| My typical Village Girl | ✔

MTVG1☆

Ummita's Point of view.

"Calm down. I have went to aunt Maryam kuma wallahi. I came not describing it to you. There is a katipa on the floor with windows, curtains, stove." I say to six women that sat down looking at me with children or babies in their arms.

They all had markings on their faces.

"Really? Does it have this box...um...?" A woman named Zulaiha says. "TV set." Another woman said,  reminding her. "Yes, TV." Zulaiha says rocking her new born baby.

"Yes, she's have it but little." I say standing over them. I had visited my aunt last month but I still rant about it because it was very luxurious compared to ours.

We usually sleep with mats placed on the floor with a wrapper covering our bodies. We live in huts so I usually go to my aunt's for vacation.

My aunt is from this village but she married a man that lived close to the city and I wish that will happen to me. She has a three bedroom apartment but they are very small, with a medium sized parlor.

She rents the place and the compound was being shared by more than two people.

"Lucky girl." Saudah says holding her son in one place. "Lucky? She is not married not to talk of having kids." Zainab says shaking her head.

"Yes but giving me time." I say feeling a bit down. "You know we all got married at the age of 16,17,18 and the highest 19 but you are 22. 22! Old woman."

Zainab says holding her baby while her daughter played with saudah's son. Zainab was right, I am the only one without a child or married.

"Leave her alone and just give her time." Sadatu says stepping up for me. "Give her time." She says standing beside me. "Yes." I say agreeing.

"Yes for now, right? Look at you, you will be getting married in a month." Zulaiha says hissing at sadatu. "Anyway, please do you have those bras?" Lami says leaning on her arms backwards because of her swollen belly.

"No." I say shaking my head. "Okay but if you have more please give it because your own breasts look very nice." Lami says sighing as I laugh.

"Ummie!" I hear a deep voice call me just to see my brother with a cutlass in his hands. "Look at his arm, I want." I hear sadatu say in a low volume.

I chuckle a bit because even after she got engaged, she isn't over Haleem. "Naam." I answer running to him. "See you later!" Sadatu shouts.

"Mama, tana neman ki. (Mom, is looking for you.)" Haleem says walking beside me. "Mai ya faru? -what happened?" I ask while he looked around.

"Zaku je kasuwa- You're going to the market". He says as i stop walking. I don't like going to the market especially at this time when men come flirting and saying nonsense.

"No, na tsana zuwa at this time." I say crossing my arms. "Mu wuche, layin abun tsoro ne- let's go,  this road is something scary- especially for us." He says pushing forward a bit.

We walk back home just to find my mom talking to my dad. It seemed like they were going to the farm now. They both sat on the bench while Haleem heads to the cows.

"Mama, baba." I say calling they're attention. "Um, yes ummie. We will be going to the market today. We have harvested a lot of yam so we will go sell them."

My mom says while my father drank his fura. I nodded slightly before she stood up. "Our own is in that bag but till we go there." My mom says pushing me forward.

I and my mother were walking to the market. We usually have our daughter and mother thing here more than anywhere. "Mama, mesa baba yake chikin kunshi? - mom why is baba in sadness? " I ask and she smiles weakly.

"Your father was one of the heads of this village. He went through with each rule even marking our children's faces. But when our first child died after it, he broke into a million pieces." She says with sadness.

"Your father regrets doing that so when I gave birth to your elder brother Haleem, we didn't do it. The village was on flames because of that. They kept harassing and insulting us."

She says before she scoffed. The markings not only show and clarifies us as part of the this village but it scares evil away and the markings add beauty. At least that's what they said."

This is a fulani village but we don't really speak fulani. Some fulani people came here to camp then afterwards stayed here permanently to settle.

With each generation,  our fulani language gets weaker.

I wanted to ask more but it is better I keep my mouth shut. I always knew the village hated us but I never knew why. Most children went to school but I didn't so sadatu taught me.

We sold many yams and usually we celebrate. I sat down calculating the money while my mom packed her stuff. "Mama, zamu shakata ko? - mom, we are going to enjoy, right?"

I ask putting the money in the wallet. "We shall ask your father." She says tying the sack. "Okay." I slightly nod when I heard a knock.

I turn just to see Dahiru, the guy who keeps on persisting to get married to me but I am not interested. He even tried to sway my parents and get their blessing. I convinced them so they said it was my choice. 

"Ina wuni, mama? -Good afternoon, mother." He says with an annoying smile. "Lafiya, Dahiru. Ka zo ma Ummie ne? -  Fine, Dahiru. Have you come to ummie?" She asks.

He nods, looking at me. "Ina aiki da Mama, ka tafi. - I am working with mother, you should leave." I say standing up. "Ummie." My mom says looking at me. "Please." I say whining.
****

"Kinyi kyau. - You look good." He says looking at me. I roll my eyes, trying to ignore him. "Kin manta da ni amma babu komai. -You forgot me but it is alright." He says before I stopped walking to look at him.

"Mesa Kake damu na? Bana so in aure ka, ka sani. - Why are you disturbing me? I don't want to marry you,  you know that." I say feeling rage fill me.

"Wasa kike yi. - You're joking." He says but I groan. "it is not a joke! Kaso kayi forcing Ina in aure ka, fah." I say narrowing my eyes.

He sighs, closing his eyes. "Ina ta bin ki tin shekaran ki 18. -I have been following you since you were 18." He says getting a bit angry.

"Doesn't matter. Nafiso kawai mu zaman kawaye kawai. - I prefer we should be only friends." I say as he clenched his jaw.

"Na zaman yaro ne. Dama na so in fadan miki zan je chikin gari ne. Yaya na ya samo min aiki, in na dawo sai miyi auren. - Do I look like a child? I wanted to tell you that I am going to the city. My elder brother found a job for me, if I come back then we will get married."

He says like it was official. "Waya fadan maka zan aure ka in ka sama - who told you that I will get married to you even if you get it."

I say crossing my arms. "Kowa yana son kudi - everyone loves money." He says leaning closer to me when I push him then walked away.

I clenched my fists,  walking away.

I took the dishes away while we sat outside. The moon was bright, the chickens were making noise in their cages, the crickets were making sounds, the cows made sounds too and other strangers around the area laughed.

"Baba,  zaka yi tafiya ne? -are you traveling?" I ask looking at him while he looked at the area. "Aeh, dole ne. Wai dakwai wani aiki da za'a bani. - Yes, I must. There is a work they're going to give me".

He says and I nod. "He will be coming back frequently so in the mean time Haleem will be the father of the house." Mama says laughing. I smiled but I still wasn't sure if I liked that.
****

I ran out of the house panicking, wearing my atampa skirt and blouse. I hope everything is fine.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and it will all be explained in the chapter. More about the village and their problems explained in time.

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