₦airaland Forum

Am reading Provinace by McDonald Frank. I very much enjoy reading the novel because in-spite of its being a bit bulky yet it holds its reader, always at the edge of his chair, eager to know what would likely happen at the next scene, i.e very suspenseful. It's about uncovering stolen arts and artifacts during Second World War by Nazis in France by the protogonist of the novel.

Cyprian Ekwensi's An African Night Entertainment

This is a short story culled from my novel. It's told to a girl, Shahada by her nanny, Gwaggo. Its about one of Gwaggo's peers eventual marrital life. Enjoy your reading!

Gwaggo cleared her throat-emulating her master's action. "The story begins when we were youngsters, now about five decades ago. Surely I won't use her right name because she's still alive, thus, let me call her Ummi, as the house-hold name in Hausa communities, was betrothed to a young man by the name of Audu.

"Audu?" she tried to recall the exact name. "Yes Audu."

Audu, whose occupation was farming, inherited from his father; a farmer and also great scholar in our village then.

Someday, a fortnight left for their wedding to take place. One of the eminent wealthy men living in the village heard about it, through one of his informers. He said he was the one who this girl would be married to.

Ummi was a pretty, very elegant girl but her parents were incredibly poor. Thus, as soon as this opulent idol came in her life, Audu's story was completely demolished and built himself up to that for marrying her. Subsequently, people started criticizing parents of Ummi, over their ruthless decision of giving their daughter's hand in marriage for worldly thing not to her initial fiancé, who is poor.

The damnedest thing is that; Basara, the illegitimate husband-to-be of Ummi was wonderfully a generous man in the face of people of Shanya, particularly elders of the village. Therefore, nobody thought of making a single reproachful expression on that; thinking it wasn't his wish but her parent's to get source of earning. Eventually, if you were in his house, the story has a transcendental dichotomy.

To cap the story short, Ummi was at the end married to Basara. She was, in the house a third and callow one, so she was mercilessly treated like a skivvy. She spent few weeks in such hardship and later divorced as a result of untrue criticism of saying she was pregnant already for someone before the wedlock.

"Hear me," he said horribly, "I don't like any bastard child in my house. Take your dirty body and leave my house immediately"

"Alhaji," she called, hiding his real name for honor, "Wallahi it’s yours not any body's." she miserably, tearfully said.

"No! Immediately pack your ratty belongings and leave my house before I returned."

"Oh-Alhaji-Please." She held the edge of his big gown tearfully, begging.

He, without a single glance at her, went out harshly, pushing her back disdainfully, "Stupid!" he roared.

Basara was, after Ummi had returned home, called by her elders. He honored the invitation and came but repeated what he said to her before.

"Basara," called one of her folks in a pitiful sensation, "she supposed to get pregnancy. Two months are not two days. Even in a day, a wife could be pregnant by her husband, isn't it?" he asked, looking at Basara, "Don't you know this?"

"I know, but I actually didn't." he grinned wildly, "How can I sleep with that little crazy girl! God forbid."

"Watch your language, Alhaji!" warned one old man beside.

"Wallahi…he…did…severally" cried Ummi from the back.

"Ah," he exploded, mouth agaped, "Am I a liar? Is it what you teach her; disrespecting people older than her and in such a company of aged faces? You chit!" he groaned, pointing her.

"Its okay…that's all…" said one of them.

They had no sort of power to convince him to accept the pregnancy. They unwillingly gave-up. And fact is; he was the responsible. He only fulfilled his desire.

At the end of the day, Ummi was left the victim; severely jeopardize, suffered, dishearten and with a pregnancy that people remained regarding illegitimate. She finally gave birth to a baby seen in community as bastard.

It was then that her parent realized their fault, regretted and wished they had not done that to her. What a pity?

"Why didn't they sue that 'rake' to court?" asked Shahada, absolutely startled by the story.

"This is a nice idea. The magistrate courts we had then couldn't deal with that case. No one would agree that Basara could have done such a wretched thing. The man was a wolf in sheep's cloth.

"What about the district head, didn't he get the story?"

"Young girl…what was done couldn't be undone. So they, though the parents alone, deserved. Materialism."

"May Allah avenge 'em."


(C. A Weird Hope by M.I Muhsin, an unpublished novel.)