1
It was a clear and crisp morning, a flock of birds were chirping melodiously in the blue sky. The red rim of the sun pushed itself over the sky, it shined on a good many folk. The people of Kunuwal have rose and were about doing their morning chores. Men and young boys on their way to the farm, young girls also helped with the farm work but mostly during the morning hours they fetched water for their families.
“Uwani! Uwani!” a woman in her early forties, sitting in a smoked-filled firewood kitchen called out with a fit of cough in between. Teary eyed she adjusted the stubborn piece of wood that wouldn't catch fire because it was partially wet. The woman glanced out the kitchen door and called out again “Is Uwani not in this house today?”
“Yes Inna!” the young girl answered quickly keeping a piece of cloth she was folding on her straw bed, she came running out of her room and stood panting in front of the elder woman.
Inna gave her a look and adjusted a firewood that was falling out of place from the tripod stove. “Now, won't you hurry up and go to Maama's place, you are being so sluggish. Is it when the car comes to pick you that you will start running around?”
“Sorry, Inna. I will be on my way” she said her eyes full of tears. She went back to her small room, took a veil and went to her grandparent's. Where she considered her second home.
On her way she kept looking around the vicinity, though her village was a small village somewhere unknown, that was only what she knew and she loved it so dearly. She loved the cool weather, the greeneries, echoes of children playing outside, she loved everything about her little village. And now in a short while she will leave everything behind.
One thing she didn't understand, was why her mother, Inna agreed to this arrangement: Of which nothing good was to come out of it. Upon reaching the house she felt cheerful; this was her favorite place, no where compares to her Maama's house.
Uwani was a jovial and fun-loving person, in a village sense of fun. At 17, was a beautiful young women with light built and long features, she had a set of lovable large eyes that looked like a pool of milk with a drop of off in it.
Uwani was looked up to by her younger siblings, whereas all her friends and peers were married, Uwani made sure that she started school, so that in the future she could help her parents. Alas! the young girl's dreams were cut short when the village people put pressure on her parents, and that put a huge twist in the dream she'd been weaving, and that of her parents too.
“Assalamu alaikum” she said, joyfully.
Mama was just coming out from the toilet holding a kettle in her hands, when she saw her granddaughter.
“wa'alaikumussalam, you are welcome” she said holding her chin in surprise “From where are you this early in the morning? I know it is your Inna that sent you.”
Uwani held the end of her veil and played with it with a frowning face she said “it was inna that told me to come and bid you farewell, before the car comes”
Mama smiled at her “Is that why you are in a bad mood?” the old woman held out a hand to her.
“Mama she didn't even let me have my breakfast, I don't know why she is so eager to get rid of me into a life that I don't want”
Maama looked at her and carefully said “Why will you say that it is of no good to you? Only Allah knows what is best. Just pray for Him to give you the best out of it.”
Uwani smiled weakly and said “I am so hungry what can I get in this house?”
“Go inside you will find danwake (local food) inside a plastic bowl, Mairo had prepared it.”
“hmmm may Allah bless Mairo, as if she knew what I had been craving since yesterday” she ate open heartedly. It was after she finished her meal that she looked towards mama and said “Maama do you know what made Inna took this decision without consulting anyone about it?”
Mama gave her a scolding look “hey girl mind your little mouth! Are you out of your mind? Is there a thing on this planet that Halima (inna) will do to make you question her decisions? Even if it were a fire she built for you to go in I thought you will go in, in this case she has found a nice house for you to live amongst your siblings, not a wild forest for that matter!” Maama sighed and calmly said,
“Halima is one of a kind. She is an iron lady, I am not telling you this because she is my daughter, no. I've lived with her in this house, and I've seen what she'd been through. Most especially because of you. You know the kind of sacrifices she made to lighten up your life and make it worthy of living.
“Uwani! Uwani!” a woman in her early forties, sitting in a smoked-filled firewood kitchen called out with a fit of cough in between. Teary eyed she adjusted the stubborn piece of wood that wouldn't catch fire because it was partially wet. The woman glanced out the kitchen door and called out again “Is Uwani not in this house today?”
“Yes Inna!” the young girl answered quickly keeping a piece of cloth she was folding on her straw bed, she came running out of her room and stood panting in front of the elder woman.
Inna gave her a look and adjusted a firewood that was falling out of place from the tripod stove. “Now, won't you hurry up and go to Maama's place, you are being so sluggish. Is it when the car comes to pick you that you will start running around?”
“Sorry, Inna. I will be on my way” she said her eyes full of tears. She went back to her small room, took a veil and went to her grandparent's. Where she considered her second home.
