17/05/2022
A short story by Haruna Ngada.
She Wants It All.
Chapter 1
Umma, a young lady from a fairly stable background had a dream. She was in secondary school and was aware of finishing soon with the hope of continuing on to higher education.
Her father was supportive and wanted all his children to go to school. Her mother, a quiet woman, firm but caring only completed secondary school before she got married off.
Mama had vowed, my girls will go to school, they won't end up like me, a house wife fully dependent on my husband.
She wasn't unique in this wise because all the other girls her age had the same fate. Maybe her case was slightly different because her husband had married only her.
As Umma continued her preparation for her final secondary school exams, tragedy struck. Her father was involved in a road traffic accident and sadly passed away.
She was the first child among four, her immediate younger brother was two years younger than her.
The twins, 8 year-old Hassan, and his sister Hussena were a delight. The first twins in their lineage and as such were treated as special by all.
As weeks passed, it became evident there was a vacuum in the family. Gradually, it began to tell, some of the little things baba brought home were no longer there.
It was time for school fees, mama, looked a bit distressed, this had never been the case when baba was alive. They passed this phase with no major issues.
Umma's final secondary school exam result was affected by her father's death. She had not passed with credit in Maths and English, this meant she had to resit in order to get into higher education.
By this time, the family's finances was evidently not adequate to carter for all their needs. Mama wasn't working, she never had.
Umma, now an attractive growing young woman had begun to attract men. Before long, she had fallen in love with Abu, a third year student in the university.
Abu's parents were well to do, his mother, Amina, was the second wife of his father. He was the closest to his father who had eight children.
People say the closeness is because he looked so much like his grandfather, afterall, he was named after him.
Before long, there was pressure on Umma to get married. She was in love, and since Abu was a progressive young man albeit from a conservative family, she felt reassured.
"My dream of going to university will not be hampered. I will get married, resit my exams and go on to university like my husband".
The wedding was modest, Umma's mother, although reluctant initially, eventually saw the sense in it. Perhaps it was a resignation to fate.
Mama knew deep down that she couldn't stop the wedding even if she wanted to. Umma's uncles had already accepted the marriage proposal, her voice would have been drowned out even if she protested.
How she wished her husband, Ahmad, were alive he wouldn't have allowed his precious Umma even think of marriage without getting into university.
As expected, school was put on hold since Umma had marital obligations. Before long, the morning sickness had started. School was now a distant necessity.
Abu, now a youth corper was soon to be a father. He had a job waiting for him in his uncle's oil company. It would be an easy transition since he was already serving as a youth corp member there.
Umma gave birth to a baby boy, he was named Ahmad, after his late maternal grandfather.
Mama was now a grandmother, she felt as if her husband had been reborn. Tears of joy filled her heart every time she carried baby Ahmad. His eyes, a carbon copy.
Ibrahim, Umma's younger brother had now secured admission into the university. Mama was proud of him as he had assumed a fatherly role in the house.
Baby Ahmad was now weaned off breast milk. Since Abu was now in a managerial role in the oil company, he spent more time in the office.
Umma is now more confident and leaves Ahmad in the hands of the ever present family members.
She now had more time to herself and decided it was time to resit that secondary school examination she had put on hold.
Abu was supportive , he even got her a private tutor from one of the top secondary schools. It was hard at first, but she gradually began to pick up where she left.
Some of Abu's aunties began to make side talks, "why is he allowing her have a tutor? A male for that matter".
What more school does she want, afterall he provides everything for her and her family?
Before long, the whispers reached Abu's ears when his mum visited, looking worried. Amina, was never one who could hide her emotions when something was wrong.
Abu playfully asked her, is Alhaji marrying another wife? She laughed it off, knowing that Alhaji, now in his mid seventies barely had interest or perhaps the energy in the 'other room'.
Amina and the two other wives, Jumai and Rakiya often joked among themselves, equating it to the corn season which happened once a year, if lucky twice.
Amina then opened up to Abu, telling him what family members were saying about him allowing Umma carry on with school.
She was not in anyway suggesting what Abu should do, rather just making sure he was prepared to face any such confrontations.
Knowing Abu, it was pointless telling him what to do, he had always been independent minded even as a child.
Abu thanked his mum for bringing the whispers to his ears. He calmly told her, mama, Umma, is my wife, with emphasis on my!
Amina got the message, it was a polite way of saying "it is not anyone's business".
