59

Dina: Mom, I don't like your joke

Dina's mother: it's not a joke

Dina: neither Amir nor I have agreed that we want to get married

Dina's mother: yes I know that but we are doing this for your and Amir's sake

Dina: well I don't want this marriage

Mom: you don't have a choice, my daughter, you have already signed the papers with the mayor

I turned my head in the direction of my mother and I simply looked at her before speaking

Me: what do you mean?

Mom: You were each made to sign a document today and that was a gentle one from the mayor's office

Me: it won't have any value, it's not consensual

Mom: if it has value more than the mayor to approve this marriage

Me: mom I had told you not to do anything

Dina: So you knew it

Me: no I assure you that not

Dina: so what are you talking about?

Me: Dina...

Dina: no, no I'm tired of being treated like a commodity, or of having my life or my feelings played with, the first time I was married without my consent in Moab, now in Amir so you want to make me undergo a double arranged or forced marriage or what have you, you told me to come to mama because you wanted to talk to me I thought you wanted me near you with the children but no, that was not the case, you told me you wanted a place for your store I bought it for you but you made me sign papers without my consent I trusted you mom, I told you that I didn't need a father for my children or even a husband in my life, but as always parents want to show that we children don't know anything. I'm leaving now and I won't get married

Me: Dina, please calm down, where are you going to go at this time?

Mom: it won't change the fact that you are married, I will take care of the dowry

Me: Mom, nobody wants this dowry here

Dina's mother: I will take it because my daughter will be married to you

Dina looked at her mother simply before turning and leaving. What did these two women do, my God?

Me: What did you do?

Mom: we did it for your good

Me: but mom we didn't need this, do you think that even if Dina accepts out of pity to take me as her husband she will be happy, or else I will be happy, no not at all, not in the least a woman takes good care of her husband according to the love she has for him, Dina may love me but only as a Friend, you acted wrongly and I too don't accept this marriage I said before walking away leaving them alone.

Two days later

Dina had come home the next day angry at her mother for what she had done, too was coming home today and I must admit that I was not at all proud of what had happened. I went downstairs with my suitcase after saying goodbye to my father and my brothers, I found my mother in the living room who looked at me with a sorry look for that she was right to be like that she had maybe just ruined my relationship with Dina, now I was wondering how I was going to face her.

Me: I'm leaving

Her: you could have stayed a little longer

Me: no I can't I think that the reason for my coming here is gone so I'm leaving too

Her: I'm sorry

Me: it's ok, you thought you were doing the right thing

She: I just wanted to see my child happy, and I know that in Dina lies your happiness as a man

Me: it's okay mom, you know what has to happen will happen

Her: goodbye

Me: see you soon

A day later

I had returned a day ago I had not yet resumed work and I wondered if I would be able to concentrate on it, I had not spoken again with Dina since then and I had decided to confront her today, I had not done anything wrong and she needed to know it.

I arrived at the door and knocked the next moment Dina came to open, she saw me and she simply looked at me.

Me: Hello, can I come in?

She: hello Amir yes come in

Me: uh where are the kids?

She: They went to the carousel with Elena and Henry

I was falling, it was the perfect place to talk.

Her: Please sit down.

Me: Thank you. I came to discuss what happened.

She: Yes, I see, I'm sorry I reacted badly to you. But I really can't marry you, Amir.

Me: I know that but the question is why?

She: You are Moab's friend Amir I can't become your wife

Me: before being the friend of Moab I am a man, if I had not been the friend of Moab would you have accepted me?

Her: no because I simply don't want to remarry

Me: uh but we are already married in the eyes of the law

Her: we could just tear up the papers

Me: no I don't want to

Her: Amir, please

Me: no Dina no, there is no harm in getting married, the problem is just you, you think it is not right to marry your husband's friend but you are wrong, it is not written anywhere that it was a sin or if it showed me and I will go away forever, before in the African traditions when a man died leaving his wife a widow, if he had a brother his wife was entrusted to him, You will tell me that the traditions are outdated and out of place because we would like to give the choice to the woman, yes, but I would simply like you to see reality, if two brothers can after the death of one have the same wife, it is not two friends who have no blood ties of kinship that can not, it all depends on how we see things. Dina Moab himself would agree to this union simply because he trusted me.

She: yes, but in my heart, there cannot be Moab

Me: and in mine there is only you, would it cost you your life if you loved me, or am I hateful, or not good enough for you, I have a heart to Dina, or do you consider that I am only good to be the father figure of your children but not their father. I have never asked you for anything, but today I ask you, for one thing, give me a chance, a chance to find happiness by your side, you don't have to love me right away and I will take the time it takes to wait for you.

Her: Amir...

Me: I'm going to leave, just think about it and tell me your answer later.

I finished my sentence before leaving Dina.

Dina Malick Sankara

I didn't know what to do Amir had been more than a friend to Moab and more than a father to my children, but I told myself that I didn't want to marry him, everything was so complicated I thought that both he and I didn't want this marriage, but to my surprise, he was for it, I had this impression that indirectly he wanted to confess his feelings towards me.

My phone rang and it was Moab's mother

Me: yes mom

Her: Hello Dina, how are you?

Me: I am fine thank you and you?

She: I'm fine too, why do you sound so tired, are you tired of my children?

Me: not at all, it is rather another problem

She: you can tell me about it if you want

Me: it's my mom, she forced me to sign the marriage papers with Amir

She: I see and what's the problem?

Me: Don't you see the problem?

Her: no, not at all

Me: I don't want to get married mom

Her: why not, Dina it's been almost five years since Moab left, you could just start a new love life

Me: you advise me to do it but you didn't do it

She: it was different I was already advanced in age and moreover, I believe that the fact that my sons didn't have a father afterward had repercussions on them I don't teach you anything

Me: mom I don't want to get married

She: give a chance to this boy, he is so nice, and he loves you very much, it was him who informed me about your pregnancy, he even begged me to give you peace because you were suffering a lot.

Me: ah really

Her: yes, he will make a good husband and a good father, there is no harm in that

Me: But it's so strange I don't want that, I would feel like betraying Moab

Her: know that Moab himself agreed with your potential union

Me: What do you mean?

She: trust me I'm telling you the truth

Me: but I don't love him

Her: Love comes with time

Me: no, actually I'm not sure that one day I could love him

She: do it to give a good father to your children and the rest you'll see with time

Me: I'll think again

She: ok, I have to leave you, I was calling to check up on you

Me: thanks, goodbye

To be continued.............