CHAPTER ONE

"You will have to get married to him or else, I and your father will be put into jail for we can't repay the bride price for your late sister." Mother told me as she sat me the day after the burial of Sarah, my elder sister.

She had been married off at 16 years to Mr Jason a World War II ex-serviceman who was fifty two years older than his new addition to the fleet of wives he already boasted. In a society that unfairly prioritised the welfare of the boy child over the girls, it even sounded more unrealistic that my parent's reason for condemning their daughters to a life worse off than slavery was either to keep their brothers in school or help raise money to facilitate their wife purchase obligations through bride price settlements.

"Look, my princess, there is no any other option for you. You either get married to him or you are going to throw us into more trouble. We are already grieving the loss of our daughter and it is not a good time to get into fights with Mr Johnson over your issue. Besides, if me or your father is jailed, no one will ever forgive you." Mother emphasised with her eyes turning red before a tear escaped from her face.

I had been crying since the previous night when Aunt Susan had secretly informed me of the arrangement to marry me off to a man under whose marital enslavement my sister had met a painfully suspicious death. She had been married off three years earlier. She was young and innocent and had just witnessed her first periods a month earlier. Although she had stopped going to school to allow Apollo and Martin- our elder brother to continue with studies, she very much loved studying and remained optimistic that one day an opportunity would avail itself for her to realise her dreams. She had unsuccessfully protested her ejection from school but father was very furious with her that she was attempting to challenge the norms of the society. According to father, there was absolutely no reason as to why girls would go to school since it was their destiny to be cared for by their husbands when they came of age to marry. He would also note from time to time that since girls would leave their fathers' homesteads anyway, to join another homestead, it didn't make sense spending on them in school fees only to benefit another family. That's why it was crucial that they are married off as soon as a suitor surfaced so as to provide resources to either help in educating their male siblings or fund their wives' acquisition.

I could vividly recall the day she was picked from us to embark on her long journey of uncertainty. We were coming from church on a Sunday when two cars parked in our compound tickled us with excitement. Having grown up in a rural setting, automobiles were a very rare spectacle in the village let alone our home. Seeing two parked just right there, we knew there would only be either very bad news like returning a dead relatives from the city or a very important visitor. Since there was no sort of wailing from the crowd of spectators that had gathered already, we believed the cars brought with them good omen and we sped up to get nearer.

"Here they are

" Aunt Susan said as he threw her hands in the air gesturing to us to get to her.

" We have been looking for you everywhere. We were worried the visitors would be upset if you had delayed any longer," she pointed out with a serious expression on her face as she shot her fingers forward to hold Sarah's tiny hand.

" You need to hurry up to take a bath and get dressed well before you go to great the visitors." she continued.

I was visibly confused by the whole episode. How could the visitors supposedly from the City, with cars be here waiting because of my and Sarah? How could it have been their business even if we were to return home at midnight, how would this have upset them? Why was Aunt Susan looking so tensed up?

These were the questions that flowed in my head at that particular moment with no one to answer them. Sarah had all along been silent as Aunt Susan dragged her from one side to another and it disturbed me the more. How could she not be saying something or even asking as to why she seemed to be the center of attention! Why could she not seek to know who the visitors were and where they had come from and why she, unlike all the others, needed to dress up neatly before going to greet them?

As I contemplated the whole situation, I say a tear escape from Sarah's left eye and she wiped it off with the back of her hand. She then tried to resist as Aunt Susan dragged her inside the house where she was to be prepared for what only God knew. Right away, I knew nothing was right. The cars, earlier believed to have come with blessings had,actually, carried disaster with them.

" I am not going anywhere, Aunt. I don't want to greet the visitors. Let me go far away. I don't want to go. I don't want to go anywhere." She cried as Aunt Susan continued to drag her as though she was fulfilling a military order.

Inside the house, Mother was sitting on a papyrus mat in a corridor adjustment to the bathroom, looking at the wall as if to intentionally dodge the eyes of her screaming dear daughter that was about to leave for ever.

" Mom, will you not do something, are you also accepting to marry me off at this age? Won't you allow me grow taller at least," Sarah called out but Mother was stone silent, not turning her head to look at her pleading daughter.

When, Sarah had been dragged into the bathroom, Mother tilted her head towards the direction of the bathroom but Sarah had disappeared with her screaming still audible, though. She was crying a stream of tears ran down her cheeks and her forehead moistened with sweat. I looked at her and I also burst into tears. Inconsolable.