But for my mother I would have been a tailor That was the final decision The man of the house has spoken But my mother defied the order An order she needed not only emotional strength But huge financial commitment to sustain I look on helplessly with the thug of war Between husband and wife A faint-hearted man awashed in pessimism Versus a lioness-hearted woman of unseen hopes It was a melodrama of a family at loggerheads A sweet sorrow tale of once upon a crossroad A near battle of supremacy of who dictates the tune For an innocent son of prideful determination to excel A family which status quo was redefined by a mishap Time flies Soaring my dreams beyond visibility My hope dwindles My opportunity keeps drifting further apart My brain produces zilch then I thought pessimism had overcome my omega hope Yet I appease myself with the adage of have-nots “Where there is life there is hope” One day The sun felt reluctant to smile A perfect weather to sleep off my unending worries There comes a gentle knock on my door With a strong voice of Mama is calling Before the messenger had return to the sender The called was already there I stepped into the woman’s room And the ambience was different It was as hollow as hole The glitters were conspicuously missing I need not to be told A glaring symbolism of a strong woman Desire to educate her only first son She chose my future over her valuables I was suddenly manhandle by emotions Emotions drifting ubiquitously and violently in me I try to avoid her eyes As I bear my head down in a stormy rain of tears Sobbing gratefully My heart truly full of thankfulness She had no reason to cry Even though the clouds were imminent on Her red eyes “Naawuni deema a suhugu” was all I could murmur My dream of going to school was reborn Vim “yaa zo” But with heavy uneasy heart I breathe in happiness with pain Breathe out sadness with joy I prostrate in veneration To God for giving me such a solid rock To lean on God bless Mma Nafisah for My mother is I I am my mother The author is now a nurse, politician, teacher and feminist of principle. A strong believer of positive discrimination that seeks to catapult women to the higher pedestal of all human endeavour. A propounder of “Confidence’s Overambitious Theory of Feminine Capability” - this theory puts forward scientific cogent arguments and observations about a situation in the near future where men will take over the kitchen. Women will be the smart and industrious force working to provide livelihood for their families.