The Inferrer

9

MRS ADEYANJU'S POV

Maryam told me she is coming today, have missed my daughter so much, talking on phone once in a while is not working for me but I have to follow her dad instruction.

"We won't visit her and we must not reach her often, let her know why she is there and let her learn and before you send money to her let me know because she must learn to manage as well"
"But honey, aren't you being strict on her? She haven't offend us in anyway to deserve this and she has been a good child since we've had her" I said to him

"No dear, don't worry too much, it's part of training we should give her, we both didn't live a comfortable life during school days and here we are today, besides we don't know what the future holds, let's do it that way, she is sure a good girl, she would come out well" he replied trying to convince me.

"Haah! Baby my child must not become what I don't want o, my child should not be influenced when we have what it takes to make her live well o, ehnn ehnn" I warned sternly.

"Nothing will happen my dear, be positive, we didn't bring her up to become a nuisance of herself, she will be more better than we ever thought"
I was calm but deep down I'm worried. I never cease to pray and give charity so that God will answer may prayer. When she told me she's coming, my joy knew no bounds, have cooked her special food which is Fried spaghetti and meatballs with sauce.
Knock! Knock!, I heard bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Yes who is there oo!" I called out.

"Iyawo mi, emi ni ooo( my wife, it's me ooo)" I walk briskly to the door.

"Haaah baba okomi ekaabo sir( my in-law, welcome sir)"

"Haha my wife, how are you? And how is Maryam doing in school"

"Am fine Sir, Maryam is fine too, she is even on her way back home" I replied. "Daddy Maryam, baba Waris is here ooo" I called my husband from the room. Baba Waris is my husband elder brother. They are both inseparable, they do visit each other every weekend.

"Haha, boda mi(my brother), good morning Sir" he greeted bending sightly while extending his hands for a shake.

"Salam alaikum warahmotullah wabarakatuh," we heard and we all turned to see eleha,  eleha? Where did I know eleha? But how come she sounds like Maryam?

"Walaikum Salam o, ta lé béérè o?(who do you ask of o)" I questioned.

"Haahhann mummy it's me Jo!" I felt a pang in my heart and a loud noise in my head.

"Yehh mogbe! Maryam? Iwo ni eleha?(you are the one that covers face) how come? What's the meaning of this nonsense? If you are joking please stop!"

"Yes Maryam, if you are joking stop it!" Her dad chipped in.

"Ewo ni ti agbada abi eku yi?(why this baggy clothes or masquerade clothes)" my in-law said. I closed my eyes and open it maybe I'm only imagining it yet, alas! I got to see her well, haaah Maryam has finally killed me, what was she thinking before joining this set of people, this people would make her forget me.

"Maryam is not me and you in this house! No wonder you didn't kneel down when you came in, they will tell you not to kneel down, manipulate you to put on this rubbish you called clothes, as if that is not enough the will lure you into marriage and tell you not to meet your parents again till the day of judgement, you will now give me milk in return to all my efforts on you, is not me! Remove that rubbish this instant!"

"Subhanallah! Mom! Where did you hear that from?"

"You see, this is what am talking about, me subuanola, Maryam! You dare tell me subuanola! They are already teaching you! You see why I said we should always visit her in school, baba Maryam, oti je ki won paaro omo mo mi lowo(you've let them changed my daughter). You insist not knowing you people have plans to change my daughter to another thing haaah! God oOoOO see my life" I didn't know when I throw myself on the floor crying profusely .

"Calm down! What's it with this drama?" My husband yelled at me before turning to face his daughter "Maryam, I love it that you are practicing Islam, in fact am happy but this(he said pointing to what she is wearing) I won't accept it here".

Before my husband could say anything else, I sprang on my feet and begin to remove her face cover, I removed her clothes, I don't care if she is naked under, I quickly collect her bag, remove all the big clothes, I went to the kitchen to take matches and kerosene, I burnt them before I heaved a sigh, she will not turn me to a barren, I don't have another child. Imagine the audacity!
I walked in to see her crying heavily.

" I don't even care right now. If you are done crying, your food is inside the flask" I said as I walked out on her to the room.

MR ADEYANJU'S POV

I was about to call my brother, it's past 11am, he should be here by now. My wife's call from the sitting room stopped me. Oh! He's here, I wore my flipflop and walked in to the sitting room.

"Haha, boda mi(my brother), good morning Sir" I greeted.

"Salam alaikum warahmotullah wabarakatuh" we heard as we all turned to see eleha, who could this be, does my wife now keep friends with this people? Why does she sounds like Maryam? I soliloquized.

"Haahhann mummy it's me Jo!" Haaah! It's Maryam! What happened? What changed her? She better be joking.

"Yehh mogbe! Maryam? Iwo ni eleha?(you are the one that covers face) how come? What's the meaning of this nonsense? If you are joking please stop!" Her mother said as if she read my mind.

"Yes Maryam, if you are joking stop it!" I said because I can't even comprehend what is happening, it is sure a joke, she has a comical humour, maybe that's what she is doing.

"Maryam is not me and you in this house! No wonder you didn't kneel down when you came in, they will tell you not to kneel down, manipulate you to put on this rubbish you called clothes, as if that is not enough the will lure you into marriage and tell you not to meet your parents again till the day of judgement, you will now give me milk in return to all my efforts on you, is not me!" Haaah this is exactly what I heard about them and I feared most, I don't have any other child!.

"Subhanallah! Mom! Where did you hear that from?" She replied.

"You see, this is what am talking about, me subuanola, Maryam! You dare tell me subuanola! They are already teaching you! You see why I said we should always visit her in school, baba Maryam, oti je ki won paaro omo mo mi lowo. You insist not knowing you people have plans to change my daughter to another thing haaah! God oOoOO see my life"  she replied and turned to me, why me? I haven't done anything wrong, she is making it seems as if I have hands in it. She throw herself on the floor.

"Calm down! What's it with this drama?" I yelled! In order to stop her from ranting. "Maryam, I love it that you are practicing Islam, in fact am happy but this(i said pointing to what she is wearing) I won't accept it here"
Before I could continue with what am saying, to my surprised, mama Maryam has already removed all what she is wearing, she took out all others from her bag, quickly go into the kitchen and come out, then she started burning the clothes. I understand her, she is fighting for us but I felt she is doing it in an extreme reaction and I feel for Maryam as she is already crying.

I just walked out telling my brother to follow me, the air in this room is not conducive for us, we walked pass mama Maryam where she was burning the clothes, I saw hint of sadness in her face, she is not happy with the decision our child took without consulting us and I guess she might think am aware. Am not happy with the situation of things.

MARYAM'S POV

Today is the saddest day of my life, I know my parents won't be happy with my decision, I thought I would be able to talk to them, I don't know it would be this worst, my mum practically wanted to naked me, thank God I wore abayah under my jilbab, I was so embarrassed, my parents have never done this before, not even to slightly hit me but hitting me is better than what they did today. Am angry and mad at everything and everyone! That moment my heart was beating violently, I felt a salty taste in my mouth with a topsy-turvy mind.

I checked the time it's almost zhur, I walked to the bathroom and performed ablution, I prayed nawafil and prayed solatul zhur as well, I made some adhkar till I slept off.