Tales by Internet: Amina (contd)

As Fati made sure everything was in order, she couldn't help but think about what her daughter was up to. She abandoned what she was doing and went to the bride's hut. She asked for everybody to leave and then she asked Amina what she was up to. Amina smiled but refused to talk. Fati, becoming nervous asked Amina again with deep pain in her eyes and this time, Amina spoke.
   With sudden anger in her eyes, she told Fati she had defiled herself with Usman, her father's cattle boy the night before. To her, that was the only way to get back at her parents since everybody knew what shame a mother and father would bear for having received so much gifts for a disgraceful child from the in-laws. As Amina spoke, Fati gave way to tears. It had never before happened in her family lineage. All the girls in the family had been chaste and so, the thought of Amina's wickedness hurt her. Suddenly, she got up and stormed out of the hut.
   Not sure of whether to tell her husband or not, she asked that Amina's breakfast be brought to her. She took the food to Amina and after much silence, she told Amina she had forgiven her and that no matter what, Amina would still get married and then she left to attend to her guests who were already trooping in.
   The wedding was the talk of the day and everybody wanted to be there. The food and drinks were in abundance and everybody was in high spirits until it got to the time for the bride to come out with her train. A loud scream went up and everybody was confused,the music stopped and there was silence . Everybody was confused but not Fati. Fati had poisoned Amina's breakfast, afterall nobody would suspect her. She knew everybody would consider it suicide and she preferred this than to become the laughing stock of the village. As one of the girls ran out to inform the crowd of Amina's death, Fati with a high pitched scream threw herself to the floor and bit her lips in feigned agony. She was devasted, or at least looked so.