’t say she was loosed, but she had me for my father because she was working on his farm when he forced himself on her. Though men get interested in her, but when they know she has a daughter they will only want her in bed and walk away, nothing very serious until my mom gave up.
“Sharon what happened? I thought you went to fetch water who tore your dress? My mother asked but hot tears poured down. It was that time I felt the beatings Mary friends gave to me while I concentrated on Mary, and my body was so peppery.
“What happened! My mother shouted when I didn’t reply her.
“Is it not Mary, she mocked us and said I will also give birth to bastards and will not get married, I replied her.
“So you fought with her? My mother asked.
“Eh na, what kind of insult is that? I should have broken her teeth, I replied and my mom smiled and arranged up my torn dress,
“You know we are used to all that, just ignore okay and don’t go into fighting because you have to get ready to fight with all the villagers which is not possible, my mother said.
“So I’ll watch them insult me? I’ll not accept o, anybody that will say pim again I’ll break that person mouth, I said and angrily cleaned my tears that my mother laughed at my face.
“Mommy you’re laughing? So its not paining you o? I asked.
“Sharon goan cook abeg I thought it was something serious. And make sure you sew that dress o, that’s what you get by fighting, my mother said and left the room.
Ahhhhh! Its so obvious my family has already accepted the name and taken it as theirs but I refuse to be among, Sharon must surely get married, I told myself and left the room to see my sisters discussing.
“Mercy said she’s bringing a prophet to the compound in two days time, one of my sisters said.
“Prophet to do what na? Another asked.
“She said that the prophet said her family….. Our family is bound and he has to set us free and do some cleansing, she replied and they laughed.
“who send her that one? Is that excess money or what? They mocked Mercy while I passed to get something prepared for my mom because they were not my mates. Sister Mercy is more than 40 years old yet not married, she has a 13 year old son living with us while she fled to the city, now she’s coming back with a prophet who said we are bound. Though we were not religious and didn’t have time for that, but I was very anxious to see this prophets because I have believed them already. Indeed we are bound and someone has to free us because Sharon must get married!
No part of this story should be edited or copied without the acknowledgedment of the writer.
TBC..
#milove.
