RACE FOR LOVE

Kadijat is a thirty-five-year old unmarried journalist whose choice to remain single has not only caused controversial sentiments about her to run amok, mothers, sisters, wives, brothers, fathers, and uncles now points at her as an example of what girls should not aspire to be.

Kadi as she’s fondly called, is the first of seven children: five boys, two girls. Her mother and father both civil servants.

Kadijat’s parents are sitting in the parlour. Her father is reading the sports section of the newspaper while her mother is randomly re-organising the room, putting back in place picture frames and table mats randomly misplaced. Her father was addressing his wife without directly looking at her.

“Mama Kadijat?”

“Hmm...Yes daddy? What is that tone in your voice now?”

“It is high time you talk to your daughter.”

“O-ho-oh! She’s now my daughter? When she came first in her primary school, even up to her to secondary school she was your daughter abi? Even when she graduated second best at her school in the university, you announced to the world that she’s your daughter. But now that she’s not married or should I say no man has found her good enough to marry her, she has now become my daughter abi?

“Is that not how it is often said: ‘like father like son; like mother like daughter’?”

“Baba Kadijat, you who have male friends, can you not help your daughter with links to any of them who has an unmarried brother or son? Can’t you help find a suitor for your daughter? Is it not a shameful matter---?”

At that moment Kadijat walks into the house.

Photo credit: GE-fActor Model

“Mama, Baba, good evening.”

Her father reacted rather than respond “Is that how it is now done? You greet the woman before the man? What is this world coming to?”

“Baba, I’m sorry. No offence. It’s just that my eyes saw Mama first and so the natural sequence of speech would follow that pattern.”

“Something must be wrong with you Kadijat. As long as you’re still under my roof you had better recognise who is head of this house!”

“Baaba...” she teased him good naturedly. “Hmm, okay I’m sorry. Baba good evening, Maami good evening.”

“You’re welcome jare. Just leave your father alone because too many things are on his mind including that you’re not married.” Mama turns her attention to Baba who pretends not to have heard his wife’s comment. He always felt very uncomfortable discussing women matter and relationship issues with his daughter one-on-one.

Kadijat looks on from mother to father hoping one of them will continue the discussion. As usual when they open this can of wriggling worms, they are first to turn away from looking at the contents. Taking that as her cue, she heads to her room.

 - Excepts from my upcoming novels