Of course, Amina felt relieved, at least she was only a bearer of the message and she was not killed having delivered the message .
Chapter 2.
Umma completed her WAEC, she was proud of herself so also was her husband. Abu's aunties never spoke about the school matter again. He also never behaved as if he had heard about their reservations.
Umma was given a place to study at the university. She chose political science, this is because she had always been fascinated about how people became leaders.
Baby Ahmad had now started walking, he needed more supervision otherwise, his baby steps could lead him all the way to his grand mum's house.
"A baby walking is a sign that the child is due a younger one", Umma laughed when her mother told her jokingly. Mama, let me face my studies she responded sheepishly smiling as she left the house.
True to mama's talk, Umma began another bout of morning sickness. Abu is truly his father son, mama giggled when she heard the familiar sounds of retching.
Few months down the line, Amina was born. She was a fair baby, a bridge of both families in terms of her looks. What would be termed cross breed in animals.
Umma carried on with her studies, Amina didn't have the luxury of all her time like her brother, Ahmad.
She progressed in her studies and was proud of herself. Mama was even prouder, her lifelong goal of seeing educated girls was not only a reality, but her own daughter .
Umma found it sometimes hard balancing school and family life, she had also begun engaging in departmental politics.
She decided to contest for a post as Welfare Secretary in her department, this meant staying late in school some days attending meetings and campaigning.
Abu was fully focused on his uncle's business which he now part owned. He also kept late hours. Ahmad and baby Amina were mostly looked after by capable family members who were in no short supply.
Abu and Umma were happy as they were fulfilling their dreams. The long periods away from home together however slowly began to create some friction in the home front.
On the evening of Umma's elections, Abu came home early and found Ahmad was still in his school uniform. Abu reacted angrily to Fatima, his cousin who was looking after the kids that day. It was a surprise as they had never seen Abu that angry before.
Umma was still in the University doing her final bits of campaign when all the drama was happening at home. She returned home quite late, exhausted and tense because of the elections.
On the way home, all Umma wanted was to get home, shower, eat and talk with Abu about her fears for the election outcome. He always had a way of calming her down in such situations.
As soon as Umma entered the house, there was an unusual silence that welcomed her. Abu was sitting in the parlour with a long face. We need to talk!
Chapter 3
Umma cried herself to sleep that night. She began to feel guilty for having a dream. All I want is an education and to become a leader. Has that now become an offence?
Maybe I am not good enough, maybe a girl shouldn't go to school, after all my mum never did. Maybe girls should remain at home to make their husbands and families happy, maybe that should be our role, like mama, like my mother in-laws too. No wonder they are respected in their homes.
All these thoughts flooded Umma's mind as she pondered on the talk she had with Abu the night before. She had never seen him like that since they got married.
Abu could not sleep, maybe my aunties were right after all, maybe I shouldn't have allowed her to go to university, maybe she is better staying at home. What does she want since I provide everything she needs?
It was a long night for both Abu and Umma. In the morning, Umma had almost forgotten about her election until Abu wished her well as he left for work.
Umma was lost in two minds; to forget about the election or to just focus on the kids. She had invested so much into it.
Her phone rang, it was Abu calling to check if she had left the house. He eventually persuaded her to go, he must have thought about how it could haunt him in the future if she didn't go because of what happened last night. Umma had always been one to remind him of his wrongs long after it had happened.
While at work, Abu's staff notice there is something off about him today. He is not his usual jovial self. He usually goes to almost every office in the mornings to check if everyone is okay.
Even his now favourite staff from HR Department, Amaka, who completed her NYSC and remained with the company didn't get the complimentary "my yellow paw paw" greeting.
He attended the morning brief as usual but did not seem to contribute much. It was as if he was physically present but mentally absent. Luckily, Amaka, who is now taking up more managerial duties has everything covered.
'My chairman' is everything okay today? Amaka asked him after the meeting as he walked back to his office. Abu, although not in mood for any chitchat responded. Someday when you get your family, you will understand! He managed a smile as he closed his office door.
Amaka had become an integral part of the company. She first came as Youth Corp member two years ago. At first, she was unhappy about being posted to the state as she wanted to remain in the East with her then fiancé, Amanze.
The two years seem just like yesterday. Towards the end of her youth service year, in one of the morning briefs chaired by Abu's uncle, 'The Chairman', she rattled everyone with her boldness.
