ALIYA

                            ALIYA

                      (a short story)

                   By Lene Ododomu

   

Mr. Kamaru has never liked Mariam, Aliya's mother for one day . He always complain that she is weak that is why he has never being recognized as a true man of Iletu village. So seeing his daughter, Aliya, is like seeing a devil who is leading him to the hell.

Mr. Kamaru's problem with Mariam is her weakness of not producing him a male child. Having put this blame on her, Aliya will always hear the cry of her mother when beats by her father and this happens everyday. Sometimes she she will hold her father's leg, but he will pushed her away and continue beating the mother.

Aliya passed her senior secondary school exams, both WAEC and NECO and she applied for JAMB that the same year and got 305 in the examination. Since education is the only hope that can save the mother from the hands of her father, she went to Kamaru and asked the money to pay her acceptance fee after she was admitted to study Law in University of Abuja. Buy sadly for her, her father declined the request and warned her not to disturb him again.

From the beginning of Aliya, Mr. Kamaru has never supported her in any way, be it education, clothing or feeding. Her mother is the only one who has been carrying the responsibilities of her well being.

Aliya went to Mariam and told her everything that the father did when she requested money to accept her admission. Then the mother became so happy immediately she heard about the admission  and not bothered to listen to what the father did. So she encourages Aliya by giving her N30,000 to accept the admission and N150,000.00 to pay school fees and other bills which include house rent, books and cloth.

Aliya did not expect this from the mother and she worried about the source of the huge amount of money that the mother gave her. Her worry is that the mother might borrowed the money from Lapo or from their village women's meeting. But to appease her worries, Mariam confirmed to her that Aliya's maternal uncle who based in London for many years when Aliya was not even born was the one that sent the money because he is interested in her going to school in order to be valued in the society. However, this gives Aliya a peace of mind and promised to do what she is expected.

After Aliya paid her school fee and others, she used the remaining money which is about N80,000.00 to buy perfumes and body sprays and started selling them in school. She able to get that huge amount of money to start the business because she economized by renting a local apartment  with single room at Iddo with N20,000 yearly and went to Gwagwalada market with N5,000 to buy okrika cloth that she will managing for her stay on campus.  She bought 3 white long sleeves and 2 black trousers for lectures according to the dressing code of her course of study, Law and not bothered to buy herself fancy cloth.  So she will wash and iron immediately she returns from class so that people will not notice when she is repeating or wearing one cloth.

Aliya became popular in the school because of her academics good performance. She is an hustler who always struggles on her own to get what she want instead of depending on boys. She feeds herself, pays school fee and house rent without disturbing the mother. And sometimes her mother will complain why she is not calling home to ask for money that she cannot do it for herself. She will add by saying that Aliya is a girl and she should not compare herself to man by claiming to survive on her own. But Aliya will smile and said: "I am a girl doesn't mean that I cannot do what a man is doing. What a man can do, a woman can do more better", then they both burst into uncontrollable laughter. 

Aliya passed her final exams for law and immediately applied  for bar exams which she also passed by having the highest grade. She spent two years in the law school at Bwari, Abuja and finally called to Bar with numerous awards. She then dedicate her achievements to her mother who believed in her from the cradle and encourages her to come this far.

Aliya was taken  by Ogundele SAN & Co. where she works as a lawyer after practicing  in the Chamber.  She was a legal adviser in the Chamber but later elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) by the Supreme Court of Nigeria. She made a record by being the first young female lawyer to have that rank in the country. 

Aliya established her own Chamber which she named 'Mariam Law Chambers'.  

Mr. Kamaru, Aliya's father was arrested for allegedly killing a woman in the bush and sent  to the prison. Aliya cannot deny her father as he did when she was in need of his help  but got denied because she was a girl child. But at this point, she is not longer a woman but a man who took his case.

Mr. Kamaru later came to his wife and daughter for forgiveness and they both forgave him which made the family to regain their unity.