On her way she kept looking around the vicinity, though her village was a small village somewhere unknown, that was only what she knew and she loved it so dearly. She loved the cool weather, the greeneries, echoes of children playing outside, she loved everything about her little village. And now in a short while she will leave everything behind.
One thing she didn't understand, was why her mother, Inna agreed to this arrangement: Of which nothing good was to come out of it. Upon reaching the house she felt cheerful; this was her favorite place, no where compares to her Maama's house.
Uwani was a jovial and fun-loving person, in a village sense of fun. At 17, was a beautiful young women with light built and long features, she had a set of lovable large eyes that looked like a pool of milk with a drop of off in it.
Uwani was looked up to by her younger siblings, whereas all her friends and peers were married, Uwani made sure that she started school, so that in the future she could help her parents. Alas! the young girl's dreams were cut short when the village people put pressure on her parents, and that put a huge twist in the dream she'd been weaving, and that of her parents too.
“Assalamu alaikum” she said, joyfully.
Mama was just coming out from the toilet holding a kettle in her hands, when she saw her granddaughter.
“wa'alaikumussalam, you are welcome” she said holding her chin in surprise “From where are you this early in the morning? I know it is your Inna that sent you.”
Uwani held the end of her veil and played with it with a frowning face she said “it was inna that told me to come and bid you farewell, before the car comes”
Mama smiled at her “Is that why you are in a bad mood?” the old woman held out a hand to her.
“Mama she didn't even let me have my breakfast, I don't know why she is so eager to get rid of me into a life that I don't want”
Maama looked at her and carefully said “Why will you say that it is of no good to you? Only Allah knows what is best. Just pray for Him to give you the best out of it.”
Uwani smiled weakly and said “I am so hungry what can I get in this house?”
“Go inside you will find danwake (local food) inside a plastic bowl, Mairo had prepared it.”
“hmmm may Allah bless Mairo, as if she knew what I had been craving since yesterday” she ate open heartedly. It was after she finished her meal that she looked towards mama and said “Maama do you know what made Inna took this decision without consulting anyone about it?”
Mama gave her a scolding look “hey girl mind your little mouth! Are you out of your mind? Is there a thing on this planet that Halima (inna) will do to make you question her decisions? Even if it were a fire she built for you to go in I thought you will go in, in this case she has found a nice house for you to live amongst your siblings, not a wild forest for that matter!” Maama sighed and calmly said,
“Halima is one of a kind. She is an iron lady, I am not telling you this because she is my daughter, no. I've lived with her in this house, and I've seen what she'd been through. Most especially because of you. You know the kind of sacrifices she made to lighten up your life and make it worthy of living.
I don't see any reason now why you should question her decisions. You have to learn to endure things in life and make sacrifices.” Maama said blinking back the tears that welled up in her eyes.
Uwani silently sobbed, how could she forget what her mother went through because of her? How she stood by her through thick and thin. For so many reasons she couldn't think of before, now she has to do as her mother bid her.
Around 11 am she went to her uncle's house which was in the same compound as maama's. She left the house with a heavy heart. She will always cherish her memories of this house and its people.
Uwani silently sobbed, how could she forget what her mother went through because of her? How she stood by her through thick and thin. For so many reasons she couldn't think of before, now she has to do as her mother bid her.
Around 11 am she went to her uncle's house which was in the same compound as maama's. She left the house with a heavy heart. She will always cherish her memories of this house and its people.
Oh how she used to wet mama's bed when she was younger, she and the neighbor's kids would steal Mairo's roasted peanuts when she was not looking. She couldn't wait for her uncle and grand father to come back from the animal market, they left earlier in the morning and they were not coming back till late evening.
When she went back home Uwani continued packing what she could from the little she had in an iron box that was a gift for her from her step-dad. What made her ache most was that, she will leave the people that loved her more for the people that didn't care about her existence. But when she remembered their talk with Mama she became at ease.
When she went back home Uwani continued packing what she could from the little she had in an iron box that was a gift for her from her step-dad. What made her ache most was that, she will leave the people that loved her more for the people that didn't care about her existence. But when she remembered their talk with Mama she became at ease.
Malam Habu, who was standing in the courtyard said “A'ah is it my mother's sobs that I'm hearing?” he raised the cloth curtain that covered Uwani from the rest of the world and left her in her own little one. She quickly turned sideways when she heard him came into the room, but couldn't make any effort to stop her tears.
Malam Habu sat on a small chair that lay on the floor, which was the only furniture in the room apart from her single straw bed.
Malam Habu sat on a small chair that lay on the floor, which was the only furniture in the room apart from her single straw bed.
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