Fatima closed her eyes in pain. She had been sick for three days and had not uttered anything much since. She had been that way since she had been told that Mallam Audu would soon be there to perform the last act to seal their marriage. She had always thought she still had time and had no idea that her reality would be shattered so quickly by an unanticipated future. As she lay on the bed weak, thinking of life as a 13-year old bride of Alhaji Musa who had to at least be a century old, she heard her name outside and knew some of the neighbours were talking about her situation. She strained to hear what they were saying, her mind already cooking up a thousand stories as she moved closer to the window. She could not hear them clearly. As Fatima turned to go back to lie on her bed, she saw her mother behind her. From the look of her face, it was obvious that nothing could be done to prevent the marriage from taking place soon. “Mummy, please save me" Fatima could not help saying. Fatima’s mother would later close her eyes in pain as the women from Mallam Audu's house came to take her away the next day.
This is my entry to @vermillionfox contest