When a Perfectly trained maiden marries the wrong bachelor

The Training of A Daughter

A woman named Madu lived in the serene village of Umuoma, nestled among rolling green hills. Madu was known for her industrious nature and wise teachings among her peers. She married Aka, a hardworking farmer, and together they had a beautiful daughter named Lanna. Madu, having won Aka’s heart by always appearing busy and industrious as her mother taught her, believed that this was the secret to attracting a good man in the land. Thus, she trained Lanna to always act busy and look productive whenever she was in public.

When a Perfectly trained maiden marries the wrong bachelor

Lanna’s childhood was filled with endless chores and activities, as early as age 7, she had mastered the act of garri making, being a significant helping hand to her mother at home and on the farm, she prepared lunch for herself and dinner under her mother’s supervision.

Whether she was sweeping the compound, fetching water, or helping her mother sell vegetables in the Orie market, she was always active. Madu made sure Lanna understood the importance of these activities. “Never be idle, Lanna,” she would remind her, “idleness leads to trouble and scares away good suitors.” Lanna was not allowed to waste her time playing with other children she filled her time with learning to sew, knit, make baskets and process food for the family and her mother’s shop.

Lanna was always the reference point for mothers of Umuoma. She was the pride of Madu and Aka, and did much more for her family as an only child, than other families with many children.

As Lanna grew into a young woman, she continued to follow her mother’s advice. She became a familiar sight at the market, always busy arranging vegetables, attending to customers, and ensuring money was accounted for, and goods were supplied seamlessly. She had always believed that she was one of the best maidens of the village, and knew her reward would come in the form of a good husband. As fate would have it, her diligence did not go unnoticed.

One bright market day, a young man named Kam from the neighbouring village of Umuaku visited Orie market with a mission. He was immediately struck by Lanna’s industriousness. She exchanged pleasantries and a good smile. She moved with purpose, her hands deftly arranging vegetables, her face focused and intent. Intrigued, Kam made inquiries about her and learned that she was the daughter of Madu and Aka, a source of pride to her family and the land. The eligible bachelors of Umuoma all had their eyes set on the beautiful Lanna.

In just a few days, Kam approached Madu and Aka, expressing his desire to marry Lanna. Madu was thrilled that her teachings had borne fruit, Madu loved that her daughter wasn’t only a force to reckon with within the village, but a suitor from another village had heard of her, and she quickly convinced Aka to accept Kam’s proposal. In their excitement, they did not delve deeply into Kam’s background, nor did they investigate his family as they should. They were simply overjoyed that Lanna had attracted a worthy suitor.

The marriage was celebrated with much fanfare, and Lanna moved to Umuaku to live with Kam. However, it wasn’t long before Lanna discovered the harsh reality of her new life. Kam was not the hardworking man he had appeared to be. Instead, he was known in his village as a lazy man who wasted his days drinking palm wine on credit and spent his nights snoring away his sorrow.

 Lanna soon found out that Kam had accrued significant debts in the village. Creditors started coming to their homes, demanding payment. With no money to pay them off, Lanna was left to bear the brunt of their anger and threats. Lanna fell seriously ill due to malnutrition and overwork to pay back loans she had inherited by marriage.

There was no money for proper medical treatment, and she had to rely on traditional herbal remedies. Two years into the marriage, her children, too, joined her in the suffering.    Kam occasionally promised to change and find work, but these promises were always broken. Each time Lanna hoped for a better future, but her hopes were dashed as Kam reverted to his lazy ways.

Some kind-hearted villagers of Umuaku, seeing Lanna’s plight, offered her small farm jobs, like harvesting, processing garri and palm oil. They advised her to return to her parents, but Lanna, bound by her marital vows and pride, initially refused, because failure is not an option. She was the village celebrity, and wouldn’t disappoint everyone who looked up to her.

For this reason, Lanna became the man of the house, leaving her children with Aka to go work for others and provide for her family, Aka did not even assist with meal preparation. She was shouldering more than many could imagine. Whenever she was visited by her mother Madu, she always covered up the extent of her suffering, even though it was as clear as day to anyone who saw her. Her mother would always say, her home was peaceful and that was all that mattered.

One fateful day, after another heated argument where Kam blamed Lanna for their problems because she always went about doing menial jobs for just about anyone in the village, disrespecting him. Lanna couldn’t believe that he expected her to sit and watch her children starve to death, just to be respected in the village. 

Lanna reached her breaking point on the day  Kam sold Lanna’s last piece of jewellery, a wedding gift from her mother, to buy more palm wine. The betrayal and despair were too much to bear. That night, Lanna packed her few belongings, took her children, and returned to her parents’ house in Umuoma. Her arrival, late at night, shocked Madu and Aka. Lanna, with tears streaming down her face, explained the horrors of her life with Kam. Madu, filled with regret and guilt, embraced her daughter and grandchildren, vowing to support them.

Back in Umuoma, Lanna slowly began to rebuild her life with the support of her parents, she was almost consumed by the shame and stigma that came with leaving your marriage. Madu, filled with regret, is now focused on teaching Lanna and her grandchildren the importance of true values, honesty, hard work, and genuine character, rather than just appearances.

Months later, Kam, having realized the gravity of his actions, visited Umuoma to beg for Lanna’s forgiveness. He promised to change and asked for another chance. Lanna conflicted, sought the counsel of her parents and village elders. The village elders, after much deliberation, advised Lanna to give Kam a chance only if he could prove his sincerity by changing his ways. Kam was given a period to demonstrate his commitment by finding a means of livelihood and settling his debts.

For the next six months, Kam struggled to change. He took up menial jobs, paid off some of his debts, and avoided drinking. Lanna, seeing his efforts, was cautiously hopeful but remained wary.

After Kam had shown consistent improvement, Lanna decided to return to Umuaku, but with strict conditions. She set clear expectations and boundaries, ensuring Kam understood that any relapse would mean a final separation.

Kam, motivated by the fear of losing his family forever, adhered to Lanna’s conditions. Life slowly improved as they both worked hard to build a stable home. Lanna remained vigilant, ensuring her children grew up healthy, and with the right values. She also ensured she didn’t have more children for Aka until he had improved their family situation, which made it safe to increase the size of their family.

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