THE OTHER WAY ROUND (5)

John lay on the bed that night trying to figure out what his parents had wanted to tell him. He scanned through his mind hoping to figure it out. He would love to hear some good news; maybe it was about his secondary education. “Maybe they’ve finally agreed to let me go to a boarding school, yes that’s it!” he said excitedly. The sound of his voice woke his sister up and she asked what his excitement was about and he told her. They were both happy about the thought and wished it would be so.

“As for me John, I don’t want to go to any school. I want to get married and have little children. All my friends are married and I don’t want to be left behind eh... and I would like to sew clothes. I love sewing; I could sew beautiful dresses for my little children and if you are nicer to me, I could sew one or two for you” she said dreamily. They both laughed at her castles in the sky because they knew that their parents would never agree to any of it.

They both talked through to midnight and then their voices slowly faded into their dreams. Then the morning came all too quickly; their rooster’s crow was unusually loud and something about it frightened John. The sun hadn’t come up yet but he heard his parent’s voices; they were already up and probably preparing to go farming. He woke his sister up and they both got ready to join their parents.  

On their way to the farm, their father began to speak.

Father: John, your mother and I have agreed to send you to your uncles’ in the next village. You are to learn how to be a good mechanic under him. We have already paid the necessary costs for your tutoring and accommodation. You leave this evening.

John: But papa, I want to go to school. I topped my class and my teacher said I am very intelligent and my...

Father: The decision has already been made and like I said you leave this evening. And your sister will be going to that boarding school you told me about.

Sister: Papa, I don’t want to go to school. I want to get married and be a tailor.

Father: (Raising his voice) we have decided! You know that your brother cannot go to school because he will not uphold the family name. You must go, so that our family name will be among those that have secondary school children. It’s a thing of pride; we will only be lucky if someone comes to marry him off.

 

The words his father spoke sank deep into his heart like daggers. “What’s the use of having a child if he is not important to you? Why discriminate between children? Why esteem one gender above another? Why uphold vain and careless traditions when they only increase the society’s myopia” he thought and so I think.