The Chairman was talking about the direction of the company and how to acquire Internet services from a secondary provider. It was only Amaka who spoke against the idea, instead suggesting they could get their own servers installed and employ IT guys.
Everyone else was quiet and left in disbelief especially as no one ever had an opposing view to what the chairman wanted. Lucky for her, Abu had stepped in and asked his uncle to hear her out.
It turned out to be the best decision for the company, not only do they have an up-to-date IT system, but they also provide services to others.
When Abu closed the door, Amaka got the message, she knew that Abu's issues were personal and not something to do with the business.
She remembered how supportive he had been to her when her relationship with Amanze ended. He even gave her a week of leave with pay to get herself together.
For Amaka, that act of kindness and the incident with the chairman agreeing to her suggestion for the Internet made her stay back after her NYSC.
Besides, Amanze ending the relationship had left her with little desire to return East. At least she learnt about Internet service provision from him, that was her only remaining positive thought about Amanze.
Although it wasn't really her business, Amaka kept thinking of what could be happening in Abu's home to worry him that much. She had known Umma as a kind and accommodating person from the few visits to their home whenever they hosted informal events.
She also knew Abu was fond of Umma and the children, he always spoke about how well Umma was doing in school and his support for her ambition to be a politician. She had sometimes wished she had someone like Abu who would admire, love and support her.
During her period of heartbreak, Abu had visited her one evening after work. She lived in the staff quarters. Although she enjoyed his company, it was somewhat awkward especially as she knew people could misconstrue what was happening.
The last thing Amaka, wanted was people thinking something salacious was happening, especially as she began to rise in the company through her own hard work, dedication and competence.
Back in the university, Umma was uneasy throughout the day. Her brother, Ibrahim, was there to support through out. He noticed she seemed unusually distant but put it down to the election tension and fatigue of campaigning. After all, he had heard of experienced politicians fainting after finding out they had lost elections.
The election results are out. Three people contested for Welfare Secretary, two females and a male candidate. Shouts fill the hall as the electoral chairman announces the winner for post of Welfare Secretary!!!!
Penultimate Chapter (4)
The election season is now over, although Umma felt disappointed for coming second with just three votes, she knew it was a stepping stone for greater things ahead. It was bittersweet, she had done something she never thought she could which was a win itself, she would have been happier to be on the winning side.
Umma congratulated the winner, Farouk, the only male candidate. Maybe she and Falmata should have settled for a consensus in their bid to make history as the first female to win any post in the department. This meant the exco was all male like in previous years.
Umma now spent more time at home since she was now in her final year and mostly doing her project work. The dissertation topic she chose was an interesting one looking at the life of female political leaders. She found Benazir Bhutto particularly inspiring considering she was from a conservative religious country, rising to be Prime Minister. She also liked Margaret Thatcher and idolised Angela Merkel of Germany.
The children had also begun to enjoy reading and studying like their mummy after school. This was reflected in their grades, Baby Ahmad was noted by his school to be performing a class or two ahead of other pupils in his class.
He won all the prizes in his class which was a first. Both Abu and Umma were super proud during speech and prize giving day. Umma looked to Abu, "see how I have turned your children into geniuses, and you thought about me withdrawing from school". Abu smiled, although she was joking, it was a reference to the incident during the election.
In typical Abu fashion, he claimed all the glory saying that it was only possible because he paid big money for private tutors to help Umma when they first got married.
They both laughed like teenagers and talked about the future of the kids. Harvard, Cambridge or Oxford. Well money wasn't really a problem since the business had grown.
Umma found out about an opportunity to travel abroad for a Leadership Programme. She found this during the long hours spent on the Internet as she researched on her project. She was initially very excited about it, but the echoes of the election results put fear and doubt in her mind. It also reminded her of the disappointment that election night.
She completed the application all the same but did not put all her hopes into it. She recalls during the election, everyone raised her hopes telling her she was the best candidate. It ended in tears.
A few weeks after the application she got an email asking for a zoom interview. At first, she thought it was one of the usual scams from 'Hushpuppi' or one of his associates known to track these kind of links and scam people.
She was surprised when the foreign interviewers turned up on her zoom screen. They were impressed by her knowledge of female political leaders and how she envisioned herself as one in the future.
About ten minutes after the interview, she got an email congratulating her on her performance and advising she had been granted a scholarship for the 6 week programme abroad. Her scream woke baby Amina, and Abu who was upstairs came running down. He had stayed home to ensure there were no technical problems during the interview.
