HADIZA PART 1

Hadiza was not happy because the day she had been
avoiding had finally come. The signs were ominous. The
men sitting with baba in the living room came to
discuss something that had to do with her. She was
disgusted ever since she heard of their plans and had
been nursing thoughts of running away from the house.
At 17 years of age, Hadiza wasn’t interested in
marriage. Danladi Umar and his family members were in
the house to meet her father and to seek the consent
of her family for her hand in marriage.
Danladi had informed her during last year’s Sallah
celebration that he loved her and would want her to be
his wife. He said he would be coming soon to meet her
parents. She had laughed him off and asked him if none
of the beautiful ladies in Kano had caught his eyes.
She had told him that she wasn’t interested in
marrying him.
Now, on this hot sunny Friday afternoon with the chilly
harmattan breeze blowing wildly, Danladi and four of
his family members were drinking cups of kunu in
Baba’s hut, exchanging pleasantries with baba and her
mother. Baba Ahmed must have been given a prior
knowledge of the visit because he had returned from
the Friday Jummah prayer in the mosque much earlier
than usual to open his door to the visitors.
Danladi’s dad, an old man with a long white beard was
the head of the team and acted as the spokesman.
They had brought along with them kolanuts, two bags
of salt, sweets, perfumes and a few other items as
demanded by tradition.
Aisha, her mother had come to call Hadiza. Hadiza was
sitting on the low wall at the backyard stirring the
milk in the pot on fire. She was putting final touches
in the preparation of the fura de nunu for the
afternoon meal.
“Yata, my daughter, come to the sitting room and meet
some visitors who have come to visit you” Hadiza’s mum
tapped her lightly on the back.
“Uwa ta, I know what they want. I don’t want to
get married now” Hadiza shook her head with a
defiantly.
“You should have a change of mind, Hadiza, this is what
is best for you! You are old enough to get married.
Come and greet them, and wear a bright smile on your
face” Aisha pressurized.
With a sigh, Hadiza grudgingly followed her mother and
entered the house. Baba’s living room was the first
door by the right.
The men on sighting her as she entered the room all
smiled warmly at her. Danladi clad in his white kaftan
dress and a multi colored cap gave her the brightest
smile. She could see his gap teeth as he beamed at her.
She gave him a furtive glance and greeted the men
with a blank look on her face.
“Sannu, salama alaikum”
“Kina lahiya?”the eldest man inquired.
“lafiya lau” Hadiza replied.
“Megida, here she is” Aisha said to her husband.
“Hadiza, my daughter, my friend Alhaji Yero and his
people have come to see you. They are here to seek
your hand in marriage. Danladi says he loves you and
wants to marry you. What do you say? Will you marry
him”, the tone of his voice and excited look on baba’s
face showed that he had already given his consent.
“Baba, I don’t want to marry now, I am too young
for marriage. I want to go to school”
The men all burst out laughing. Baba stared at his
daughter with a look of disbelief on his face.
“My daughter do you know how old your mother was
when I married her? I know you are doing what
women do when they want something. At first they
give a little resistance and pretend as if they don’t
want it. You are going to marry the fine gentleman
Danladi. He is from a good home. Alhaji Yero and his
family are good people.
“Baba, I want to attend university first and graduate.
I want to prepare for Jamb which is coming up next
month…”
Danladi quickly cut in,
“You will attend University and graduate insha Allah
after our marriage. Hadiza have no fear, I will take
care of you”. His family members nodded approvingly.
“Have you heard that Hadiza?” Baba addressed his
daughter. “You young people are so stubborn these
days. What use does a university education have for
you at this point in time? You have finished secondary
school and have passed waec. That should be enough for
a woman. You can leave us now!” Baba said angrily.
Hadiza swiftly walked out of the room and headed to
the backyard. She leaned against the baobab tree with
long branches and began sobbing.
Why couldn’t baba see the value and importance of
education? She had big dreams of going to university
and studying science. She wanted to finish school and
become a scientist. She loved seeing the pictures of the
men and women in the laboratory wearing those white
cloths they called lab cloth in her Biology text book.
She loved seeing them standing over with the big
microscopes peering down at the specimens. She wants
to be like them. She wants to research on bacteria,
virus, fungi and find the cure for diseases.
Marriage to Danladi was going to cut short her dreams.
She would be indoors for most of the time as a married
woman. She would start giving birth to many children.
If only her parents could understand and see reason
with her….
“Hadiza, stop crying, it is okay” Aisha said as she laid
her hand across her daughter’s shoulder and drew her
to herself.
“Mama, I don’t want to marry. I want to go to
university!”Hadiza sobbed.
“You will go to university, Walahi! Dandali says he will
allow you to study. He is a good man and means well
for you. Hadiza my daughter, Danladi is very rich. Can
you see that jeep in front of the house? That is one
of his cars. He works in a big government office in the
big city of Kano. Don’t you want to leave this small
village and live in the city? Danladi will take you to
Mecca for the hajj as many times as you want. Your
father and I have not been able to perform the hajj
because of our poor state. This is your chance to be
called as an Alhaja and lift us out of poverty. You know
baba’s health is failing and he can’t farm as hard as he
used to do before. We need money. Dandali is not only
handsome, he is also young and rich, marry him”
“But I don’t love him!”Hadiza exclaimed.
“I didn’t love your father when I married him. I was
only 13 years and everything felt strange to me. But I
had to accept my fate and today I am a fulfilled
woman”
Her mother left her and walked into the kitchen. She
would treat the visitors to some steaming plates of
Tuwo shinkafi alongside Miyan kuka soup.