Tears Of Summayah - Episode 1

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Out of all the things Summayah ever had the pleasure of witnessing, the night sky would always be one of the most beautiful.

The stars shone bright and clear that night, each and every one of the countless pinpricks of light weaving together in the blackness to create a gorgeous canvas of sky.  Sumayyah opened the windows in her study to allow a faint breeze blow through the entire room, relieving the residual heat from that particularly garish day . The breeze cooled her body and filled her with a serenity that she cherished. The serenity she found in the late hours of the night made her feel like she was in the eye of a storm, safe and protected from the chaos of life.

Summayah stepped back from the window and settled down at her desk with a sigh of contentment, savoring the silence before opening her history book. Sitting there calmly, exploring the world from her room, she was happy.

Heaving another dreamy sigh, she turned the page to continue reading the story of the warrior Queen, Aminah of Zazzau (now Zaria), whose famous exploits and brave disposition was nothing short of legendary.

'I wish I could be like her,' Sumayyah thought dreamily. She took a moment to let her imagination run way, filling her mind with images of herself dressed in a warrior’s garb and a bejeweled crown on her head.

Unbeknownst to Sumayyah, she was only moments away from a hurricane; a storm so great, it would shatter her dreams and turn the whole of her life upside down.

“Sumayyah, Ku zo nan don dan lokaci (come here for a moment)!" Called her father from the other room, jolting her out of her reverie.

“Ee baba zan dawo (Yes father, I am coming)!" She answered

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. Fixing her glasses properly on the bridge of her nose, Sumayyah placed her pencil on the table and grudgingly left her seat at the desk, marking her place so she could continue later. Sumayyah knew not to keep her father waiting whenever he called.

Mallam Yusuf Sanusi was a strict disciplinarian, who refused to tolerate nonsense from anyone, much less his own children. The one time that Sumayyah had ever dared to disregard her father, was a few years ago when she was only nine years old. On that fateful day, Mallam Yusuf had called her while she was playing with her friends outside their home and Sumayyah had completely and deliberately ignored him. Long story short,  Sumayyah learned very quickly that day to never underestimate her father's authority, no matter the circumstance. If she ever forgot, the scars on her right thigh did a good job of reminding her to do the right thing.

Summayah quietly closed her bedroom door and walked briskly to her parents’ bedroom, stepping through the door to see them seated side by side on the couch in the corner. Her mother’s head was bowed, refusing to meet Sumayyah’s eyes. Mallam Yusuf, on the other hand, had a grim expression on his face that made summayah's gut tense with worry. And a little fear. She knew that look; Her Father only ever made that face when he was troubled, and that usually meant bad news for Summayah. Not to mention the fact that it was late, and her parents rarely had talks with her at such an hour.

“Here I am, father,” She announced simply. She waited nervously with bated breath, bracing herself for whatever her parents had to say. 

“...Sumayyah,” Mallam Yusuf began. Although his voice was calm, she could still hear the agitation in it. 

“Yes father?”

"You are fifteen now, and have grown into a fine young lady…" Her father stopped and allowed his voice to trail off.

"Y-yes," Sumayyah responded hesitantly, her affirmation sounding more like a question than anything else. Whatever this was about, it wasn't good. Her father was a steady man who was rarely troubled by anything, and her mother still refused to meet her eyes.

She had a feeling that the conversation was headed in a bad direction.

Mallam Yusuf sighed and continued: 

"You do know what the custom is," he began, "I know you have been taught this through the years."

He paused again and looked to his wife for help. Not that she noticed, as she was engrossed in staring at a particular spot on the floor.
Sumayyah felt her heart stop beating. The only custom that her father could mean was that of…

Her father took a deep breath and continued, fixing her with a grim look.

"Summayah, you have been betrothed to someone," he informed her gravely.

Sumayyah's heart skipped a beat, sank, and plummeted all the way to her feet. The room felt much smaller, and it suddenly wasn't so easy to breathe. Sumayyah glanced at her mother in disbelief, as if asking if this was really true.

The guilt and regret in her eyes gave Summayah her answer.

"What- what do you mean?" Sumayyah asked when she found her voice. The beginnings of tears began to form in her eyes, blurring her vision.

"It means that you are to be married. And soon," Mallam Yusuf explained sadly.

Although she had heard them the first time, Summayah was still shocked by her father’s words. The world began to spin as the walls of the room seemed to close in steadily around her. She wished she had somewhere to get away, to hide, wished the ground would open up and swallow her. But that wasn't going to happen, was it? There would be no escape for her.

She felt like screaming at her father. How could he do this to her? What would become of all her dreams and aspirations? She had had so many plans. She had always wanted to travel, to see the world she read about in books, to learn from the people and places she'd go. She wanted to help and heal people, to become a Doctor and use the knowledge she gained for good.

Yes, she had marriage in her sights, but not for a long time coming and certainly not an arranged one. Her marriage was supposed to be with someone she chose to love. It was supposed to be her choice. No one else's. Now that dream was being crushed to bits and she was powerless to put a stop to it.

Sumayyah felt tired and helpless. Broken.

"What about my education?" She protested weakly, her voice wavering with hurt and betrayal as she met and held his gaze, "I am still in secondary school.”

"Your education is something that you can discuss with your future husband. I know this is hard- it isn't easy for your mother and me either," her father said softly, his face tense. Sumayyah looked to her mother in desperation. Surely she wouldn't let them do this to her. She couldn't!

“Mother, please. I don’t even know this man I am supposed to marry,” she pleaded, searching her face for a speck of sympathy.

“I am sorry, Sumayyah. The deed is already done. If only...” her Mother trailed off into silence.

“Haba Fatima. Don’t fill her head with false assurances,” Mallam Yusuf scolded his wife, who hung her head submissively.

“I am sorry," she apologised. 

"But-" Sumayyah tried again.

"No buts, Sumayyah,” Mallam Yusuf cut in sternly, “This betrothal happened long before you were born and wallahi our family has never broken faith. We will not start now." 

Sumayyah was shocked, trying to find the words to respond. A flicker of anger lit within her alongside her despair.

"Is this true?" she asked, her brown eyes meeting her parents’ through her glasses. Hajia Fatima looked to Mallam Yusuf expectantly. 

"Yes. It is true, Sumayyah. You have lived by the Holy Quran your whole life and you know that a person must always fulfill promises made," Her father answered, firm in his decision.

He was right of course, but that did not excuse the fact that such a promise should never have been kept from her. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair!

"Why was such a promise made?" Sumayyah almost screamed. The only answer she got was silence.

"Will his family take care of me?" Summayah queried again, trying a new tactic, “I mean do they know that I am a sickler?” It was true. Sumayyah was a sickle cell anaemia patient and she wondered what sort of person would want a sick girl for a wife or in-law.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Everything will be fine," Her father assured her, trying and failing for a soothing tone.

A long stretch of silence crept into the room, filling the air with tension. The quiet unnerved Sumayyah, seeping into her blood. She felt trapped in the violent war  raging in her mind. the eye of the storm had passed; now she had to face the hurricane alone. Panic and hysteria mounted in her chest, screaming through her bloodstream.

Finally, in a voice she couldn’t believe was hers, she spoke.

"...I understand dad.”

Her father nodded, relaxing a little. If he was surprised, he didn’t show it. 

"Good night" Sumayyah said simply, turning and leaving the room without another word.

That night, Sumayyah went without a wink of sleep, tossing and turning while her racing thoughts got the best of her. How much would her life change?

She cried more that night than she ever had in her entire life.

That night, she knew the course of her life was changed forever...

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