The Gift - IWD
Kariowi..that's what they called her. Intelligent and brave as a kid, always caught spearheading many childhood escapades. The day came, when she alongside the village boys had bullied the young rascals, they had told her Father "she's a woman and acts as though she is not, tame her".
Mama Aare had gotten the job to bring her into full blown feminity - to not speak except when spoken to, to not want just anything because of her disabilities - her female organs, to not look into the eyes of men for what slave looked into the eyes of her master, to not run but walk, to not speak but answer in submission. Countless beatings and scourings and she became the photocopy they wanted.
She became a shadow, the lights in her eyes dimmed and just as those who went before her she became the perfect actress. Living with mama Aare, who had become too preoccupied with being who the society says a woman is, to be human. Three nights in a week was the roaster, her husband helped himself to Kariowi, he had waited until they had broken her spirit so she didn't scream or struggle in discomfort. She laid there still, crying her anguish away.
She was given off to Lekan. Given, that's exactly what you call it. They had said " Gather your things for tomorrow you leave to be wife to the hunter's son". Did she argue or tell them that the farmer's son was the one she wanted? No, she didn't have a choice.
Lekan, the master. Used her to satisfy his needs and wants. Hot meals at 9, back rubs at 10, bedroom duties at 11, dishes at 12, up at 4am to run the bath water, breakfast by 5am and all other duties following, even when she was pregnant.
She bore Aduke, the loved and when Kariowi saw the spark in her eyes, she knew she couldn't keep up with the acting.
At 10pm whilst she administered the daily dose of the back rub to her master, she said "perhaps we could get someone to relieve me of some of these duties". He beat her so much it hurt to breathe and pushed her out of his way, she wasn't going to make it and just as life left her body, she saw the light leave Aduke's eyes too.
Aduke the loved, was never informed about the death of her mother. They said " she wasn't any good, she left you but we'd get you another" like she was some toy, they didn't know that at the time owls become the Lords of the skies, she had seen Lekan take the life out of her mother.
Aduke silenced by the grave injustice done to her mother. Everybody blamed her mother for leaving Lekan, for bringing a little witch like Aduke into the world who stared in silence with piercing eyes. Somehow she survived, living like a ghost. They gave her out to Soji. Yes, yet another giving.
Soji the perfect menance, won over by patriachy but a dotting husband. He loved her and she did all the wifey duties, you know the drill - cook, clean and tend to me, the big mouthed Abeke.
Tragedy struck when she told Soji she wanted more. A little land to do some farming. He said the ladies helping out with some household work have spoilt her, he let them off so she could concentrate with doing household work and not get caught up with "unwomanly thoughts".
Soji died shortly after, leaving Aduke and I, the big mouthed Abeke. The men in the family took it all - the lands and the house. In their words, " a woman had no business owning property".
Aduke left with me - the big mouthed Abeke. Living in a world where she was called "an after one", where if she was found with a man begging to let her clean his house so she could feed me, they'd tell her she is a slut. Even when the white men who owned the houses she cleaned forced themselves on her, they said " the apron on her wrapper must have been too tight, shaping her waist. She definitely was asking for it".
And when they had taken their turns with her and thrown her out, those who saw how she looked battered, with sores and bruises, walking like she had just delivered an elephant laughed at her and called her "ashewo". She came home and just before life left her she said "We'd day that we bowed in submission so this light doesn't leave your eyes. We'd say that we suffered in silence so when you speak, you'd roar."
So, when I walk into a room with an audacity you have never seen, putting a demand on life that you have never fathomed, remember I do not come to you alone, I come standing on the shoulders of the women before me who shook at your voice. They had the fears for all of the other women to come. I don't have that fear, along side actions, just watch me roar.
For International Women's Day '20.
Love,
Mag.
Mama Aare had gotten the job to bring her into full blown feminity - to not speak except when spoken to, to not want just anything because of her disabilities - her female organs, to not look into the eyes of men for what slave looked into the eyes of her master, to not run but walk, to not speak but answer in submission. Countless beatings and scourings and she became the photocopy they wanted.
She became a shadow, the lights in her eyes dimmed and just as those who went before her she became the perfect actress. Living with mama Aare, who had become too preoccupied with being who the society says a woman is, to be human. Three nights in a week was the roaster, her husband helped himself to Kariowi, he had waited until they had broken her spirit so she didn't scream or struggle in discomfort. She laid there still, crying her anguish away.
She was given off to Lekan. Given, that's exactly what you call it. They had said " Gather your things for tomorrow you leave to be wife to the hunter's son". Did she argue or tell them that the farmer's son was the one she wanted? No, she didn't have a choice.
Lekan, the master. Used her to satisfy his needs and wants. Hot meals at 9, back rubs at 10, bedroom duties at 11, dishes at 12, up at 4am to run the bath water, breakfast by 5am and all other duties following, even when she was pregnant.
She bore Aduke, the loved and when Kariowi saw the spark in her eyes, she knew she couldn't keep up with the acting.
At 10pm whilst she administered the daily dose of the back rub to her master, she said "perhaps we could get someone to relieve me of some of these duties". He beat her so much it hurt to breathe and pushed her out of his way, she wasn't going to make it and just as life left her body, she saw the light leave Aduke's eyes too.
Aduke the loved, was never informed about the death of her mother. They said " she wasn't any good, she left you but we'd get you another" like she was some toy, they didn't know that at the time owls become the Lords of the skies, she had seen Lekan take the life out of her mother.
Aduke silenced by the grave injustice done to her mother. Everybody blamed her mother for leaving Lekan, for bringing a little witch like Aduke into the world who stared in silence with piercing eyes. Somehow she survived, living like a ghost. They gave her out to Soji. Yes, yet another giving.
Soji the perfect menance, won over by patriachy but a dotting husband. He loved her and she did all the wifey duties, you know the drill - cook, clean and tend to me, the big mouthed Abeke.
Tragedy struck when she told Soji she wanted more. A little land to do some farming. He said the ladies helping out with some household work have spoilt her, he let them off so she could concentrate with doing household work and not get caught up with "unwomanly thoughts".
Soji died shortly after, leaving Aduke and I, the big mouthed Abeke. The men in the family took it all - the lands and the house. In their words, " a woman had no business owning property".
Aduke left with me - the big mouthed Abeke. Living in a world where she was called "an after one", where if she was found with a man begging to let her clean his house so she could feed me, they'd tell her she is a slut. Even when the white men who owned the houses she cleaned forced themselves on her, they said " the apron on her wrapper must have been too tight, shaping her waist. She definitely was asking for it".
And when they had taken their turns with her and thrown her out, those who saw how she looked battered, with sores and bruises, walking like she had just delivered an elephant laughed at her and called her "ashewo". She came home and just before life left her she said "We'd day that we bowed in submission so this light doesn't leave your eyes. We'd say that we suffered in silence so when you speak, you'd roar."
So, when I walk into a room with an audacity you have never seen, putting a demand on life that you have never fathomed, remember I do not come to you alone, I come standing on the shoulders of the women before me who shook at your voice. They had the fears for all of the other women to come. I don't have that fear, along side actions, just watch me roar.
For International Women's Day '20.
Love,
Mag.
Nice.. Very insightful
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you, John. You can click this link to subscribe so you don't miss any other story.
Deletehttps://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=ListeningMag
What a read 📚
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