TRADITION
By Debbie Enang
Episode 1
As I sat outside my courtyard, memories of my late husband kept flooding into my mind, how could he leave me so soon, we were barely married for 2 years, we had no child together, we had so many plans to accomplish together, yet he left me so soon
I wallowed in tears and cried my eyes out, it was like a dream to me, but I had no choice than to accept my fate.
My husband’s people and the villagers came to the house later in the evening to pay their condolences, the compound was heavy with grieve and fear enveloped everyone.
Few days later, my husband’s people came around and announced the date for my husband’s burial, and all arrangements began immediately.
Everything went on normal, and my husband’s people were really kind to me, they made me feel good and not think too much about the situation.
Three days before the burial day, my husband’s brothers and uncles came to the house to inform me to prepare a special meal for the men to honour their visit, and informed me not to come close to the sitting room while they had a meeting.
I nodded my head in the affirmative and dashed into the kitchen to start the cooking. After several hours of struggling alone, I finally finished with the cooking
I contemplated on whether to serve them the food or wait until they request for it. I hissed and decided to inform them I was done with the cooking.
I strolled down to the sitting room, but half way into entering the house, I heard my name being mentioned and I decided to hid and listen to why they mentioned my name
I heard one of his uncle say “we have to do it the normal way, no one is bigger than tradition.”
“Exactly, afterall she has no child for my brother, it would have been a different case if she gave him at least one child” his elder brother chipped in
“So how do we go about it”? His youngest cousin asked
“The way we usually do, she has to be buried alongside with her husband, afterall that is the tradition”
At this point my heart was racing heavily, but I had to patiently wait and listen till the end
“No one should let her suspect anything, behave normal and treat her the way you do, and don’t forget we will tie her up on the day of the vigil night and dump her in the coffin with her husband.” His second brother finally spoke.
