By Amie Sillah Negative influences On Marriage Neneh She went to the Saloon to collect Dor and took her home. She was mesmerized. “Welcome to my humble abode!”Dor As the adage goes, if you look up you must look down; she mystified wealth as one that creates human beings not the other way round; that it is human beings that create all types of wealth. “Is this your home?” “It is!” Neneh replied calmly. “It is not a big deal!” “It is in the midst of abject poverty. Many families are thinking of three square meals a day, and you are here living in paradise yet so modest as not to acknowledge it. I’ll now be coming to your house and not you coming to my saloon. You are too humble and that makes you the sweetest being on earth.” Neneh “Be comfortable, friendship is more important to me than a beautiful castle,what is a palace without people? My husband is very simple, kind, considerate but principled. He will not find it difficult to accept you into our house. I’ve already told him you are my nice aunty that makes his wife elegant and beautiful.” Dor laughed and said: “Are you flattering me? I would expect you to also have a paradise in the village. You are very humble and it is not easy to find humility in rich people.” Neneh “Please you are embarrassing me by speaking like that, we are all equal before the eyes of God.” Dor pretended to be poor in order to exhort more money from Neneh. Dor “My husband is a batterer and he is also stingy and a miser. My saloon’s proceeds are utilized for my family’s welfare both immediate and extended. He has committed his poor nieces and nephews to my care, as well as his old wretched mum from the village.” Neneh shook her head and empathised with her. Neneh “I am very sorryAunty Dor.” She opened her wallet and drew a D10, 000 bill cheque. “Add it to your saloon business and may Allah bless it.”She was dumbfounded. Dor “All this for me? Is this not too much?” She stooped before her and she raised her up from the ground. “You stoop only before God and not a fellow human being,” Neneh emphasized. Dor shed emotional tears which touched Neneh’s heart. “You are such a lucky woman to have a darling husband; your Ken is one of a kind a dream come true. Hold him very tight, he is a rare gem and shield him from predators is my candid advice.” Neneh “Ken is God sent and no predator can catch him, he is a perfect gentleman. He gave me the liberty to do whatever I like and gives me wise counseling to protect my interest and that of our family. Can I drop you home before Ken comes home?” “No I’ll find a cab you have already given me enough money for that. Again thank you very much.” She kissed her and left. Dor’s Saloon The three friends are here. Dor showed them the cheque. “A cheque of D10, 000 from who?” The duo asked. “Of course ‘Munku-Maga’ Madam Neneh, I gave her the tale of a struggling woman with heavy responsibility, coupled with a useless batterer of a husband who is a dependent as well as his useless dependent family, all living under my care and she took the bait.” The duo “This girl is a naive fool, a ‘toye’ ‘Munku–Maga.’ She took your bait hook, line and sinker. Let us share the money.” Dor “Which money? I cannot share it with you. I can dash you some as friends, that is all. Until we execute a plan when all bring something to the table, then we can think of equal share.” She gave each1k and took 8k for herself. “She said she would have given me more had I met her husband at home, this wonderful husband!” The Duo “We have to work very hard to get closer to this Neneh of a girl.” At Mbissine’s House Heryounger sister attends vocational centre to learn a trade. She came from the village to live with her. She joins a ‘diare’ group and is very active in it. She sometimes travels to the neighbouring country for some religious occasions. Mbissine saw her as being naïve. “This is the city and you have to shine your eyes very, very well. Girls play their part smartly and ‘big shots’ can spend fortunes on them. A person has to live, it is the survival of the fittest. I am housing, feeding, and you are also using my facilities and you know what it means. I have a husband but I am the most unmarried woman in the world, is it not an irony?At his present state he cannot even give me 1k. I expect you to play your cards very well to support yourself, look good and also support my business. Do you understand? Use what you have to get what you want. Am I understood? Am I making sense?” Degane She laughed aloud and said; “I understand you perfectly well; my dress is camouflage, I look simple and humble but beneath do my damn thing. I effectively use what I have to get what I want; that’s how I came to the city from the village. The civil servants within the catchment area used to provide my basic needs. I am ready, just connect me to your ‘big shots’ and I know how to suck them dry.” “That’s my girl, it’s a deal. We are on the same pageand I’ll get to you later. I attend expensive ceremonies wearing expensive attires because of ‘runs,’I use what I have to get what I want. The game is very rough but we play it very well to get the comfort of life,” Mbissine emphasized. At the Shop Mbissine’s husband,Baboucarr (Big Ben), came into the shop and she called him. “Come here, go to the market and buy things to prepare good ‘fufu’ and soup for us, especially Degane to have something to eat when she comes back from school. Be very careful.” She gave him D16 for fare. “Give me D100 to be able to buy some fruits for myself.” “Nonsense, do you give me any money to add? Get out from here before I lose my temper.” “Yes ma!” He bent to kiss her but she pushed and scolded him. “Get out from here!,”she scolded. Customers A couple was in the shop and they were alerted. “This is what I call genuine love!,”Cissy told Hassum her fiancé. “What is he to her?” “He is her husband, but I know you would not serve me as such.” “Is that what you call love? Are you kidding me? Then count me out, what I witness here is servitude, mistress servant relationship but not husband and wife relationship. Do you want to reduce yourself to such? Please give me a break!” To be Cont.]]>
