‘Wa alaikumus salam, you are welcome Alhaji, please come in.’ I heard Tahir saying to someone at the doorway.
‘Thanks Malam Tahir, I’m sorry I came unannounced. I just asked my daughter for your home address and drove straight here. It was only when I arrived that I remembered I hadn’t asked for your number in order to alert you that I was coming.’ The visitor explained, as he and Tahir walked down the hall towards our sitting room. Who could this man be, whose daughter has the address to our house and even Tahir’s phone number? I wondered, from where I stood near the kitchen door.
‘No problem since you were lucky enough to meet me at home.’ Tahir responded before urging the man to take a seat. ‘Let me ask my wife to get you something to drink.’ I heard him offer.
‘No Malam Tahir, please don’t worry about that. I just had something before leaving home, so I’m really fine. I only came to give you the good news.’ The visitor declared.
‘I see, this can only mean that Hajiya has accepted your stand and agreed to Harira’s choice of a husband, hasn’t she?’ Tahir guessed.
‘No, I mean that’s only half the story. The other, more exciting part is that I am now liberated from her shackles. When you advised me to try and convince her about Harira’s suitor, I had no idea the process will have such far reaching consequences. But it had, and now that I am truly free, I feel like sharing the news with no one but you.’ He enthused.
‘Liberated from what? I don’t understand.’ Tahir asked, sounding confused.
‘You see ever since we overcame our poverty and became comfortable, my wife had done nothing but drum it into my head that our children must never know what poverty is. I went along with that and ascribed her obsession with wealth to her fear of poverty. But when you said to me that our transformation from poor to rich people is enough to convince Hajiya that wealth is in the hands of Almighty God and that He gives it to whom He wills, whenever He wills, I used the same argument with her. But she wouldn’t even listen to me. She flew into a rage and insisted that Harira will never be allowed to marry Aminu. She even asked what kind of father I was that I would gladly sentence my own child to suffering and destitution? I tried to reason with her but she wouldn’t listen.
I watched while raved and ranted about how her only daughter will only marry into a rich and famous family and something in me suddenly snapped. I rose from where I was seated and told her that my daughter will marry the man of her choice. She was so shocked by my reaction that her jaw literally dropped. I used her momentary silence to tell her exactly how I felt. I declared that I had had it with her demanding and dictatorial ways. I said that henceforth I will do only what I felt was right, not what she imposed on me. I announced that I will stand by my daughter as long as she brought a good man whose religious disposition is not in doubt. Finally I told her she could take it or leave it but this is the new me. She opened her mouth to speak but I stopped her with a gesture of my hand. I stopped her just so I could say she was free to leave my house if she still objected to our daughter’s choice. After this she broke down in tears and said she never knew I would ever say those words to her. She pleaded with me to reconsider my stand but I told her that that was it and left the sitting room. Afterwards, she joined me in my room and declared that she will stand by Harira’s choice. She also begged me to forgive her for insisting on having her way always. I told her that all was forgiven as long as she doesn’t go back to her old ways.
After she left I decided to come and see you. It’s all thanks to you that I have regained my freedom and can insist on what is right in my own home. As I drove here I was just saying to myself over and over again that I was free at last, free at last.’ Alhaji concluded, laughing.
‘Ma shaa Allah, congrats on your well-deserved freedom. But the person you really need to thank is my wife Bint. She dragged me into the issue and begged me to intervene. Let me call her to come and greet you.’ Tahir offered, rising up to walk towards the stairs where he thought I was. I softly called out to him from the kitchen and gestured that I will soon be with them. I walked in a few minutes later and exchanged greetings with Harira’s father. He was full of gratitude for the role I played in securing his daughter’s happiness and his own liberation. I assured him I was only playing role as a mentor to his daughter. I rose to leave them, wondering how a chance encounter, at a shopping mall, could have such dramatic but worthwhile consequences.
Concluded.
