THIS IS NOT HOW IT WAS MEANT TO BE
Apr 28, 2022
First story
No! It was not what I bargained for.
I did not ask to be born into a community where the men desired only budding teenagers for wives.
I heard they were told that they were the most viable to produce strong sons
so every mother with a female daughter dreaded the day her little innocent daughter will be turned into a woman.
No! It was not what we deserved.
We were like every other teenager running the streets, excited about our innocence
Till it was snatched away from us.
No! How can I let him touch me?
He is about the age of my father. I know this because I have seen them sit together and chat under the "dogonyaro" tree.
And they laughed like only friends would.
No! I do not feel the same.
My innocence is gone and with it my childhood.
I look in the mirror and the body I see looks like that of my mother
Because in my mind, this is how my mother feels when she looks in the mirror.
Yes! They said I would understand when I grow older
But how much older can I get than I already feel?
Will my daughter pass through the same thing as me?
For how long will I ask these questions?
Osadebe Ijeoma
This piece is dedicated to every child bride and those who fight for them.