THE FORGOTTEN CHILD ABUSE – Part One
The world has many and many social and political organizations almost all fighting against child abuse. It is referable that child abuse is an evil act in the eye of the Creator. You can never form a local NGO against child abuse to go unfunded. Child abuse is the talk of the day especially in Africa. Knowing that child abuse is evil is one thing and knowing what it is, is another. The story below will help you remember the forgotten child abuse in our society today.
Clocking to 21st century lived a man whose story perplexed me. The man had a beautiful wife and lived with their five daughters and a son whom he called, “The only heir.” The man lived the half of his life as a herd man. He was a man known by everyone. His herd and flock won him the respect of his village.
Being born as an African man, he had a culture to follow strictly. In his society it was taught that a man must leave his inheritance to a son not a daughter. It was taken so far that a woman who gave birth to only girls had to be cast out of the society. The man loved his culture and kept it.
Luckily enough, the man had his only son. He would have killed his wife if she hadn’t given birth to a son. I believe that woman had the favor of the gods.
Despite having a son with his wife, the man never gave his wife the respect she deserved. He thought it wise to just neglect her and her five daughters. Fearing the gods, the man did not chase the wife and his daughters away. He kept them home and gave them the treatment that made them regretted being born girls or giving birth to girls.
Another thing that helped the wife and the daughters was the belief of the society that girls were the very direct source of income. He knew five girls would bring more herd for the son. He basically provided them with food to keep them strong and shape their beauty. They must be beautiful otherwise his daughters couldn’t be seen the best by the young men. The competition was high and one must be beautiful to deserve a hundred herds of cattle. He knew that and nursed his daughters so well.
As a man who had seen the future in the education of the West, he had decided to sell some of his cows and take his only son to have white man education. He possibly did and his son went to a far country. He poured all his resources to the education of his son and gave the son whichever thing he had wished to have. He promised the son not to experience any pain in his life. He often repeated to his son that he suffered a lot when he was a youth and his son must not see any suffering in his life.
With the pressure of his son’s education, the man married off his five daughters at their early teenage years. What choice had they? They innocently followed their father’s orders. Some of them were married by some educated men and were taken to the city.
The boy had his good time overseas. It was then the season he had to come back from the overseas. His father had prepared enough to throw him a big party. He wanted to set a history for his only heir.
Though being born a tortoise, you won’t forget that winter season when the “Only Heir” arrived from the overseas. I remember some African fictional stories about tortoise. Tortoise is imagined to be the dullest creature living on the planet earth.
The news reached the entire village two months before the son’s coming. A big banquet had to be prepared. Everyone in the village was tasked to prepare a local brew for the gathering. Preparation was done enough. All the decorations were done and the man made sure that even the least of all was invited to the occasion. Food was enough. Drinks were abundance. There was no forgotten person that day but there was forgotten child abuse.
It was ten o’clock and the boy arrived at the local village airport. He was escorted from the village airport to the place which was called a palace that day. No doubt everyone thought he was the savior of the society. Nobody knew the story behind the scene but the gods knew.
The program line up was followed. Rituals were performed and gifts were given. That and that were done and everyone felt blessed.
The musical break went on and dancers danced in honor of the boy. I believe the best dancer was invited that day. They performed and performed. Danced and danced. Sang and sang. That was the musical break and it ended.
After the musical break, the young man appeared in the scene. There he was welcomed by the most beautiful girl who was approached by the father to be the future wife. His look showed he had interest in the young girl. The young man stood before everyone and took about half an hour without saying a word. No one knew the drama in his mind, but he knew.
“I am, I am…” That continued for long and long. All were wondering what was going to happen. They were surprised to see the boy they had thought was their hope stood speechless. Everyone was asking what had become of the boy. He had just come from the overseas and must have the white man education. Someone having the education of the west must perfectly address such a gathering. Why could he not take courage to speak even a word? What did he use the money sent each day by his father for? Did he not use that money to educate himself? Questions after questions were asked but who could answer such questions when everyone was buried in the great world of confusion.
What could be the next? The wise father secretly went and took the boy back to his seat. He courageously took the mike and urged the crowd to pay attention to him. “You all know the boy had had a long travel and he must have been very tired. He needs sometimes to relax and may speak to you when he needs,” the man said. After his statement, he dispersed everyone and took his boy home.
The story remained in the scene and life went on. The father covered everything about his boy. He assured his boy that he would lack nothing as long as he was still alive. He gave him all the money he needed. He was the only heir. He must enjoy his father’s wealth even when it was to do evil. The life went on, but for how long?
The father decreed it that his son would not touch anything. He hired a maid for him. The maid cooked for him, washed for him and provided him all that he needed. He was the only heir. He must be treated special but for how long?
The boy started abusing all the young girls in the village. But who could say a word? He was the only heir. He had to do as he desired.
He could drink and drink. Party after party, and that was on and on. Everyone was quiet. He was the only heir. He had to live his life as he pleased.
Everyone in the village was only waiting for what would come next. How long would the boy continue with such a life? How long would the society be quiet? Who was to be blamed, the society or the gods? Such questions must be answered or else the society would go into a mess which had started already.
Continue reading the story next week. Be kind to the Nation.