Afro sat under a big boabab tree reading a book, her grandmother named her Afro because of her big frizzy, kinky hair, she said it was uncommon for African women to have such amount of hair on one head unless of course it was borrowed. But her father named her Kelechi
She scribed some phrases and word in her notepad as she read. At the far end of the compound sat two kids in the wet sand building castles with their feet. The older one soon start to bully the little one and a fight ensued between them. Afro paid no attention, boys will always be boys, fight, push, punch but in the end their children nature will give in and they will forgive each other and continue the play.
The children didn't stop the fight and the little one ran towards her holding a small wooden shovel in hand while the older ran after demanding for the shovel.
She focused on her book. The little one ran past her seeing she offered no refuge against his older brother who was almost on him.
A cool breeze started to blow, the aftermath of a heavy rainfall at the break of dawn.
"you can't keep reading books woman, you need to pay attention to the children they could get hurt" shouted a man in a faded khaki and an amber-colored undersized polo shirt that bore earmarks of an original white colour. The shirt was torn at strategic points. The man was sturdy with a big droopy tummy showing beneath the polo.
"of what use is a woman in the house if I have to tend to the children myself" he remarked wearily scratching his nearly bald head except for a few gray strands around.
Afro brightened up as the wind blew with more vigor and the smell of wet sand filled her nostrils. She inhaled it in, as memories started to flood back.
She was 8, 10years back, a young beautiful girl with hopes and aspiration, longing for a future only education and handwork could bring. She admired the women in their tailored suits and well groomed hair and heels as they occasionally come into her community to speak to the women and men alike on hygiene, health, entrepreneurship and the likes. She loved the way the men paid rapt attention to the women, and she marveled when they address the women as 'madam' or 'ma'am', she wanted to command that much respect.
In her community women have no voice they were seen and not heard, no woman dare speak back to a man, it was considered disrespectful. Any woman caught was dealt with; she would be stripped, flogged and made to dance round the community in humiliation.
At community gatherings the women sat separate from the men, looking and waiting on the men. At the outset of raining season the women go to the farm to clear the land and plough the field, at harvest time the women gathered in the harvest.
The men seat all day chattering, drinking, and laughing and at night on few occasions they go hunting.
When the women in suit accompanied by a few men and armed officers brought western education to her community only a few men and boys were allowed to go to school. Afro was different, armed with determination for education. She would sneak at night to the house of a teacher, Miss Williams who took her time to tutor her for many months till her father caught her.
He was angry and ashamed that his daughter was caught flaunting the law which was to be honored with fear and thralldom.
He hid this from the elders fearing his daughter would be humiliated and his family shamed. He told her "education has never done any woman good, the dignity in a woman is how she performs her duty in the home."
As punishment he forbade her from leaving the compound. But Afro was not the type to adhere to words, her actions spoke for her.
She will would stay in her room, study her notes and what she hard learnt from Miss Williams. That was how she learnt to read.
And when she became a woman with her first flow, her father married her off .
Afro has always dreamt of that life where she would be an educated woman, well respected and honoured. A voice for and to other women in her community. Be married to an equally educated man, a doctor preferably, live in a big house. Have two children well cultured, educated and of good morals. The life she wanted was not that of luxury alone but what education with hard work has made available for her.
A hard slap on her cheek woke her up and brought her back to her senses, her life now.
" I told you those boys will hurt themselves, you foolish and useless woman" her husband angrily shouted.
She turned around and saw the older boy crying on the veranda, holding his arm, she quickly ran to his aid leaving her books behind. A mothers first instinct is the safety of her child and Afro knew better, this was her life now and she had to settle for it.
To be continued...
-JOO
Contact me @: oyeladeoluwabukola@gmail.com
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