The Bride

The Wedding

Fatu's wedding to Babakar had arrived. Before going to the mosque, women are celebrating the impending marriage, while photographers and videographers capture the moment at Fatu's home. Most of them are in her bedroom, where Fatu is sitting on her bed, full of decorations and gifts. Among these women was Djenaba, watching as people celebrated her beloved going off with another man.

It's time to go to the mosque to officially carry out the Islamic marriage. At that moment, only the bride, Fatu, and Djenaba are in a room. Fatu starts to cry inconsolably. "I don't want to marry him," she whispered through tears as she leaned on Djenaba's shoulder, who looked at her with concern and tried to calm her down. "What's wrong, Fatu?" Djenaba asked. "I can't do this. I don't want to marry Babakar. It's not what I want for my life," Fatu replied, with a trembling voice and teary eyes. The two girls hugged each other in silence, filled with pain until someone came to fetch the bride and take her to the mosque.

Later, at the mosque, Fanta, Fatu's grandmother, approached and began to talk to Babakar. "You should have brought a different imam, as I told you. Lamine would have understood our traditions," Fanta reproached him. "It's not my fault, I didn't know it would be a problem," Babakar responded with frustration.

Meanwhile, Imam Mustafa approached Fatu to talk to her. "Are you sure you want to marry this man?" asked Mustafa, concerned about the sadness he saw in Fatu's eyes. Fatu did not say no, but her tears, which were the result of how she broke down crying, made the imam understand that the young woman did not want to get married.

Mustafa nodded in approval and approached Babakar and Fanta to talk to them. "This marriage cannot continue if one of the parties does not agree," explained Mustafa. "It is against Islamic traditions to consummate a marriage if one of the parties does not wish to."

Babakar was furious at the imam's decision but could do nothing to change it. "This is a waste of time and money," he complained, looking at Fatu with anger.

Djenaba was at the mosque, watching as the situation became more tense by the minute.

Fanta, for her part, blamed Djenaba for having led her granddaughter astray. "If it weren't for her, everything would have gone according to plan," Fanta complained.

Despite being interested in Fatu and her relationship, Djenaba remained silent, not saying a word. She seemed to be in a difficult position, and emotions seemed to be mixing in her head.

While Fatu cried and resisted marrying Babakar, Djenaba was there, not intervening, simply watching and taking note of everything. It was not clear whether she was repressing her own feelings or simply showing respect for tradition and allowing things to take their natural course.

After the ceremony was annulled by the imam, Djenaba cautiously approached Fatu. "Are you okay?" she asked softly. Fatu simply nodded, not saying a word. Djenaba didn't want to pressure her, but she wanted her to know that she was there for her.

It was then that Fanta, Fatu's grandmother, appeared and began to blame Djenaba for interfering in the wedding. "Don't you have anything better to do than try to ruin my granddaughter's day?" she asked angrily. Djenaba lowered her head, feeling guilty and helpless. She didn't know how to respond, so she stayed silent while Fanta scolded her.

As the day came to an end and everyone went home, Djenaba was still worried about Fatu. She knew this wasn't an easy situation for her, and she wondered how she was going to handle all of this. She didn't know if she would ever speak to Fatu again after what had happened, but at least she knew she had been there for her in that difficult moment.

Fatu was sitting in her room, staring into space. She hadn't spoken to anyone since she had come home from the ceremony at the mosque. She felt confused and overwhelmed by the emotions she was feeling. Sadness, despair, fear, and confusion mixed in her mind, making her feel trapped and hopeless.

She didn't feel like doing anything, not even eating. She hadn't touched the food her grandmother had left on the bedside table for hours. But she couldn't blame anyone, after all, she had made a difficult decision. She felt torn between her own desires and the expectations of her family and community.

Fatu knew she had done the right thing by not marrying Babakar, but she couldn't help feeling guilty for the consequences of her decision. Tradition and her grandmother's expectations had led her to a difficult crossroads, and now she felt more alone than ever.