Seyii Tolof – Part 114 EPISODE 9 (Difficult Marriages – Forced, Arranged Child Marriage)

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By Amie Sillah

Jonsi
 She is a fearless lioness whose resolve cannot be easily broken. She fought the thugs until she became exhausted and fell down into a slump as the tormentors also became exhausted and took a break.

The Children
The children gave mommy solidarity by a hunger strike. Mbugul the house boy came to check on them but found their food untouched and he enquired;
   “Why haven’t you touch your food all of you?”
“We are not hungry go and tell papa!” Wals posited.
Mbugs went to papa to report.
“The children are on hunger strike!” He reported.

Antu
He scolded him;
“Nonsense! What do you mean the children are on hunger strike? Why? What are they striking about? Do you put that nonsense into their head? If I find out I’ll chop your head off!” He threatened.
He went to check for himself furious about what he heard.
“What am I hearing sweeties?” He found the plates untouched and he asked;
“Why are you not taking your food? What is your problem? Tell me and I’ll solve it immediately if within my reach; there is plenty of everything you just request and your wish is my command!”
“Free our mama from detention!” The five children requested in unison.
Antu slumped into the sofa next to him and kept quiet without saying a word.
“Free her we miss our mom!” They repeated and he cannot answer their question but took a deep reflection then dialed his phone and said;
“Free her!”
“We free her?” They asked repeatedly.
“Are you deaf? Free her and now with no more questions! I have spoken!”
“Yes sir!” The children heard as papa put the phone on speaker.
“Now eat your food mommy will soon be here.” He hugged each of them and they thanked him as they finished their food.

Jonsi
  She resisted to be released.
The thugs took out the shackles on her hands and legs but she fought them.
“Leave me alone! Why are you freeing the shackles? Why can you continue the beatings? Are you not brutes and killers? Grown up men torturing, maiming and killing fellow human beings like you just because of orders from an idiot! I hate you as well as your master!”
The thugs removed the shackles and went away.
Jonsi was blindfolded and after it was taken away it took her time to locate where she was. She struggled and came out of the dungeon into the street and took a cab home.
She was in great body ache, battered and bruised from head to foot but her spirit was high and she was determined to struggle with her batterer using any means possible.
She came and stood at the gate staring after reflecting on a life of slavery from the moment she went to the village with Antu and her uncle Sorgi, the moment huge money exchanged hands, back to the city and scenes encountered at her matrimonial home, the marital rape to consummate her marriage, flirtuous lifestyle of Antu, the pregnancy with the twins, later the triplets up to now still her life fill with suffering, misery, exploitation, oppression, marginalization and degradation.
“I am literally sold to this highest bidder for my family to live a comfortable village life, look at the life of an African woman suffering and marginalization from cradle to the grave; where will I go to? Who am I to share my problems with? While there is life there is hope, where there is a will there must be a way!”

Umpa
He heard footsteps but no one got in. He then decided to open the gate and there she was, a spectre of a person.
He also reflected and took a deep breath;
“Come in my madam, come in!” He said in soft tones as his eyes became wet with emotion; Jonsi could not hold her tears either.
“God is with you as a virtuous woman, I know your situation but what can you do? You have nowhere to go as you tried it once but it was unsuccessful. I’ll remember you in my prayers and you should also be in deep prayers for yourself, pray for Allah to soften his hard heart and make him more humane to human beings.”
“Thank you.” She went into the house and welcomed by her five children who swung around her and examining mommy very closely as she put up to the pressure with a bold, firm fight.

Planning
Jonsi took her time to plan a successful escape with her five children. She studied Antu’s movements and waited for the appropriate time to leave. As soon as the opportunity surfaced she executed her plan.
She packed her luggage as well as that of the kids and with Mbugul’s help it became easy.

At the Gate
 The family came and Jonsi asked Umpa to open the gate. He flatly refused.
“What are you asking me to do? Take my hand and slaughter myself? I cannot do that madam and you know it but only want me to do the impossible; if I do allow you out Boss will get me executed and as he always says nothing will come out of it because I am a poor man who has not completed my high school because my parents cannot foot the bill I decide to go to security training and here I am earning a living and taking care of a wife with 3 kids whom I intend to educate to the highest level because I don’t want my kids to experience my kind of life. Please madam don’t put me into trouble as my life is already troubled by the difficult society and life of uncertainty under your husband.”

Jonsi
    She stooped down and wept bitterly which attracted Umpa’s empathy.
“You know my case all way through from the small school girl of 15 years to the young woman of 19 years now a mother of 5 kids; what haven’t I seen and you being a living witness to my agony? I am tired Umpa I am really tired I attempted suicide but missed it; I have nowhere to go to, my family has already been bought by the highest bidder but I have deeply thought of it and has a good plan.”
To be Cont.

 

 

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