My mum and dad became torn apart as the issue caused a disagreement in the home, though still in the same house but didn’t talk to each other. My dad automatically turned everyone one to his enemy (his wife and kids).
When my mum prepares meals at home, my dad will refuse to eat, so my mum started focusing on us (her kids).
On this particular evening, my mum didn’t bother preparing food for him since he doesn’t eat her food anymore, he came home, didn’t see the food to eat, and the next thing he did was slap my mum asking why she didn’t prepare food for him. My mum started fighting with him, we joined in the fight, it was terrible, but it all passed away.
My mum reported him to his sisters, who later came to settle the issue at hand. His sisters, hearing the matter, started apportioning blame on my dad as he is the cause of all the problems in the home.
That was when my dad opened up to tell the family what was going on. He said the man has been giving him money, not once, not twice, not thrice plus the fact that the day he and Gina’s dad planned for the introduction was supposed to be the following day, hence, the reason for the sudden interest in my mum’s food that led to him slapping her.
The sisters reported that my dad returns all the money he had collected from Chief; they even decided to help him with some cash to pay Chief. They suggested that the next day, which was supposed to be the day of the introduction, that if Chief comes, they should tell him to wait until I finish writing my exam before he comes to marry me and hear what chief would have to say.
They got his money ready and kept it aside in case he doesn’t agree to our terms.
The next day, Chief came as planned with my dad, with his people and many drinks. My dad excused the chief out of the place of the introduction stating he needs to talk with the Chief and the chief followed him.
When they ( my dad and chief) got to a quiet place, my dad told him exactly what his sisters had suggested by allowing me to finish my exam before the marriage, but chief didn’t take it lightly. He got angry and started shouting at my dad, which attracted everyone’s attention to them. He started talking trash, and he stated that my dad is not even happy that someone like him is coming to marry his daughter, pointing to my dad that he wanted to help is talking about waiting.
He told my dad that before he closes his eyes and opens it, my dad should disappear and bring all the money that he had given to my dad. He insisted that my dad brings them immediately. My dad smiled, went inside, and got the money and gave it to him. Even after giving him the money, he was still angry. He took his drinks and left with his people.
After the marriage chapter had closed and died down, my dad secured another job; even though the money was not much, we lived very happily.
HOW WE HANDLED THE SITUATION
Wisdom, they say, is profitable to direct. When my dad realized that he was actually at fault, he owned up to it and opened up to his family why he acted that way. My dad had collected money from the chief, how would he payback and thanks to his sisters and my mum that provided an immediate solution by helping him with the money which they know the Chief would ask of him.
MY ADVICE
1) is quite noticeable that early child marriage deprives a child of enjoying things she is supposed to enjoy as a child
1) Who do you blame the most?