By Amie Sillah
Antu
He acted mad as he raved, ranted and roved around the big mansion, insulting and kicking anything along his path.
“How could my wife dared me with my security complicity? These two brats have treaded the tiger’s path but I’ll deal with them at my own time.”
At the Village
Mama Hadja is very excited and hyper as she escorted Jonsi around the small village and introduced her to everybody along their route; it is a closely knitted hamlet of a patriarch whose off springs are the early settlers with strange farmers and other lower castes. Villagers were very happy to welcome their kit and kin and when they visited the village market vendors gave her condiments and fish to cook for their children. She was very happy when villagers asked Mama Hadja who she was;
“She is Jonsaba my beautiful daughter without the in law who is married to my only son and has given us 5 beautiful, handsome set of twins and also a set of triplets all alive and kicking; we should all give her a shero’s welcome; Antu has come home in another form now I care less whether he comes or not but I am certain he will finally come for his family right here at home and will find me here.”
The villagers’ response;
“It is true oh! It is true Mama Hadja with the big, clean heart, your children will never suffer on earth.”
At Home
They came home and Jonsi asked Mama Hadja to relax while she treats her with a tasty delicacy all this happened as Alhajj sat at his swing chair surrounded by their grandchildren enjoying the ‘big madam’ and ‘small madam’ pulling up as if they know each other for ages.
Antu
He came back to the village very angry and tense with his parents as he verbally attacked Alhajj.
“How could you papa, how could you? How could you keep my family at the village without my consent? Have you inform me about them in the village? Are you not encouraging my wife’s naughtiness and intransigence? I am very angry with you people!” He posited.
Alhajj
He is a highly disciplined elder well respected in the village, he is an elder who cannot be compromised he sees and advises to satisfy his conscience and is guided as the principles of justice, truth and fair play. He listened attentively until his son finishes then he asked.
“When did you learn that your family is with us? Did you contact us as a responsible family head or where you waiting for us to contact you? Are you kidding me? Your wife narrated your maltreatment of your family acting like a brute; I cannot comment until I learn from you even though she showed me the torture marks all over her body. Now you’ve just come relax, eat your food and I’ll sit you down in front of Mama.”
Antu
“I’m not staying another day tomorrow. I’m taking my family back!”
Jonsi
“I’m not going back with you until the family sits down and discuss about our situation.”
Antu
“You’ve seen what you have done making my wife misbehave against me? I don’t like it daddy I don’t! She is recalcitrant if you allow her a kilometer, she demands for a thousand,” he protested.
Mama Hadja
She scolded her son and favoured her daughter in law whom she now refers to as a daughter without the in-law.
“I am very disappointed with you, how could you treat this beautiful woman who made you a father of 5 beautiful, handsome kids as a trash? How could you Antu? Your dad treated me as a ‘queen’ despite his peoples’ insistence for him to marry another wife, wives to expand his lineage but he refused and insisted he does not want to bring problems into his family. Behave yourself, you isolated yourself but Jonsi brought you back she is a good woman, when she was battered, shattered and torn she did disappear or go to her parents but she came to us with our grandchildren you never told us your marriage either behave yourself, respect and love your family.”
Jonsi
“Mama Hadja I am staying I’ll not go with him he is a brute and savage.”
Antu rushed to hit her but Mama restrained him while Alhajj scolded his son.
Alhajj
“You are just confirming what she told us about you take it easy upon yourself and help your family grow productively.”
The Advice
“Advise her to respect me as her husband, she talks back, she is defiant and does what she likes and that is unacceptable! I’ll not take it!” Antu posited.
Jonsi
“He does not discuss issues but impose his ideas which are very bias and offensive, he virtually wants to treat me as a slave and that is also unacceptable!”
Antu grumbled and said;
“She is showing her defiance and you are encouraging her, tomorrow I leave with my family and that’s it.”
“I am not leaving!”
“That’s a lie why should you want to stay in this small hamlet leaving your mansion at the city? Can you explain that?” Antu challenged.
“Peace of mind, don’t you see it? Affluence is not enough when your mind is troubled and that is what you are to me, agony and pain, here mom and dad value me as a person but to you I am thrash a nobody you rescued from the village; I love my home and I asked you to return me home, take your kids and let me go free but you would not.” She defied him.
Antu
“Your poor father virtually sold you to me and I gave your family influence and affluence in your community apart from training your siblings to be their better self.”
“You heard him yourself these are the hurtful words he lashes at me every day and every time we have an argument; I am tired that’s why I want to go, go away from his assaults and insults.”
Alhajj
“My daughter both of you has to learn to love and respect each other now that you have 5 promising children to enable them grow into healthy adults. Make peace with your husband and return with him back to the city.” Jonsi frown and hissed.
Mama Hadja
“My daughter I’ll not deceive you go with your husband and serve him to bless your family.”
“We have to serve and appreciate each other he has to stop thrashing and seeing me as a nobody but I’m somebody who gave him 5 beautiful kids.”
Mama spoke to her son and asked him to be patient with his young wife.
“Embrace each other and we will be reassured that you have compromised.”
Jonsi played ‘sakara’ (bluff) while Antu drew her and kissed her forehead; Mama applauded them and praised God.
To be Cont.
