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Showing posts from September, 2018

CHAPTER 20: THE SHAMED (A WEAKNESS CALLED LOVE :MEMOIRS OF AN AFRICAN HOUSEMAID )

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We reached the bus station, and all of us boarded one tricycle. The tricycle driver kept glancing at zakiyya. A couple of times he tried striking a convo, we eagerly answered him. But his attention was on zakiyya. At first we thought we were mistaken, for Zakiyya never got attention from any man in our village. She had never experienced the joy of being under a positive spotlight. She was always the last to be picked for anything, she was not liked, not liking her is okay, in fact it’s the norm. The girl has been shamed. It all began when she was 5years old. A tragedy that left a permanent mark on her. Her mother was Kandala, her father is  Malam Hamisu. She was their second child. Her father was one of those men that work in the city, he was rarely home. Once in four months he will visit them. He refuse to move them into the family house, because he wanted a private life, like the life he admired in the cities. His house was secluded from the rest of the house. It could be becau

CHAPTER 21: MY DAUGHTER'S FUTURE ( A WEAKNESS CALLED LOVE :MEMOIRS OF AN AFRICAN HOUSEMAID )

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Kandala was unaware of what was happening. She was busy washing a pot, when she decided she needed more ash to scrub. She went to where her firewood stand was. She heard soft sobs. At first she taught her ears were playing tricks on her. But the sobs continued. She walked to their reception (zaure). She held the most disgusting site. There was Malam Dogo, his shorts pulled down, he was on top of Zakiyya, he cuffed her small hands in his large ones. He was busy, and did not hear Kandala. Kandala shouted. He tried to shush but She carried a stick that was beside them and started hitting him, while she cried, wailed and shouted for help. Malam Dogo managed to escape and ran away. Kandala, took her two kids and set out for her in laws house. She was too shaken to explain what had happened. She was speaking incoherently. After a few minutes, she regained her composure and narrated what had happened. Enraged, her father and brothers in law, set out for Malam Dogo's house. Malam Do

CHAPTER 19 : RABI: A BEACON OF HOPE( A WEAKNESS CALLED LOVE :MEMOIRS OF AN AFRICAN HOUSEMAID )

Time flew, before I knew it I was sitting beside Rabi, we were on our way back to town. Laraba was taking us to town. This time I do not know where she will be taking me. I know we were not going to Hajiya Kulu's  residence. I was anxious. For the first time in a long while Mudi was not on my mind. I wonder where I will be taken, will I end up like Azeemah or Ubaidah? What will become of me? Who will I work for? Who was going to give me my next ass-whopping? I could only but wonder. I was morose. Rabi was not as sad as alI, she was chatting with zulfah concocting strategies of men hunt. They even have their love portions tugged at the edge of their wrappers. They were not going to town to play, the girls meant  business. It is good they are formulating strategies the last house Rabi worked for, threw her out, there was so much scandal and chaos. When Laraba took Rabi to Hajiya Hassana's House, Rabi was glad and excited. It was the house she also dreamed of working it. Apa