I BEAR THE PLIGHT OF A WOMAN episode 2

By Bassey Ekpaha Silver

If tears could give one a male-child, Nko's tears would have given her one.

Attah her husband had turned down
the evening food, saying it wasn't food he wanted but a son.

The whole trouble started during clan heads meeting, Attah had made a nice suggestion, but chief Itoh countered it with a ridiculous comment" it is only
those who are men enough and men indeed that should be allowed to talk in a gathering of men like this.

If a man has no son to fire the gun when he dies is that one worth to be called a man at all? ".

That comment struck Attah to his bones. Other clan heads would natural have
reprimanded chief Itoh over such comment but something stopped them, hence, they join in the laughter.

Almost all the chief had advise Attah to get a second wife who will bear him a male child but he refused.

For this reason, they felt Attah was even more weaker than his wife and his inability to act like a man also contributed to his not having a son.

" how are we sure some people that call
themselves men among us knew the right position when doing kerewa with their wives? Because positioning matters in producing a male child" chief ibiso added.

Attah knew he was the one mocked so he kept his peace. Something kept Attah from marrying a second wife, he couldn't stand settling feud among two women
like his other so call men did almost every day.

He is a peaceful man who can't stand having his house fill with enmity.

He wanted Nko to be his only wife till death.

Attah has never raise his hands on his wife before like other men in the community, so he was called a weaker
man. " a man that doesn't beat his wife is that one a man at all" Itoh continued. The mockery on Attah's family was geared by Jealousy.

People who didn't like the peace in Attah's home were the one who actually called him a weaker man.

Above all, his female children were
promising compare to their loose sons.

Nko's challenge was pleasing her husband. Each time Attah was ridicule
in public he will come to the house and cry without making much noise, if Nko was around, she will equally cry with him and together they will turn down evening
meal.

It was when the turn down the meal that the daughters will know what the problem is and they too will stay indoors feeling sad or they too will cry.

Most times there was calmness in Attah's house because he had a few friends and had stop attending meetings, even Nko
also reduce her time of going out. Now, she was pregnant for the eight time " Idoreyin if I don't put to birth a son,
I will simply commit suicide and die, I can't stand the sorrows I have brought to Attah.

He doesn't deserve it" she will say after each section of tears.