That Girl Called Love.

A Woman's Plight: Amaka's Story. || International Women's Day

March 08, 2023
By Ifeoluwa O.
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A Woman's Plight: Amaka's Story.

"...respect yourself." Amaka yelled.

She dropped her phone, sat back and turned up the music playing from the radio.

She closed her eyes, and suddenly felt the effect of the rush of the breeze on her skin, it gave her goose bumps. She allowed the wind mess up her hair and the few strands of hair that touched face, sent tingles to her whole body. She felt the serenity.

Until she remembered those words. Her eyes flicked open and this feeling of uncertainty griped her. She couldn't help but feel her heart beat twice as fast. She knew she had a problem, and needed to deal with it fast.

"Amaka, calm down," she said to her self, as she felt a gripping pain in her chest. She suddenly clutch her heart and reached for the half full cup of water sitting on the table beside her.

She sensed relieve, as she gulped down the last bit of water. If only this water could solve her problems easily, she thought. Amaka tuned down the radio, I mean, what could be more soothing than listening to Victor Uwifo on a very breezy day at the Village Square, but Amaka's issues had passed the calming effect of the music.

Amaka has been married for fifteen years, at first, her marriage had been heaven on earth. She defiled everybody's advice and orders.

She had just finished secondary school and had a promising future, she really wanted to go to the university, all her friends were there, she felt left out, but what could she do, her parents only made enough to send her brother to school, she always wondered why, maybe it was because she was a girl child.

Amaka tried her best to convince them, she really tried, but all her efforts came to no avail. Until she met him, He promised to send her to the university, he promised to treat her like the queen she was. He showered her with so much love already, his sweet mouth didn't even help matters, She had already fallen deep into love with him. He wanted to make her his own, he already told her his plans to get married to her. All seemed to be going well, but the problem was that he was 10 years older than her.

"Amaka my daughter, you know I don't talk to much, I'm only going to say this once so listen like your life depends on it." Her father spoke softly.

"I am aware that you say you are in love with Him, and he his making plans to get married to you, I hope you also know that he his my friend and he is not in your age gap," He continued.

"Amaka, please think about what you are doing, very wisely, marriage is not a child's play. You are only 18. You still have a bright future ahead of you, Your life will not end, because you didn't go to the university. You can still become a teacher in our town school." He added, but this time his voice went up a little.

"Please my daughter, think about it, sleep over, pray over it and make sure you the right decision." He concluded and never brought up the issue again.

Amaka had already made up her mind, and nothing anyone had to say could change it, her mother tried, so did her friends. Even her very close cousin, who was reading Law in the university tried to speak some sense into her, but it all went on deaf hears.

Amaka was tired of seeing her friends, flaunt their success in her face, so she hurried the marriage process and within months, she became Mrs Amaka.

Soon after she got married, she took the university entrance exam and passed. She was granted admission to study Home Management. She was ecstatic, everything was falling perfectly into plan, she even had to move closer to her school so that she could be a part time student, which gave her enough time to take care of her family, and manage her school.

Her body had started to show some signs, so she decided to take a pregnancy test. She didn't expect the results, this was not the plan, she was obviously disorder. She didn't know how to take it, she was just in her 2nd year in the university and she still had 2 more years left.

Amaka, decided to keep schooling, until the pregnancy was visible. She told her husband, and even though he was not so comfortable with the plan, she persuaded him to agree.

Amaka found her self in the hospital room, all she remembered last was her falling from the staircase in her department. She felt a sharp pain in her stomach and asked the doctor what was wrong but he just smiled and gave her an injection that knocked her out.

After few days, when she returned home from the hospital, her husband broke the dreadful news. She had lost her baby as a result of that fall.

Everything changed ever since the incident, she went back to school, but her marriage felt the loss. Her husband was never the same again, and she got to know that his business started to crash, and as a result of that, he took to drinking. Each night he would come home drunk and Amaka tried her best to pull him together. She behaved like every loyal wife would be to a drunken husband.

One night, she couldn't take it again, she rose up and questions why he thought drinking would solve his problem. She had been filled with anger, because her husband refused her from going to school anymore, she was in her final year and didn't see the need to stop now, but what could she do, her sponsor thought it better to spend the little money he made on drinks rather than his wife's education.

Maybe she raised her voice a little loud, Maybe she didn't behave like a loyal wife, Maybe she forgot she wasn't talking to her age mate, or Maybe she was just fed up. All these weren't reasons enough for how her husband responded. He was in his drunken state right, but he still managed to give his wife the beating of her life which damaged her womb forever.

Amaka had gotten pregnant again, she decided to keep it to herself and try to sway him allow her complete her course. Every effort to talk to him proved abortive. She was tired, fed up and maybe started to regret her decision. She tried talking sense into him, Maybe he would finally listen to her. But that was maybe the worst mistake of her life.

Amaka suffered ever since that day, her marriage knew no peace, her education was put on a halt, her life was in a mess.

The constant torment from her husband's family for a child didn't do her any good. How could she tell them that their brother was the reason for her childlessness. He threatened her not to say a word about the incident. So she lived the rest of her life, carrying the blame.

Every single time someone from her family called her, she either lied or dodged the call. She couldn't afford to hear them say 'I told you so'. So she was better off in silence.

But there is no smoke without fire. Her family got to know about her martial issues when her husbands family came to collect their bride price. Their main reason was that, there was no reason why there brother should keep a man in his house as a wife, when they could find a well functioning woman who will bear him children.

Amaka cried, begged and prayed that her husband took her back. Her life was practically over, who would ever marry a 38 year old woman with a no good womb.

Her husband had already gotten her replacement and ordered her out of his house. But she could not afford to throw 15 years of her life away. She had no where to go, and couldn't picture herself going back to her father's house. Even though she had a small kiosk, it wasn't enough to sustain her. She was done for, but she still decided to stay in his house, till she gathered enough to get a place of her own.

Amaka was sitting in her kiosk this faithful day, She enjoyed the comforting effect from the music on the radio. She enjoyed the peace she felt that moment, and everything seemed passable. Until she heard a ring on her phone, she reached for it to see who it was. An unknown number called her,she was a little hesitant to pick it, but she thought to herself maybe it was a destiny helper. She lowered down the radio and answered the call.

"Hello, Good Afternoon." She said.

"Hello to you too, what is good about this afternoon, this is Sochi's brother. I am calling to let you know that your husband what am I even saying, we have already collected our bride price, because I cannot be alive and watch my brother keep a man as his wife in his house." He replied rudely, saying those words that shattered Amaka's heart Instantly.

"Well, Sochi said I should let you know that he has already packed all your things out of his house and you should come and get them. He is trying to make space for his new wife who is already pregnant." He said mockingly. Amaka who had already been upset by now couldn't take one more insult from him again.

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself, you have to audacity to pick up your phone to call me and spill nonsense from that gutter hole of a mouth." She fumed, I mean, one could only expect less from her.

"What Sochi has to say to me should be said by him directly, I don't see the need why he has to send someone like you to talk to me, Unless he is afraid of something," She continued.

"And as for you, I don't want to ever see you call me. If you cannot respect me as your brother's wife, then respect me as a woman, and if you cannot respect me as a woman, then respect yourself." Amaka yelled as she cut the call.