One thing that bothers Veronica to the point of losing her sleep is that her four grown up daughters who graduated from universities at different times are long overdue for marriage. And they seem not perturbed about it.
“My first daughter Paula is beautiful enough to be married when her mates were settling down. Some of her childhood friends got married while they were about to graduate. Others walked down the aisle while they were doing their one-year compulsory national service while many got married two years after graduation. It never bothered my daughter to ask herself when she would settle down or lose sleep over it. She never considered it as something to think about in the first place. She hardly attends wedding ceremonies even when she is invited. She would rather send a representative with gifts. She said wedding ceremonies bore her so much and that she would rather spend time in parties where she would dance and make merry with friends. So, Paula was always at home with herself and her books when she was not busy at work. The few friends she has are some of her divorced colleagues who did not see anything good in marriage,” she said.
Her immediate younger sister treads the same path.
“Charity my second daughter had passion for good things of life – cars, clothes, shoes and interior decorations and cosmetics. She would sit before her mirror for hours applying make-up on her face and spend ample time learning how to tie headgear. After which she would spend the remaining hours of the day taking ‘selfie’ (shots of herself) using her camera phone. Though she is a psychologist by profession, she went ahead and had a skill in bead making and make-up. According to her, those things give her both money and satisfaction. Marriage is also the least thing in her mind. Though suitors came when she was younger, she didn’t see any good enough for her. And she would be bold to tell me that she would never be like some of her friends who married men they were never proud of. Men they were never seen together outside their matrimonial homes. The only man she was serious with travelled to Malaysia, made money and came home for her. When the guy’s mother saw Charity, she swore that she would never allow her son to marry someone who knew nothing but paint herself from head to toe. Even when my second daughter left her face bare from makeup each time she was going to see her, she still detested her. She had someone in mind she had been keeping for her son and that was her best friend’s daughter. Other men that came later were not considered despite my advice to choose one and get married and that later she may love the person. She refused. Today she is 46 and no one is coming except widowers. And then she would tell you fearful stories how same death that killed their wives would also kill her. “Mama, I would never move into any widower’s house as his wife except if the man is strikingly rich and he is ready to explain to me what killed his wife.” I have heard that statement times without number,” she stressed.
Veronica’s third daughter who is also single is Grace.
“My third daughter Grace sees marriage as a bondage and wedding band as a handcuff. I don’t know why her friends are those who are battered in their marriage. She is a lawyer by profession and she has a non-governmental body that takes care of incapacitated women who need legal help. So, each day she handles cases where widows are having some problems with in-laws or those who want to be divorced from their marriage. After listening to their stories, the word marriage sounds sour each time I mention it to her. She would sit me down and open their files one after the other and tell me their tales of woe,” she bemoaned.
Stella, Veronica last daughter’s case happens to be the worst of them all.
To be continued.
NationalMirror
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