By Amie Sillah Saer with Matty “I was following my daddy’s dictates to come back home and take a wife; Aisha was the chosen one because her dad and mine were old pals who did everything together even circumcision. I fell in love with her at first sight and things did fare well until now when she is totally distracted from me and I am definitely sure that it is that K.B man who is the culprit. Now I want to have an audience with Aisha and get her response if it is K.B she chooses I’ll take it in good faith and look somewhere else and know that Allah has not willed it. What I detest is hanky-panky neither here nor there. Where can I see her?” Ous with Aisha and her Parents Big talk to impress was the tactic he employed. “I hate povertyand anyone who embraces it, look for instance the young man Aisha told me about who tries to discourage her to further her studies in the U.S.It is nonsense, I’ll facilitate her studies abroad if she can study there she gets more advantage than those who do it here and she will surely get a better job.I don’t mix with low class like that guy. Poverty is a disease and if used to it you cannot give good advice trust me.” Papa is over excited and agreed 100% with Ous and chorused lavishly to whatever he said; Mama is disgusted and stared at him as he exhibited cheapness to a total stranger she called Papa aside. Mbinkey “Excuse me!” She told her guest as she dragged Papa to a corner. “What is it Sorgi? How can you exhibit opportunist cheapness to a total stranger? Day before yesterday was K.B ‘may his soul rest in perfect peace’.” Mama became sarcastic. “Yesterday was Saer, the U.S citizen and an only son to your best pal whom you replaced with K.B, today is Ous, ‘the bigger guy’ also a U.S citizen with greater opportunity! What sort of father/man are you? Should you shamelessly exhibit your greediness? How will he see you if he eventually buy your daughter? I am not part of your game which has no future, I detest Ous and my spirit tells me he is not truthful. Don’t say I do not warn you, now both you and your daughter are heading for disaster.” “I agree totally with Ous when he said poverty is a disease, you are surely suffering from poverty disease; Ous present a greater opportunity than all of them, I for one wants the best for my daughter, come along with us, let us make hay while the sun shines.” Papa held Mama’s hand to try to convince her but she pulled her hand away. “Let us embrace his money and enjoy it while it lasts.” Mama is not convinced. “Leave me alone!” She rushed into the house. Aisha She left the men to continue their discussion while she rang her friend Begay. “Can you guess?” “Guess about what?” “Ous’s reception!” “Did he send him packing?” “On the contrary no! He supported us 100% especially when he learnt about the package he has for him and the family. It is only Mama who is playing ‘sakara’ still in K.B’s boat like our friend Matty. Okay, I am going back to join them and I’ll see you later and we will discuss further when I come to school.” “I am happy for you O! I am happy and congrats!” Matty is displeased with her friends and their opportunism. Begay’s Game Her project is to get Ous for herself behind Aisha’s back. She decided to use her phone which she left behind. She copied Ous’ phone number. Ous “Thank you for your warm reception dad, as from henceforth see me as your son not a son in law I promise to transform your life to that of a high middle class.” “Thank you very much my son and I’ve already given my blessing for you to marry my daughter.” Saer He came and caught them red handed. “What is happening here and who is he Papa?” He tumbled with words and tried to make excuses; as Aisha turned her face away in shame. Ous Arrogantly he enquired. “Who is he?” “A visitor, a family friend.” “What! Is that what I am now to you?” “I forgot him I have bad memory old age.” Aisha interjected. “Papa you forgot about Saer your best friend’s son who wanted to marry me but said I have to do my nursing studies here before proceeding to the U.S.” “What! I can’t believe this! Now you are introducing me to your father? What is happening here? Am I in the right place and at the right time? Am I being insulted here?” Saer is enraged. Ous He threw angry invectives at Saer and called him names. “Isthis the nincompoop who is deceiving you? He is really a broker who does not want you to pursue your dreamsin the U.S.I can and will do it. I’ll marry you and we will start from there.” He took out some new hundred notes amounting to D5000and gave it to dad. “Let him not disturb you with rubbish talk, buy him drink and let him leave.” Papa tried to give Saer some money but he rejected it. “I don’t need this fool’s money.” Ous hugged Aisha and tried to go with her but Saer proceeded to stop him but Aisha protested. “Leave me alone I am going with my husband, what is it? What do I owe you? Ous is my choice, he will marry me and take me to the U.S to continue my nurse training there, bye-bye Mr. Stingy, I have rejected you just as dad has rejected K.B bye!” She left him stranded. Saer felt insulted. “Thank you Papa my dad must hear it.” “Well! My hands are tied, I cannot force my daughter into a relationship even if the person concern is my best friend’s son, and Aisha is the one marrying here not me or her mother.” Saer with Matty Saer came to Matty to lay complain. “I got 5 missed calls from you, I am scared, is everything okay? I tried Aisha and could not get her; I tried you later but could not get you either. What happen you are scaring me?” “This is the worst experience in my entire life; I was embarrassed and insulted. I met an arrogant man with Aisha whom she referred to as her lover and fiancé and said he was to marry her and they would then travel to the U.S together where she was to pursue her nursing career. On the whole he was the detractor and not K.B as I thought earlier.” Matty “This was what I was trying to explain to you; Aisha was a simple village girl with her aspirations of going to the U.S to be a nurse who would come back home and takes her family out of poverty. She befriends a village boy, a taxi driver who sponsored her education from high school to tertiary and he was also sponsoring her family welfare. Everything changed when you surfaced and corrupted her with hope and money; now the Law of Khmer is in operation; the table has turned and you are now in deep shit as the Americans would say; I have no sympathy for you as you deserve what you get.” She walked out at him. To be Cont. ]]>
