Missed Plight

Not in The Name of Love

I walk up to her. "Umma will you let him take me?"

"I'll never let him take you, my son" she said while stroking my hair.

Mother knew she can't stop my father from sending me away just by saying she doesn't agree with his decision. She had to do something. She was counting her options. First, she said she had to send messages to all of my grandparents, paternal and maternal. They live several hundreds of miles away. And there were no mobile phones then. So she had to use the only alternative which is the use of transportation. She thought of going there herself, but she knew that my father will never let her step out of the house in the name of seeking ways to defy his intentions.

She summoned my uncle, my father's younger brother. "Ahmad are you in agreement with your brother's decision regarding my son?"

"gaskiya I'm not. We have spoken about it. I told him that it will be better to take care of his son at home. He can provide him with the required knowledge without sending him far away at such a tender age. I told him that that is the Islamic recommendation, to watch your wards closely and provide for them. We spent
a lengthy time talking about it. He is not ready to listen to anyone. He reprimanded me badly for trying to stop him. He said he loves his family more than any other person. So no one will tell him what to do and what not do regarding them"

My mother asked "'but does that mean nothing can be done about it?". .

"'so what do you think we can do? The only people that he will listen to are our parents, but they also can't do anything. He will easily talk them out. They follow his dictates. That's why everyone in the family is suffering. No one wants to listen to us. You may not have an idea how severely this issue will negatively affect my relationship with him and our parents if I persist on trying to stop him. Am afraid I can't be of help" my uncle was only sorry.

"so where is he taking him to?" my mother asked.

"That's another problem, he wouldn't tell. I asked but he said its none of my business"

My mother was in a condition I couldn't give a name to. The memories of those days will never fade. I had suffered a lot. I have been badly traumatized. l was only six. Before you know it, The news had spread all over the neighborhood. Everyone seems to be talking about me. The kids I play together with will laugh at me. Some even started calling me Almajiri. And I'll go back home crying. My mother will tell me to stop crying, that am not going anywhere. I then stopped going out to play. My parents barely talk for those two days. My mother will hardly sleep. All I know is my mother will never let me go.

On the third day after my father's intention revelation, my mother told me to stay home with my sisters. That she will go somewhere and will only come back the next day. I cried bitterly that day because she has been my only consolation. I don't want to be inches away from her, let alone spend a day without her. My mother left. I cried for hours.

The following day, early in the morning, my father asked my sister to put my clothes in a polythene bag, that l was to leave that day. l was so dazed I couldn't even cry at first. I was watching my sister crying while she gather my few sets of clothes. She washed me and let me wore my favorite clothes. She told me to be very careful. Before the sun begin to shine, my father was ready. "Let's go", he said. My sister held me tight, this time we were both crying.
"Release him" my father shouted.
She refused to.
"Let him go" he shouted again
Yet, we wouldn't slack our embrace

I was crying and she too, was. Father had to use his strength to pull us apart. She ran to us again and dragged me back to her. Father never saw it coming. He started to hit her, surprisingly, she looked like she was possessed because she started hitting him too and even biting him. He grabbed me and my leather of rags... and ran to the only door to the house.

Before you know it, our neighbors were out, including the boys and girls I play along with. They obviously heard me and my sister crying. They were staring at us by their doors. Some of the kids also started crying, including the ones that were laughing at me two days ago. No one approached us though, because it will be a wasted effort. Swift... Swift... We disappeared. From that very day, I became a certified Almajiri .