But for my motherI would have been a tailorThat was the final decisionThe man of the house has spokenBut my mother defied the orderAn order she needed not only emotional strengthBut huge financial commitment to sustainI look on helplessly with the thug of warBetween husband and wifeA faint-hearted man awashed in pessimismVersus a lioness-hearted woman of unseen hopesIt was a melodrama of a family at loggerheadsA sweet sorrow tale of once upon a crossroadA near battle of supremacy of who dictates the tuneFor an innocent son of prideful determination to excelA family which status quo was redefined by a mishapTime fliesSoaring my dreams beyond visibilityMy hope dwindlesMy opportunity keeps drifting further apartMy brain produces zilch thenI thought pessimism had overcome my omega hopeYet I appease myself with the adage of have-nots“Where there is life there is hope”One dayThe sun felt reluctant to smileA perfect weather to sleep off my unending worriesThere comes a gentle knock on my doorWith a strong voice ofMama is callingBefore the messenger had return to the senderThe called was already thereI stepped into the woman’s roomAnd the ambience was differentIt was as hollow as holeThe glitters were conspicuously missingI need not to be toldA glaring symbolism of a strong womanDesire to educate her only first sonShe chose my future over her valuablesI was suddenly manhandle by emotionsEmotions drifting ubiquitously and violently in meI try to avoid her eyesAs I bear my head down in a stormy rain of tearsSobbing gratefullyMy heart truly full of thankfulnessShe had no reason to cryEven though the clouds were imminent onHer red eyes“Naawuni deema a suhugu” was all I could murmurMy dream of going to school was rebornVim “yaa zo”But with heavy uneasy heartI breathe in happiness with painBreathe out sadness with joyI prostrate in venerationTo God for giving me such a solid rockTo lean onGod bless Mma Nafisah forMy mother is II 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.