Hi readers!
This is an entirely exclusive column in the Point Newspaper.
I intend to bring out the hidden treasures in the youth, delve into their everyday life stories and bring out their dynamism. 'Bring it on!' intends to unveil the everyday problems and trauma young people face, and to find possible solutions for them. 'Bring it on!' will bring it in a style never done before and will have you craving for more. It will be a weekly column and a moving story following the development of youths, sometimes of a youth who has given much thought to his or her life. So get set to kick it off.
Freedom Here I Come!
She took in the lovely breeze with a deep breathe down her nostrils to her lungs as she opened the creaking window which made a deafening sound. A woman coming from the corner of the dirty street caught her eye. The woman scuttled an empty dented tin which nearly made her greet the ground in a rather unfriendly manner. Finah stifled a laugh because she knew that she was in no mood to laugh. The sun was setting and soon her husband would be coming home and if food was not on the table he would make mincemeat of her. As she closed the window and abruptly turned towards the stove to see to the cooking, she winced and closed her eyes tightly. This was one of the aftermaths of the beating she received yesterday. She raised her hand and felt the swollen lump on her temple. If only she had a means of escape, she would gladly make use of it. Means of escape? She had one, but fear was more like holding her back.
In the heart of town, a huge shadow of a man walking alone in the street was darkened on a cracking wall. The wall stood faithfully and patiently waiting for its final breakdown. Many years of loyal service for its very own purpose had made the other side of it to crack and its painting to wash away unnoticeably. It was barely hanging on to life. The man was well dressed like a gentleman. His drunkenness only gave him away. This is a repetition of what happened every night. He stays out late, gets drunk like a lord and carries his frustration on his young and beautiful wife.
He staggered and leaned on the far end of the wall for support. He went forth and back, and stood for a while before moving on. He was tired and he needed an early bed. A cat meowed in the darkness and nearly frightened him. The corners of his mouth lifted up in a smile and his mouth watered as he thought of the delicious meal his wife must have already laid on the table for him.
Finah was having a few nods before she had a bitter knock on the door. She pulled together her night gown and held it tight around her as she hurriedly went to answer the door. A loud swear at the door made her realize that it was her husband. She opened it and he hastily came in like the devil himself was hot on his heels. Before she could say a thing he gave her one dirty grin he knew how to do well as his good evening. With two lazy strides he reached the dining table and sat on the nearest chair. He opened his meal slowly as always to let the aroma of the food to assail his nostrils. He reached for his soup spoon and made nasty noises with his meal in his mouth. Finah knew that her husband would be hungry after his usual visits from his haunts. She sat in her favorite chair and watched him ate his food hungrily. When he was done, he downed his water in one go and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. With a satisfied grin on his face, just like the cat which has got a cat for dinner, he closed his eyes and went off like a light.
Finah gave a sigh of relief as she watched Modibo go to sleep. This was what always happened, except for the episode of battery which didn't occur tonight. She cleared away the table and went on her wifely duties as she took off his shoes and dragged him to the bed with all her might. With all the resentment she had for him she couldn't watch him go to sleep on a hard chair with his head dangling and mouth half opened as he snored away loud enough to wake the next neighbor from his slumber. Tomorrow she would devise a way to escape from this hell hole of a marriage, she thought. No, she can't wait till tomorrow, she has to act now. She decided to make no bones about it. She silently went for her belongings and tied them in a small bundle. She made sure that Modibo was asleep as she hurriedly and silently made for the door. Once in the streets and alone in the dead of the night, Finah longed for the comfort of a house and a warm bed and blanket from the cold biting wind. But she knew that fighting against the cold wind was nothing compared to her freedom. She ran as if the devil himself was pursuing her. She knew that she had no where to go not even to her parents, because they would eventually bring her back to her husband's. That she did not want. She wanted to live an independent life, free from battery and assaults. A world where she would be financially independent, a world where she would be respected as a woman and be able to contribute her quota in national development, and a world free from early and forced marriage. She believed and knew that she could do it. It was then she took her first confident steps to freedom - wherever it took her to.
Watch out for more mouth watering and exciting stories which will have you at the edge of your seats every week.
