THE PITIABLE CHILD

CHAPTER 16

Does it reach that extent now? Abu's father enquired.

He continued; now you are hitting my mother over an argument related to your own son, "Haba Abba" he exclaimed.

How much do you hear? His father asked him while staring at a wall and his mother was still looking at the floor with her hands placed on both her cheeks.

He replied, I heard every bit of it from my mothers side, and it reveals to me that you have the intention of forcing me into hooking up with the daughter of Mallam Sani.

His father sighed and said, 'then you should fall to my command as I've arranged your marriage in 5 market days, I wouldn't want it if by any means possible you show resistance over that, it won't be easy on both of you'

He then turned to the side of his wife and said 'as for you, try persuading him into disobeying me, and you shall bare the wrath of your illicit actions'

Up to that moment, he wasn't looking at either of them and tried all the ways possible to show his superiority but his actions shows how bad he felt for his recent action.

Neither of them replied him, Abu's father held his mother's hand and walked her out of the room to her main room.

He was shivering in anguish and knew that if he was to talk back to his father in that state, none of them would be happy with it.

As they entered his mother's room, He walked her down to her bed and asked her to sit while he turned around and got her water from the local pot situated in her room.

As she finished taking the water, he kept the bowl aside with the intention of going out but she held his hand and stopped him. She asked him to sit down as they have to discuss on what happened.

He sat down on the floor without arguing and that was when they heard his father's steps as he went out hastily.

***

Mama Asabe on the other hand left the village alongside her abducted children. She had no other reason to stay there as every single minute spent in the village reminds her of her lovely demise family.

People were crying all while because they missed her kind mother and ofcourse because she is also not going to stay with them.

She is such a woman that's so kind and sympathetic, when ever she sets her feet in that village, people rejoice as they knew that their problems now got a solution.

As she mothered no children, all her earnings are divided into three.

She give one third to her mother in order to help those in the village, use one third to help the hospitalized low income family, community service and the rest while one third for her abducted children, both for their feeding and also for their savings in various accounts.

Her relatives enjoyed every bit of her wealth and that made them cry really hard as they think now that her mother is no more, they would rarely see her and the help might seize any time.

She gave them the assurance of her periodic visitation and bid them goodbye.

***

Abu's grand father went out and directly to his only friend Mallam Sani, it was early in the morning, so he met him outside sitting alone with his bowl of Pap to perceiving the warm sunlight of the day break.

He greeted him and sat down immediately. He looked at him and said there is a problem Mallam Sani and you know I have no other person to approach than you.

Mallam Sani adjusted his sitting position and said: problem? I hope it's not that big and as well not related to the proposed marriage between our children.

Abu's grandfather said: it's seriously big and partially related to that proposal. He kept quite.

Both of them were quiet for a while, Abu's grandfather was thinking of where to start from while his friend 'Mallam Sani' was eagerly waiting for his friend's response.

He took a deep breath and sighed, he then said; Sani, you know how I've been treating my family, with the sole control of my son and domination over my wife, you know how we've arranged everything about his first wedding to his cousin and also how we plan on usurping her money.

You know it well that we have the support of each other alone and none in the village, you know how.... he coughed, spit to the wall and continued, ...'you know how we've both controlled our family without losing any respect for them.

Mallam Sani exclaimed and said: 'I do know all about it but what exactly is the reason behind all these explanations and long essays?'

Mallam Sani was a known short-tempered person, he always want things straight to the point and was eagerly waiting for Abu's grandfather's end of the story.

Abu's grandfather continued by saying; let me cut the story short, I slapped my wife today over an argument related to the proposed planned marriage between our children.

Mallam Sani laughed briefly and said; so you are worried because of that? What is there to be worried about? You slapped her and it's a past tense and none should question you for what you did. C'mon, let's have this for now.

He turned around and called one of his sons to get them soya bean cake. He then turned to Abu's grandfather and said; my friend, please just forget it and let's focus on the marriage, it's in five market days and we are running out of time.

Abu's grandfather looked at his friend and said; Sani, my son saw and heard everything, he was there when I slapped his mother and you know deep down, he would never forgive me for that. Currently he's more on her side than mine and hitting her over an argument related to him makes it worse.

Mallam Sani kept quiet for a while and then said; it's actually bad but I know your son very well, he is dutiful to you and would abide by whatever you said, just command him and he shall follow. I don't want you to be weak as that might hinder our aim of arranged marriage between our children.

Abu's grandfather said; let our focus be on how to solve the problem rather than the marriage first.

Mallam Sani's face changed and without wasting much time, he said; no matter how hard it is, we must show them our superiority over them. We must not let anything block our path he said as he collected the soya bean cake from his son.

***

It shouldn't be a surprise why Mallam Sani solemnly focused on the marriage rather than his friend's problems.

His daughter is almost 23 years now and yet to get married, all her mates mothered some 3 to 5 kids and she's still at home.

It's not because of anything other than her attitudes that matches her father's. Physically she looks good, tall fair and partially slim but morally she's devilish.

Many men both from within the village and outside wanted to marry her for she is attractive but their guardians always opposed it.

Now she is fading away, her beauty and structure is diminishing and the least her father want is to marry her off to someone which is the solemn rationale behind suggesting that to Abu's grandfather.

I hope you are enjoying the book so far.