THE RUN AWAY BRIDE

COMMODITY

After a long stroll to her neighbourhood, She opened the door quietly thinking her family will be asleep, but to her suprise, they were all awake, her brothers and her parents sat on the chair discussing an important issue, on seeing her they stopped talking. The house was awfully quiet on her arrival, and the atmosphere was gloomy and tense, Demmy felt something bad was happening or about to happen.

"did someone I know die?" she asked with a worried expression.

"not at all, my daughter, go and rest and if you are hungry, your mother has prepared delicious jollof rice for you." her father spoke

knowing her father she knew it was impossible for him to care about her, she remembered her childhood, she was the most hated child because she was a female, even in the twentyfirst century her father still holds a strong negative mentality about female children, he believes that they are not to be confident or allowed to go to school since they will still end up in the kitchen and on the bed under a man, for him to speak kimdly to her made her more suspicious.

"maami cooked for me? and you have no problem with it?"

"yes, now be gone woman and let the men discuss". This time he showed his real character in his speech, an irritated, and frustrated retired soldier.

Demmy was in no mood to argue, she left the parlour and went to her room, he had lost her appetite. The shower was the next place for her to go, after taking a long cold shower she laid down on her bed naked, and started at the ceiling for a while. Suddenly the door opened, and she covers herself with her bedspread, it was her mother.

"maami, you could have just knocked, I deserve privacy you know" she rolled her eyes

her mom looked at her and laughed

"did you know the amount of times I bathe for you? what is in your body that I don't know? or have?" she hissed and sat close to her.

"as you know my child, tomorrow is Saturday, urm, a, an, erm" she stuttered and hesitated.

"what is it maami?" Demmy held her mother's hands

"wear your clothes" Anike her mother said, she stood up and walked to the door,

"I think you father and your brothers are coming"

Demmy sighed and quickly wore her nighties, she couldn't remain calm because she had never seen her mother that perplexed, the last time she saw her mother worried was when she was involved in a minor accident in school, even when her father beats her mother, her mother has never cried or fear, she is rather used to it. Her mother is the strongest person Demmy has ever come to know.

"you know, when I was young like you" Anike smiled and moved to the tired Demmy

"my daughter I was just as beautiful as you are, all the men wanted my hands in marriage'

"really?" Demmy asked suprised, her mother nodded in affirmation still smiling

"then why did you get married to Baami?" Demmy asked

Anike sighed and looked away for a second,

"well back in my days, women cherished their virginity unlike now, so the man that married her must defile her, but I loved Akin, I wanted him to defile before I get married, so I can at least give a worthy man my pride and not regret it" Anike's facial expression changed from a motherly smile to regretful smile, a bitter smile, that made Demmy's heart sink

"i don't seem to understand stand maami"

"your grandfather, made me marry your father, I was planning on two things then, to either elope with my lover or make him defile me, but it was too late for me, i married your father, and here i am now, I'm happy " she forced a smile

she could fool anyone but she could never fool her daughter

" you and I both know you are not happy, this marriage is hell maami, he beats you right from the day I was born and I'm sure it was even before I was born." Demmy sat on the bed again

"hmm, I am happy, because Akin later died few months later, now imagine I went with him, I would have gone back to my gutter and beg you father to take me a leftover as a bride. At least I am now a mother of four, with one beautiful, hard working, and talented daughter."

she pinched Demmy's cheeks. Demmy smiled and hugged her mother's waist

"I love you maami, and I'll always be here for you"

their loving moment was brought to an end when Demmy's phone rang, it was Tolani, Demmy picked the call and left her mother' waist. Her mother left the room and walked back to the sitting room.

***

Anike saw the boys sitting down on the chair, the last born Daniel was seated on the floor

"mummy have you told her yet?" Daniel asked innocently, He is 16 years old, he was against their plan from the start, but he has to play along because it was the only possible solution.

Anike sat on the chair sadly and covered her face with her palm. Segun the oldest child and his father sat in the same position looking at Abike with disgust

"I couldn't bring myself to tell her, it's too heavy, is there really no other way?" Anike sobs quietly

"woman! , is it until when I go to prison before you know? there's no way we can pay the debt, he little salary can't pay the huge debt placed on her right from the day you born her. I should have just taken her to the orphanage when she was born, but if what use is a girl child if not to bring in money through marriage".

"what!" Demmy overheard their conversation and dropped her phone out of shock.

"so I have no use to you? Baami I've done everything in my power to prove to you that I'm capable, and that marriage is not the only way to bring honour and riches into this family, what else do you want from me?"

Her father gave no response

"what am I to you ?" her father still gave no response, "Baami what am I to you?" Demmy raised her voice this time, all she wanted was an answer

"Demmy don't raise your voice to your father" the whole family was shocked, Demmy has never raised her voice on her father, she feared her father the most in the family, but for her to have raised her voice it clearly states that she wants an answer

" you are nothing but a commodity to me, something I can sell, I can't just waste all the money I spent on you till now, go and bring riches to me through marriage, that way we can be free"

"free? am I a bondage? what is going on? is this a way of telling me to bring a man home or what?" Demmy asked quite pained and confused

"you don't have to bring a man home anymore, that's settled already" he stood up

"you are getting married tomorrow, to Mr. Bello a very rich ma, he promised us a new house, cars and jobs for your brother, and he's going to pay a token of 1millon just to marry you."

Demmy could not believe her ears, her heart palpitations could be heard because they it was beating fast.

"let me explain better, I see that you are shocked, when you were born, I was angry at your mother for giving me a female child, so I wanted to take you to an orphanage home of sell you, but your mother begged me so much, i listened, but off course i had ti do something to the situation on ground, then Mr Bello told me he was looking for a wife, and that he will need her when he is already growing old, so i seized the opportunity

and betrothed you to him. and now that you have come of age, the next thing is too get married to him"

Demmy fell on the floor in shock

why does he hate me so much? She thought

"less I forget, you are getting married tomorrow at that event hall your mother once worked in. so be prepared, wake up early, you can't afford to keep the groom waiting"

He left with the first son Dare, Daniel and David went to console their sister, while their mother sat on the chair crying profusely

"I'm so sorry Abidemi, I tried, I tried to stop him"

"you should have just allowed him to sell me"

Demmy said coldly without emotion, and left the room.