Marriage - by Ayotomiwa Adetayo

As many thoughts flashed through Iyafi’s mind, she settled on one. A year ago, a friend of hers by the name of Nabi had been forced by her parents to marry a young man she didn’t like. This young man, Timbi, was a great hunter who gave Nabi’s parents a lot of the meat they needed. In fact, Timbi had given them so much meat that they felt obliged to reward him with their daughter as a wife. Nabi, for one reason or the other, just didn’t like Timbi. He was not the type of man she wanted for a husband. He had asked Nabi for a kola nut, and she had bluntly told him she would not give him one. He expected Nabi to step aside whenever she met him on the wayside as a sign of love and respect for a future husband, but she would not. Instead of being shy and hiding whenever Timbi brought firewood and meat to her mother’s house at night, she would sit on a chair by her brother and try to converse as if there were no important stranger in the house. Through the ceremonies, Nabi had always been forced by her parents to accept the hunter. She had been forced to dip her hand and bangle into the wooden cask of oil during the bangle ceremony. All along, Nabi’s parents hoped that she would change her mind one day. They encouraged him to visit often with a bunch of firewood and meat so that their daughter would realise how useful he was to the family, but the more he came, the more Nabi grew to dislike him. Nabi’s mother noticed everything happening, but privately told Timbi not to worry. She said Nabi would have to accept him as ordained by the tradition of the tribe. Finally, the day came when the marriage was to take place. That night, as usual, Timbi brought his bundle of firewood and meat. After the evening meal had been eaten and all was set for the ceremony, Nabi’s mother asked her to come over, but she retorted. “Mama, you know this man is not my husband. How many times do you want me to tell you this?” “My daughter,” replied her mother, “Timbi is your husband. He will hunt for you, clear your farms for you, and build you a house. He is young and strong and many girls, except you, would like him for a husband.” “If many girls want him for a husband, they can have him. I shall not be his wife,” Nabi replied. “All this time, I have been begging you to accept a man your father and I know is good for you,” her mother continued. “You have no choice, dear daughter. Our people say that a child only suffers when the mother is not there. I, therefore, cannot allow you to suffer while I am still alive and strong. You will take no more.”

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