A leap of faith!

A LEAP OF FAITH

Madu sat in the corner of his sitting room in his private apartment at the corner where his seat was found. Madu’s seat found at the corner that was adjacent to the door that led into the sitting room. The seat was place at that particular corner so that anyone coming into the house wouldn’t see Madu directly if at all he was seated inside. The private quarters of Madu contained two sleeping rooms and a toilet and it was located in the compound furthest away from the fence that was the only entrance into the compound. Madu’s six wives sat his left and right forming an incomplete cycle. The three oldest wives sat on his right side while the three youngest sat to his left side as tradition demands. His first wife was the one that sat closest to him as she had fully assumed and played the role of a mother to the younger wives over the years and her loyalty to Madu was unquestionable, her name was Maryam.

All six wives sat contemplating about this sudden meeting was all about, another curious thing is that no children had been invited to be take part. But no one dared ask any questions or say anything for it was forbidden only Madu could speak first in such a gathering and if any person other than Madu speak first it could only be Maryam with Madu’s approval off course. Madu was off course fun of holding meetings with his entire house hood on weekly bases, there were times when everyone was invited and there times when it was just Madu and his wives. The wives were more curious because Madu hasn’t been himself throughout the week, he had been so locked up to himself that his wives had gotten worried and the all approached ma Maryam as they all affectingly called her but ma Maryam won’t say anything acting as if she had been cushioned not to utter even the slightest word. It so because even when Madu wouldn’t allow any of his wives to come into his private quarters, Maryam could come in as she wished. So the women were all very curious to know what had put their dear husband in such a critical state. Madu had buried his head backward in the dark corner far away from the lightening of the 6 meters square room even though there was a window not far away from where he sat.

When Madu observed that all the spirits where in their place and that the anxiety had die down in his wives he felt that it was time to start the discussions. As you all know the planting season has come, Madu proceeded. In fact, the new planting had already been launched throughout the country and people were planting the rains had started falling in other parts of the country Madu continued as slowly and diligently as possible as he always does. Madu and his wives and children lived in the semi-arid zone of the country. The lands were fertile the only problem has been the amount of rainfall that kept on decreasing as the years came and went and this year the rains had already been late for two weeks. Whenever the rains came in this part of the country, it lasted for two and a half to three months, this implied that two weeks was a great lost. It is only then that Madu’s wives understood what was really troubling their caring husband and inside of themselves every one of them was saying that they will make it as it has always been the case, but this was just the tip of the iceberg.

Madu always said to himself that his family was one that survived because of agriculture and that it was always going to remain that way. That had been the case from when he came to his world and thus it will continue even after he will no longer be part of this world. The same could be said for the hundred other families that lived in the region, their stories were all the same if not the same then it all linked up at a particular point. Madu had listened to the advice of the government and sent most of his children to school though he always said to himself that all of that was a wasted investment and that nothing was ever going to come out of it. Most family heads had the same believe in the region and there were others who didn’t listen to the calls of the government of the NGOs about sending their children to school they preferred to their farms all years and getting wives once they reached puberty for the boys and sending the girls off to marriage once their breasts where fully developed. Back then the government and the NGOs had convinced Madu but he always said to himself that it was not the most men was going to help them but it was good men that was going to help them if ever they came at the crossroads. Madu had sent both his male and female children to school away in the big cities, only the smaller ones were with him and their mothers at home.

You all know how difficult last had been financially, there was a lot of stress on our financial resources last year, Madu said. Not as if they all didn’t know about this just that Madu was the kind of man that would always lay the bases for everything. We were obliged to sell a lot that we harvested because the government subventions did come, we days ago I went to the agriculture office representative it seems that we won’t be having any subventions this years as well, Madu said bring forward his neck and head from the dark corner. Deep inside his wives, they could be seen posting a look that told how disappointed they were. They as well could as well see that the situation was eating Madu up. Madu was a man that always taken very good care of his family, his wives and children, it is for this reason that he had managed his six wives and his 20 children effectively. As every family head, he hated to find himself in such a powerless situation. He had long understand the mastered the act of been the head of such a large family as his and he had always been at his best. Unlike many families in the region where people would hear quarrels about incapable husbands, unfaithful husbands and wives, and disobedient children no such thing could be heard coming for Madu’s compound. People always wondered and came towards him for advice and he would give out his best as usual.

 We will start planting next week with or without the rains, Madu firmly said with his eyeballs fully out of the skull as if to reckon anyone that dares to oppose him, but depriving his wives from speaking wasn’t one of his habits, he would always put up that look whenever he wanted people to know how serious he was and in this case he was really serious. The first person to protest was the fourth wife, Alda. But how can we plant when there is no sign of rain in the cloud, Alda boldly asked. The six Laisa wanted to know how they were going to survive without the government subventions couple with the fact that they were going to plant their remaining reserves. Usually Madu would allow all the questions to be asked if there were any, he would then answer them all at the same time. The only person that didn’t appear to be surprised with everything that Madu was saying was Maryam for all the year she had grown to be Madu confidence, Madu would always discuss everything first with her before bringing it to the attention of everyone else.

If we don’t plant now, weevils are going to destroys what we have left in the barns, they’ve even began to get bad, Maryam brought this to my attention. So if we don’t plant now it will definitely be eaten up by the weevils or us, I think that it is better that we plant and hope that the rains come, Madu tried to convince them. They all knew that Madu was right but yet the look of disappointment couldn’t fade away from their faces for they knew how difficult it was going to be if something wasn’t done. Once we finish planting anything that will be left is going to be shared out to every one of you according to your needs plus some money too, Madu tried to calm them down. This was how Madu always shared out things to his wives, the one that had more children always received more. The one that had the smallest children also received more for it was important to take care of the smaller children for they were more likely to be sick than the older one. All that Maryam needed was just what to cook all her five children were away to the cities, some went to school while were struggling to make it on their own. Sometimes Madu could speak proudly of them and people will laugh at him asking if school is food, Madu would stop speaking fold his arms behind his back and move on. For he himself wasn’t too sure of everything about the school but he just believe and people would always tell him that his faith was baseless.

The rains usually came in during the first week of April same as the governmemt subventions for there was always a lot of difficulties once planting was done and the subventions were meant to assist the farmers and families go on with their day to day life. Madu had instructed his wives to start planting for the month of April was already ending. As he asked his wives to go back to their various houses places were already getting dark and they had to prepare the evening meal so he didn’t wish to keep them for any longer and so they all moved out orderly. As the all when moved out of the house, Madu buried his head in into his hands and prayed to his ancestors for the rains to come.