I am going abroad my husband, she pointed repeatedly at the screen showing the email. Abu embraced Umma and cheekily asked if she would put him in her suitcase.
Mama was very proud when she accompanied Umma to get her passport done, she boasted to everyone who cared to listen. "My daughter is going abroad to learn how to be Prime Minister", at least that was how mama described the leadership programme Umma was going for.
Abu had been very busy in the following weeks, his uncle 'The Chairman' had retired and given his shares to his 2 male children Bala and Adamu who were both interested in the military. Bala was in the Army while Adamu was an officer in the Air force. Their sisters never went beyond secondary school before they got married. Their father did not feel it was necessary for them to go further in school.
Abu, Amaka and Gbenga were working very hard to make the new changes to the business. They were known as the three musketeers as they spent long hours in meetings finishing late at night. Abu and Amaka had grown more fond of each other as they bounced ideas off themselves.
One of the nights, after a very exhausting day, he had dropped Gbenga and was about dropping Amaka off. He jokingly told her, “if you were my wife, I would have just gone in and slept off, now I have to drive for thirty minutes to get home”.
Amaka smiled and said, please my boss, don’t let Umma hear this joke oh. She also reminded him they were of different faiths and polygamy was foreign to her culture.
Deep inside her though, she had begun to have feelings for Abu but was uncomfortable with the whole set up. She shouted to Abu 'maybe in another life' as she locked the gate and waved him good night.
Final Chapter (5).
As Abu drove home, he wished he had not told Amaka what he did. It was too late now, he also wondered if Amaka had feelings for him.
Abu did not also know how Umma would feel if he married a second wife. He was eager to ask his dad how he managed a polygamous home so harmoniously.
On the other hand, Umma's mum was an only wife and would probably not know how to share her Abu with another woman. All these thoughts filled Abu's mind as he drove home.
As soon as he entered the house, Umma welcomed him with a hug. The scent of her perfume blending with her night dress made him forget Amaka. He counted himself lucky for getting Umma despite the competitors.
They talked about their day as they ate. Umma's journey was now few days away. She wished Abu could go with her since it was going to be her first time abroad, however she knew the work in the company needed his attention.
Umma's journey was fine and exciting, she connected with a lot of people in addition to what she learned through the programme. At first, she found it difficult understanding their accent, especially as they spoke through their noses.
The six weeks passed quickly, Umma brought home lots of gifts for her family, the children were delighted with their toys. When Abu picked her at the airport, she tried to speak through her nose to the admiration of Abu, “ six weeks only and your accent has changed”.
Upon completion of her university, Umma wanted to work with Abu in the company, Abu objected as he felt it would be perceived as a family affair and nepotism. Umma argued that Abu also got into the company because of his uncle, and had taken the company to where it was today.
During her NYSC, Umma was the platoon leader and won a national award. Soon after, she got a job as an administrator in the civil service. She loved the job so much and quickly rose through the ranks.
In addition to her hard work and competence, there was a drive to have more females in leadership roles. Being the most qualified female and with her eagerness to always put herself forward to lead, it was a rapid rise and she soon became the new face of change, showing women could lead in organisations.
Some people, especially the men found it intimidating being led by a woman, for others, it was more a challenge on their egos, this sentiment was more common among those who held deeply enshrined views that women could not lead over men.
Abu soon recognised Umma's abilities, and at times during the weekends, he would bring his work home and brainstorm with Umma. She often joked with him that she was his only staff with no pay.
Umma now had access to Abu's admin logins and would sometimes peep into his work when he was away. He trusted her so it was not a problem for him. He had a work station at the house which meant he could work from home if he wanted.
One evening, Abu was taking Amaka home, he had been exhausted and feeling so sleepy as he drove. In an effort to keep him awake, Amaka started to stroke his knees as he drove. Whether it was the sleep or the sensation from what was happening, Abu lost concentration.
He did not see the stationary broken down fuel tanker. Abu's eyes closed just as he hit it at speed, his life flashed before his eyes. The bang could be heard from miles away!
While Abu was in coma, Umma took responsibility for some of the administrative work in the company. She soon discovered that Amaka had transferred some of the company shares to her name. No one had ever suspected such. There was not much she could do now.
Abu opened his eyes and Umma was by his side. My love, where is Amaka he asked as he stretched his hand?.
THE END!
