Sekinat: Muted Voices

Chapter 16

Sekinat used to be a beautiful damsel with fewer lines etched upon her now weary visage. She had more meat on her bones and her back firm and straight which lent an additional layer of gracefulness to her natural beauty. Her warm and effusive smile illustrated a state of constant happiness and contentment. All she worried about like she had been taught from a young age was being a good house wife to her husband Adamu who worked in the local council in the day time and volunteered with the Civilian jtf after work. He was also a keen farmer hence worked on their allotment on weekends, providing all that the family ever needed for food and general sustenance.

The fear and trepidation which enveloped Sekinat when her marriage to Adamu had been initially arranged, gradually morphed into love and affection towards her husband. She had been one of the lucky few who ended up with a good and caring man. He had dispelled all of her worries and trepidation one after the other as he displayed only respect and adulation since they had been married. He helped her out with household chores, and treated her like an actual equal when it came to decision making in their household. Sekinat was most grateful for her choice because of the way he dotted on and loved their daughters, often promising Sekinat that he will make sure they studied to the highest qualifications possible. 

The way he treated his wife and the quest to educate his children to the highest scholarship presented an aberration which left many of his friends wondering if she had charmed him with the Hausa love charm 'kayan mata' or he was displaying the characteristics of a weak and ineffectual man.

Life was good and she lived a life her contemporaries could only dream of, that was until the day her carefully arranged existence shattered into little bits, never to be whole again.