The Fulani Bride (Boddo)

The Loving Boddo

I saw a beautiful 12-year-old girl with her hair decorated with cowrie shells and dressed in black cotton material, embellished with blue, red, and green thread embroidery work, dancing.

The other women and girls were praising her dancing efforts lavishly. Some were even singing while others were clapping their hands for her.

Suddenly, she was interrupted by her cousin sister, who grabbed her left hand and called her name.

"Boddo! Baddo! Come here!"

She pulled her hand away from the crowd. She looked at her cousin angrily because she hated it whenever somebody disrupted her dancing. She loved dancing a lot.

"What is it? Why did you stop my dancing?"

"The city, Baffa, is..."

She didn't even let her cousin finish the sentence and quickly ran away, leaving Innawuro standing there. Innawuro looked at Baddo's behavior and muttered under her breath. Then she ran behind her, screaming her name. Baddo was running so fast that she couldn't turn to see her sister, even though she could hear her. But all she cared about was the people in the city.

From a distance, she spotted a beautiful black car parked near her father Mbororo, where he usually relaxed and received visitors as the Ardo, the head of the village.

"Boddo, why are you running so fast? Mother said it's wrong for a girl to run like that."

Boddo sighed heavily as she gradually slowed down her running, not because she was tired or didn't want to reach that beautiful car and see the city people, but because she was afraid of her father, knowing he would be with them.

"Hey, look Innawuro, if your dear mother told you not to, then why are you still running after me?!"

"Alright, if you don't want me to follow you, then I won't tell you anything from now on!"

She was about to leave when Boddo grabbed her hand.

"Please! Please, my friend, I'm sorry. I won't do that again. And please, I don't want to go alone. You know father will be very mad at me for leaving home without telling anyone."

Innawuro sighed as if she were still angry, her face looking sad. Boddo was scared as she knew Innawuro would leave her and let her go alone, which was what she was afraid of.

"Innawuro, please. I said I'm sorry," she said with a smile on her beautiful face, which made Innawuro smile back at her and nudge her.

"No one can ever get mad at you. You know how to win people's hearts with words. Let's go then." They held each other's hands and continued walking as if nothing had happened.

"Ardo, I can't seem to find my daughter anywhere. Where is she?"

Ardo nodded his head, as he didn't know where Boddo had gone, which always made him angry. He hated it when she went somewhere without letting anyone know. Boddo was his only daughter, and he loved her a lot. He didn't want to lose sight of her even for a moment, and she was gifted and knowledgeable, more intelligent than children her age in Mangu.

"Ardo, if you permit me, I would love to take her to the city as you already know about the marriage arrangement with Datti, who is about to complete his studies in the US and return..." He suddenly fell silent, observing his elder brother's reaction, whose expression suddenly turned differently.

"Impossible!"

Gidado was shocked by his brother's words, which felt like a knife to his throat. He had always wishes for them marrying their children to one another which will strengthen their bond.

Never once had he forgotten their long standing agreement.

"Why is it impossible? How can you utter such words, brother?" Gidado said as he rise from his chair.

The room fell silent as everyone suddenly became mute.

"Boddo, look at this car."

"I saw it already. That's why I was running to come and touch it." They started giggling while looking at and touching the car.

"Innawuro, come and see! I can see myself! This car has a mirror!"

She screamed, announcing her arrival to Ardo, her father, who quickly left the room in a hurry to see her.

"Boddo! Baddo! Come here!"

He shouted, and Boddo started shaking as she knew how angry he sounded, unlike when he was in a good mood.

"Come here quickly and tell me where you went without taking permission from anyone in that house!"

As she walked towards him, trembling, she started murmuring.

"Has a cat got your tongue? I'm asking you something! Where have you been?" He asked again, angrier than before, and was about to hit her when Gidado suddenly interrupted, placing himself between them, which caused Ardo to miss his target.

"Please, my brother, I'm begging you. Please don't hit her," he pleaded, putting his hands together.

"You should be grateful to your Baffah. If it wasn't for him, only Allah could save you from my wrath." He went inside his Mbororo and left them outside.

Suddenly, she remembered Innawuro, who was with her. She looked around but couldn't find Innawuro anywhere.

"She's a hypocrite. She left me to be beaten. By Allah, I will catch her!"

She said that angrily and confidently, which made her Baffah Gidado laugh loudly. She stared at him, wondering why he was laughing, which made her even more furious about what Innawuro had done to her. She promised herself that she would definitely take revenge.

Fans! Fans! Calm me down. Did I hear Datti from the US? Seriously? Anyway, we would love to see who the groom will be! From Mrs. Isa ❤️ Your comments will determine if I should continue or stop!