EARLY PREGNANCY

sod

and it was one of the w

to trade me for

ar Daddy's voice echoing through our n

und Alhaji sitting in a chair, havi

ed and said, "She's old

rmur, "Doesn't this ma

ear to ear, as if he ha

ou're going home wi

lots of land and he's in charg

that he already has eight wives, and mar

marriages aren'

you're going to marry until they

xactly my

but I had no idea that my father would

s only twelve years old. It was

ags. Then Mom came into the room

re too young for this,

hen I got marrie

man to marry as man

a young age, and the wives gro

ings she said

my friends and how we would

ce, I carried my bags on my head and

wed me fr

ecause out of all the maidens in the

would continue going to school in

hen he married her, but she has given birth to

the topic, he gets ang

r will even think about getti

he kind of man I had pict

and a set of unarranged teeth that loo

d me. I mean, seriously, there

men who agreed to marry him

ouse, and even the children

and some were my age mates.

choed in unison, I just stood st

address them as my co-wive

mothers, except for the younger wife

s the children rushed

her hut, maybe she was thinking I will take h

as they showed

parately from t

and laid on the

hat was just the beg

was the greatest mistake I

family with open arms even to the extent of thro

s were killed and many other alhajis

fe, he wasn't even ashamed of introduci

at time a lot of children would have

ters of the women began un

clothes at the entrance

d hundreds of clothes piled

was her turn to wash the children's clot

wash them to prove I

them one after the other and hun

rom her hut, she threw t

d and I came out

necks of these clothes still dirt

e, spitting o

she was my elder and talking b

the clothes to rewashed them, and that'

p me wash, but she shouted

othes to make her satisfied. In the evening, when Alh

enior and I should do anythi

ause even Alhaji

in for seri

hought about my life and how poverty had wor

n't go to school and are expe

d by fifteen, people assume

ji foresaw this, and other

y me off, even against my wishes, and n

t, a girl my age nam

her second name, no ma

in a few months. Her father plan

chance to go to school and was only taught farm

t even read

e me, she had tears in her eyes. "W

nds, she said, "I saw the Alhaji m

to me today on my

someone like that. H

ion and no matter how hard we try, we can't

"I will do some

rents did to you," and the

nt at

. She wouldn't eat or leave her h

he hut, but I finally went in when

asked, suspicious that she might have

she said, "just know that I won't just wait

ed with so mu

e younger wives were forbidden to enter the children'

ase, I didn't

about what Miriam had in mind so

g, and Alhaji called a meeting that we should

e best marriage in th

h," we echo

ents for the marriage, alth

hat if anything happens, th

which were twenty in total, and the young men helped u

of taking care

but Miriam refused to come out of

came to my hut and asked why I wa

d she gave me a slap in

had to hurriedly rush to join the other

hey were "why are you here

Alhaji and very beautiful, I always wonder

't know what to say as she asked me

is people and his sons, and I couldn't help but wonder why

ride, we went inside the house, b

that she had pla

furious with everyone, suspecting

"Aisha, you planned with Miriam to escape so th

to my hut

at he doesn't beat me to death, when

another Man? I think I have pam

egs." I knew i

nded as he had his wa

the older wife to ta

, she used hot water to touch every part of my b

daughter ran a

same." I could feel the pain

, she used a hot cloth to

her mouth and said,

the same fate I did because of a trad

s seen her as a loyal wife to Alhaji and ne

g for her daughter, I was just unlucky

aid, "I sent her to stay with my mothe

ed you by allowing Alhaj

is because I have been

old me out to a man I didn't lo

ft from right, but h

n't do anyth

to.' She said this with tears dropping

need to tell Alhaji, or else he

I knew she did everything for her daughte

n, and I lay in pain until I fell asleep,

o check on me, and I k

stop her, she insisted

nd I wasn't feel

thing about my health

mach pains, and my complexion completely change

feel feverish in the morning, but i

rable, and I would wa

ning, Mama Miriam came to my hut

her duty to

closely examined me to

then she said something t

ant?' 'Pregnant?' I s

I would even go a

is? I felt so confused abo

with a man like Alhaji, was th

t myself, I suddenly felt di

to pick me up and the

water on me t

g at the top of my bed. When I open

hild, as a replacement for my daughter, w

ll throw you ou

ain, shutting off fr

es, I saw Mama Miri

d that something bad happ

" she asked, l

ithout sayi

er hands on her shoulder. She said,

l be able to push the

either the mother or the baby who

I couldn't do anythin

greed, but no one cared i

ed was Mama Miriam because she had a daughte

so a victim of

my room for two da

od, but neither Alhaji nor an

letter to my mom, explaining everything I've

be patient and do whatever they ask, that Allah

his situation, but she didn't un

e it into pieces making sure I

as a mother for

too much time to fully reco

ngest wife, she finally drew c

oor and saw me l

in the house, and that thing you're carrying in

he floor, and when you're done, I'l

heap of clothes she

p but wonder why she does those thi

red the strength to get up an

nt, and unfortunately, it happened. I stumble

rted washing the clothes, all

kept hurling insults at

at hand, imagining a

the clothes to dry them in a hidden pl

and said, "Aisha, co

ay pot so you can fetch

it's the children's job to fetch water,"

