Fatima: I do not want to get married mama, I still want to go to school, I still want to play with my friends, I want to enjoy my childhood mama please......she said as she sobs quietly.
Mama: But my daughter, you know Mallam Audu is your father's friend and he has been very nice to the family so you have to get married to him since he has asked for your hand in marriage.
Fatima: But Mama, he is too old for me, I don't like him at all please talk to papa for me.
Fatima's Mum: You know if you get married to him, we will have all the money we need to settle our debts and I will even own a shop of my own so don't worry my daughter you will be fine, you are sixteen so you are a big girl already and you are ripe for marriage.
Even if we spend so much money on sending you to school, you will still end up in a man's kitchen and by that time you might not catch the attention of some rich men again so it is better we utilize the opportunity now that we have the time.
Fatima cried all nights as she remembered how she use to study really hard to pass her examinations and her teacher from the city had promised to sponsor her university education if she could do well in her final exams and now her parents wants to force her to get married to this old man she didn't like.
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Days started rolling into weeks and the marriage preparation was taking it's full form, Mallam Audu now visited often to check up on his new bride, what irritated Fatima the most was that he had three wives already so why will he not leave her to go to school.
Fatima's teacher noticed her absence in school and as she was his favorite student, he decided to go and check her up at home, when he got there Fatima's mum proudly announced to him that her daughter will be getting married to the popular Mallam Audu, the village trader so she will stop coming to school. Fatima's teacher was really sad and he asked to speak with Fatima privately, immediately she saw her teacher she started crying and she pleaded with him to help her as she did not want to get married yet. In her words she said; I want to get married when I am ready to get married and to a man that I love, I don't want my career to end here, master you told me that I can become a great woman please I want to become that great woman I have always dreamed of please do not allow this people kill my dreams.
Master: What do you suggest we do, my hands are tied and I will be moving back to the city next week.
Fatima: Master, that is a great idea, I can just go to the city with you, I can start doing the work of an house help to get someone to live with if you don't want me to live with you ,please......
Master: But, that is too risky, what if I am accused of abducting you, that will be the end of my career.
Fatima: I know the city is a very large place and no one can find us that quickly and I am even sure that Mallam Audu will choose another girl in the city if he doesn't find me again.
Master: Okay then, I will get in touch with you.
Two days later, news spread all over the village that Fatima was no where to be found so the marriage was automatically cancelled. Some girls in the village started discussing among themselves as they wondered why a lady will not want to marry a great trader like Mallam Audu but in no time everyone got over the issue as Mallam Audu choose for himself another bride among the beautiful teenage girls in the village.
Fatima started attending an extra-moral lesson that master had engaged her in to help her spoken english, and in no time she started doing very well as she was very intelligent , she wrote JAMB and WAEC and she gained admission into a reputable university, her master was so kind to her as he gave her all she needed.
Master got married, to his long time girl friend and she became Fatima's best friend, she thought her how to dress well and how to live well on campus. Fatima was doing very well in school that she graduated in no time and got employed in a reputable company where she was given her official car and home.
Mater was very happy that she could acquire such great success within a period of six years, but he advised her to go to the village to pay her Parents a visit, so she went with master's wife to the village in her car.
She drove into the village and everyone was wondering who could be the owner of this big car, the girls were so happy because they taught a rich man had come into the village to choose a wife, but they were surprised to see the car in front of Fatima's parents house as they had no daughter to give out her hand in marriage since Fatima ran away. Fatima majestically stepped out of her car and her mother started screaming when she recognized it was her daughter, her mother was so happy and they had a lot of catching up to do.
Fatima's father was grateful to Master for helping his daughter achieve such greatness and he become an advocate against early girl marriage, he started advising Parents to take their female children to school to enable them build a better life and future.
Although, this is a story but things like this really happen for real in this part of the community , let me hear what you have to say about it or if you have heard of a similar incidence feel free to share your experience on similar issues by clicking on the comment section.
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