Bongel
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“Bongel” is a bold statement by the young author, Maryam Bobi, to a society that equates the value of a girl-child to that of a cow, a mere item of misogynist aggrandisement, an object to be owned by men, especially financially buoyant men like Alhaji Tanko, who in the story insists on possessing Bongel to bear him a male child. A machine that must work according to the dictates of its owner such as in the case of Mallam Buba who runs a slave house where his wife, Jummai, bears him wares (daughters) he trades to amass wealth for himself. And they his — wife and daughters — must always do his bidding because he is the “man” and owner of the house. Bongel’s older sisters have been traded by their father before their thirteenth birthday and so must all his daughters. But Bongel dares to break the jinx by refusing to be married to Alhaji Tanko who is already married to three wives and has the wealth that would change the fortune of her family for the better. Bongel is twelve and the brightest pupil of the primary school she just passed out from and her one desire is to get a college education and become a woman of class and quality like her primary school Headmistress. However, Buba’s dream for his young daughter is to be married to a man old enough to be her father or grandfather. Buba’s concern is the size of his treasuries; he must collect the cows Alhaji Tanko is offering as bride price.
“Bongel” is a bold statement by the young author, Maryam Bobi, to a society that equates the value of a girl-child to that of a cow, a mere item of misogynist aggrandisement, an object to be owned by men, especially financially buoyant men like Alhaji Tanko, who in the story insists on possessing Bongel to bear him a male child. A machine that must work according to the dictates of its owner such as in the case of Mallam Buba who runs a slave house where his wife, Jummai, bears him wares (daughters) he trades to amass wealth for himself. And they his — wife and daughters — must always do his bidding because he is the “man” and owner of the house. Bongel’s older sisters have been traded by their father before their thirteenth birthday and so must all his daughters. But Bongel dares to break the jinx by refusing to be married to Alhaji Tanko who is already married to three wives and has the wealth that would change the fortune of her family for the better. Bongel is twelve and the brightest pupil of the primary school she just passed out from and her one desire is to get a college education and become a woman of class and quality like her primary school Headmistress. However, Buba’s dream for his young daughter is to be married to a man old enough to be her father or grandfather. Buba’s concern is the size of his treasuries; he must collect the cows Alhaji Tanko is offering as bride price.
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