Prologue
In every African home, it is mandatory and expected that all the women in the family should be married once they are of age.
As expected, once the woman is above 16 years of age, a man is being given to her or a suitor comes for her hand in marriage.
Marriage is the way of culture and a means of longevity. It is a pride of every woman. Women honor this commitment with their lives.
They live to become married. To answer the call that comes with it– to reproduce, love and respect their husband and take care of the home.
Every married woman inculcates this habit into their young girls and they grew up in this way, hoping and dreaming to answer the call too.
This continued until the 21st century where the world has changed drastically.
Women are evolving beyond the cycle of marriage. They feel and have the need to be more. They follow their dreams, goals and visions.
Every woman wants to be somebody in the world. And Yes, they made their mark.
Women have accomplished a lot of things in society. This increased their standard and way of living.
They still honoured the call of marriage but this time, they came in with something more other than being a full time housewife with children and a husband.
Their girl child ,even their boy child inculcate these habits and hoped and dreamed to be something more in life.
Though sadly, even with these accomplishments, some factors still hinders these women.
Most of their primitive husbands believed that the African culture system states that the women are subjected to the home. Their duties revolves around the home.
While others are insecure about their core existence as a man– to provide. When a woman begins to assist the home with monetary values, they begin to feel less of themselves and thereby try to discourage the woman from doing too much.
So many factors but this doesn't stop most women from being who they want to be.
This has broken so many homes and divorces flies around like the wind but the incessant need to be married still looms around greatly.
After all, it is our culture.
This is a story of a woman in her prime.
A woman who was given the choice to choose her life or marriage to continue the relationship between both families but both came with a price.
Everyone meet OgheneKesiena Gift Akpobome.