you a child? Follow

t, where she brought out a large clay

t using it to climb the hills would b

pe, I collapsed to the floor, s

t that moment, and everyone rushed to he

out of his hut, and as he opene

e asked, as Mama Miriam l

t talking to humans?" he thund

saw her lying on the floor, and I had to

hing to Alhaji because the

I knew he would believe her because s

u doing outside? Didn't the midwife tell you

ens to my child, or else it will be better if you were dē

wife looked at me, and I knew it was her

and left

ned and smiled mischievousl

filled. It was a na

and said, "Tell me the tr

just like that. Did s

anything that happened because it would only make t

up in my eyes, so I avoided l

red my hut and

are if anyone w

got pregnant by the

ah why my situati

lhajis who took care of them and acted as

moving from one

ay wasn't

s from crying all night, pr

red outside my hut was a n

realize when

aw the youngest daughter'

o come here, b

ible for what happened and

she came,

everyone in the house

outside your hut that you

hat you want to give birth to an ēvil child so that d

what a little girl

e everything she did, her

I would get all the love from Alhaj

if she used a spiritual needle, 'cause it wa

e man. I didn't tell anyone ab

ined it and said it w

and I told him I woke up

hen he said something shocking

t heal by next week, we might

ing my leg hīt me

ven survive w

me to tell him where I got the

it was necessary to

elief that Allah wo

started dripping out a

ywhere, even when I need

te, the pregnancy was another problem on its own

exercise a bit for the baby

r the last time and said, "See

g girl like you

l you s

encing so much pain

nd from so that I can help you

e any evidence to prove that the youngest wi

d lie again and I would hav

th the wound on my right leg. I

Since you said the wound just appeared o

. Tomorrow, I will cut off

it, and I will also s

g for his unborn child." A

hed. How could I deliberately

anything, how will they even believe

estions and questioning

fe was really d

d committed that attracted

I was atoning

my bed, using a handkerchief to wi

to behold. "Is anybody

utside, hoping to be laid to sit outside f

ide, taking one step and then another,

to the door and fell, hitting

yself, knowing that crying was useles

I knew my mother would send

d they were enjoying the

parents, my anger to

, so I could confront them like a wou

asking for mercy and confessing my kno

house, the pain grew stronger and I

he end because the p

nyone could tole

because I was dying, and if I didn't

y until I reach

s hut since becoming his wife, and I fe

hed his hut and

t the door, and I collapsed to

happens, it should ha

y neede

ned the door and s

in his eyes as I opened my eyes a bit

man's house, while the women followed him

re not in the market

eated and went back home, wh

and he was sitting outside, offering p

shed to get me from Alhaji, who was already breathing h

opened my eyes. "Thanks to All

nd he began using leaves to wipe

ry slim chance of survival, and you need t

, I start

outside my hut, and th

youngest wife's daug

s laughing, but she

er that I would tell

mother sent her to put the ne

t been comfortable, and m

heard this. He said, "

e man smiled and said, "You woul

that, he just waited for the medic

ed my leg and poured some substances on it

ad told him what happene

little needle that was

ed at it wit

s going through his

ching what the medi

said, "The pin was supposed to

h turned it to you

will start going away un

our household. You might

relief and imagined how I could have l

inally leap home, at least, wh

e only halfway to the compound whe

eir names one a

at down in a corner and wat

st wife's daughter, Amina,

u here because I have never sup

They started whispering amongst th

came quiet whi

ened to your mommy, Aisha

Nothing happened. Mom went to her hut

ish when Alhaj

es. Your mother

me the truth, I

mmy asked me to put the

ed with rage. "No child of mine

went to the backy

t time your mother asks you to do someth

pline her, and I had

d, and she ran back

he turned to the mother, "you

en you get to your parent's house,"

other wives shifted away from her whil

eft, she turned

u regret everything

pped her fi

to Alhaji's hut while I went to my own hut, contempla

ts when I dozed off wit

y eyes to see her staring at me as if

doing in my h

didn't believe her

at happened. Please forgive me," whil

ould never apologize for anything, and I also

ing what the medicine man said and the way s

f eating anything

aid, "Since you want us to stay as enemies, it's fine

med out o

. As I had stepped out to sit

my head till he got

the presence of a husband becau

htly the head of the family because the yo

g she sa

"Why did you reject the f

second chance, and I reconsidered

ked her to apologize to you, but she came

s mood had already changed,

t Alhaji is that he never

ous and frowned even i

a that she has chang

I can't eat her food,"I

said, "Is it because of wh

l me how to

cooks in this house

he first time and talked back a

ur child. If anything happens,

felt a surge of cou

it came from, maybe

sappointment, then left

into the chair a

omeone like that before, espe

ad was that my leg p

he door, and felt like I had

ected Alhaji and thanked Allah that no

out it, they would be

ng by letting him know that not

n't want to lose the child bec

, Alhaji avoided m

to anyone because no one a

but didn't bring u

mosque, I was all alone at home because I

and pray to Allah. After I finish

up, I was re

ew that everyone was

d something to eat, and I ra

t stay in your hut and ask the

de?" I replied in a soft

old me to go to the kitchen and find t

found it. Then I took th

ing when I felt a slig

e stronger, and I

could come, I was

"please don't let