Jonsaba
She is a right fighter as she confronted her parents.
“I want to go to school and I have not accepted dad’s reasoning, why is he discriminating me based on gender? It is unfair! I’ll be damned to go back to that God forsaken farm house and if you force me I’ll burn down the farm hut as well as the crops. Just dare me!” She threatened.
Baa Bangaly
“If you act upon your threat I also promise that I’ll kill you and I am very ready to go to jail for it; what type of woman are you? Do you intend to marry and bear children? Are you not going to be like your mother submissive and accommodating? Carry your threat and also be ready to die.” Baa posited enraged by his daughter’s stubbornness and intransigence as he described her under conservative lenses.
Naa Jumpfi
She is scared to death as she knows that her daughter is stubborn and her husband callous.
“Allah forbids! I beg both of you to stop pronouncing harmful threats; don’t bring bad luck to our peaceful family.” She pleaded.
Jonsi
“I know you don’t love me but want to use me for your selfish interest but we shall see. I am here fighting for child’s right and I am oppose to child marriage.”
Baa hissed and threw his shoes at her she dodged and she still refused to eat her dinner.
Jumpfi
Alone with her daughter she said;
“Don’t blame me my daughter I am helpless and voiceless on decisions your father make concerning the family, my wish is to send all of you to school, you are more brilliant than any of your siblings even Jewru but your dad’s argument is that as girls you are going to marry and better your husbands’ households while Jewru stays and build his father’s home and better his lineage. What argument can you use to counter his?”
Jonsi
“Father is a patriarch while I am an activist we cannot see eye to eye but what I want is for you to see my point of view.
I want to be a pediatrician you have lost four sons and that is outrageous I want to put a stop to it by contributing my quota, my gender does not matter and my parents should not punish me because I am a girl. I don’t want to marry now I want to go to school graduate serve my country and my people being married cannot make me fulfill my dreams. And I want you to understand me and not misjudge me as intransigence or stubborn I just know my rights and am fighting for it.”
Jumpfi
“I understand you very well my daughter I did not go to school because my male sibling Sorgi was given priority over me and I stayed at home and helped my mom in household chores. That is our fate under patriarchy and what can we do? Your dad said he has little money and definitely his priority is his son.” She ran out of the house and Naa went after her.
Jewru
He is very lazy and does not want to do any household chores but Naa forced him to the disapproval of Baa. Reluctantly he went to gather firewood.
Uncle Saul
He was coming to the village to visit his sister Jumpfi when he spotted his nephew Jewru he came down greeted him and gave him lift home after helping him offload his bundle of firewood.
“How are your parents and school?”
“They are good and as for school I am yet to be enrolled again but I hope soon.” He drove him home.
At Home
Uncle Saul arrived and was welcome by his sister and brother in law as well as his niece Jaha but he noticed that Jonsi was absorbed in her world unconcern with her surroundings. He alerted her.
“Jonsaba! Did you not see Uncle Saul? Am I not your friend again? Why did you not welcome me?”
Jonsaba
“Welcome Uncle Saul!” Then she continued retracted into her world.
Uncle Saul
“What’s wrong with her? She is not jeerful!”
Baa Bangaly
“She is stubborn and am going to sell her to the highest bidder!”
Uncle Saul (Sorgi)
He is surprised and asked;
“Sell her! What do you mean?”
Baa Bangaly
“She is an outlaw always creating problems for us as she is all the time on the opposite side of the family as well as a tigress fighting people inside and outside the family when she was at school she always comes home with torn, tattered uniform and always on one punishment or other and most of her fights is not for herself but other people whom she describes as being victimized. She is a problem child and will give a lot of problem to her future husband.”
Uncle Saul (Sorgi)
“I disagree with you on many points Jonsi is a right fighter and I’ll encourage her all the more but will also advice for her to do it respectfully, can I take her back to the city and enroll her in school?”
Baa Bangaly
“That is perfect by me I want her far away before she tempts me to commit crime in killing her.”
Uncle Saul (Sorgi)
He asked his sister who was very quiet.
“Sister! What do you have to say?”
Naa Jumpfi
“I agree with my husband take her and help her realize her dreams. She has weaknesses do accept it and help her.”
Uncle Saul (Sorgi)
“I am not rich but struggling in the city I’ll share what I have with her and will help her to the best of my ability to achieve her dreams.”
Jonsi wept bitterly and does not know what to find but is ready to venture into the future and consoled that she will be going back to school.
Travelling Enroute
Jonsi is very excited as she never had the chance to travel to the city she enjoyed everything she saw along. Uncle Sorgi stopped and bought her food and drinks she enjoyed it and looked forward to more delicacies.
They reached the city at night and she was very tired and went into slumber after bath and Uncle Sorgi showed her, her room.
To be Cont.
