It’s been two months since
the ceremony, Alhaji Seriki made no sexual advances to his newly wedded wife,
he wanted her to grow.
“Adamat! Adamat! Adamat!”
Latifat, Alhaji Seriki’s eighth child called out from the entrance door, she
was seven years older than Adamat. “Me kake so Latifat?”(Which means what do
you want in Hausa) she answered from the back yard as she walked towards the
main entrance of the house; Latifat amongst other children had become a thorn
in her flesh since her arrival.
“Do I need to tell you
before you take your mat out of the room again?” Latifat said with arms akimbo. “I am
sorry, I forgot.” Adamat said politely. Latifat flashed a hot gaze at her, “I see,
you can forget to carry out your wet mat, but you never forget to bed-wet every
night.” “I am sorry” she said in her small voice. “Stupid girl, your mother pushed
you over here as if we complained to her that we had empty rooms needed to be
filled up.” She dragged Adamat along to the room.
Latifat forced the wet mat on Adamat’s head and pushed her to the back yard. She could do this because Alhaji Seriki was not at home that day, at other times when they tried to harass her, Alhaji Seriki arose to her defense and chastised them that she is their step-mother and they shouldn’t be rude to her. The older wives didn’t see her as a rival, but rather left her to their children because they felt she was too small to contend with.
Six months after her marriage
ceremony, Alhaji Seriki felt he had given Adamat enough time to grow into his
family settings nevertheless Adamat’s mind was still immature.
“Undress yourself and lie on
the bed.” Alhaji Seriki said to Adamat, he called for her to come to his room
that night. “But Alhaji… I have already taken my bath today.” Adamat said
innocently as she believed the only time she needed to pull off her clothe was
when she wanted to take her bath. “ I know you have taken your bath already
moreover I have told you not to call me Alhaji like before, call me Ango (
which means husband in Hausa), we are now married.” Alhaji Seriki tried to
cajole her still standing.
The words didn’t really make
any meaning to her. “Ok Alhaji, did you buy me new clothes because if I must
test them on me, it is dark in here maybe I should bring a lantern.” Then it
dawned more on Alhaji that Adamat was only a child. “New clothes? Have you worn
out the ones I purchased for you during our Nikkai ceremony? “He teased as he
joined her on the mattress.
Alhaji Seriki knew he had to come down to her level of understanding. “Just remove your clothe, I want to help you rub your back”. “But mama says it is wrong for a man to see my body. Adamat said.
“Exactly and she is right but
its exclude your husband”. Alhaji said as he fingered her unkempt hair. “And I
am your husband so I can see your nakedness”. Whatever was unique in the body of
an eight year old that does not exist in the bodies of his daughters must be amazing.
Alhaji Seriki gently pulled her dress off her tiny body. He dropped them on the floor. “Be a good girl
and lie quietly on the bed” He undressed himself as quickly as possible as if
he had never had sex before. “Open your legs wide.”
……………………………..
“Mahaifiyarka! Mama!! Mama
Zainab!!!” She called out as she walked in pain into the living room. “Mama!
Mama!!” She called out to her mother in tears. “Wanene Wanean?” (Which means
who is that in Hausa). Mama Zainab said aloud from the back yard where she sat
grinding pepper.
Adamat struggled to the
backyard, “Adamat it’s you.” She stood up to embrace her daughter. “Why are you
crying? Manene?” She asked her daughter. Adamat cried louder, her dress was
soaked with the mixture of tears and blood. “It’s Alhaji Seriki.” Her mother
held her to the main room.
“Did he beat you, or what is
wrong, why are you walking this way? What did he do to you?” The questions kept
coming from her mother one after another. “It was last night.” She said amidst
tears. “I want to listen to you my daughter, but you need to stop crying.” She said as she
carried her on her laps.
“It’s ok, stop crying, what
happened last night?” now she sobbed. “First, he asked me to pull off my
clothes but I told him you said no man should see my nakedness.” “Okkk, so what
happened?” Mama Zainab was beginning to gather the lines. “She eventually slept
on me, and put something big and hard into my body.”
Now Mama Zainab understood
exactly what happened, Alhaji Seriki was only trying to have sex with her, this
reminded her of her own experience. “Sorry my dear,” she said as she patted
her. “Mama the place is very red and I feel severe pain all over the place.” Adamat
said as she started groaning in pains again, she writhe in agony.
“It is okay, let me see it.”
She tried to pull the little girl’s pant so she can see her private part. “It’s
okay I felt like that too for the very first time, you will get over it.” Mama
Zainab seemed to have forgotten the wide gap between an eight year old and a
fifteen year old. Adamat’s case was very different.
Mama Zainab noticed Adamat
suddenly became silent, “Adamat! Are you sleeping?” She shook her daughter who
was still on her laps. Adamat had fainted. “Adamat! Adamat! Adamat!” Mama
Zainab knew she was in a big trouble; she carried her out of the house,
without slippers on her feet.
“Please help me! Help me! Adamat
wake up!” She was in tears as she knew her neighbours would blame her. She ran
across the streets with Adamat in her hands screaming for help all over the
place.
…………………………..To be
continued…………………………