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Equal rights in African marriage

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ONCE there was a girl named Kwaboaso.
She was a virgin and so beautiful that whatever men came to seek her hand in marriage, she turned them down saying, “I shall only marry the one that my heart desires.” One day, her parents brought to her a hunter, and she laughed saying, “Ugh! This man has ticks on him. I do not want him. I shall only marry the one that my heart desires.”
And the hunter went away.
A few days later, the beautiful Kwaboaso went to cut plantains in her parents’ garden.
She took a big sharp knife and began to cut at the plantains.
She did not notice the little folks sitting on the plantains she was busy cutting.
The little folks were fairies holding their usual conference.
The fairies got upset and descended on Kwaboaso saying, “Who are you to disturb our conference?
“Come sisters! Let us squeeze her!”
And they squeezed her and squeezed her so hard until she screamed and screamed in pain for help!
Now, the hunter heard the scream and recognised that it was Kwaboaso, but said to himself, “I shall go and see what the matter is with her, for we don’t want to take something bad to repay something bad.”
Then the hunter loaded his gun and ran towards the voice and saw that indeed it was Kwaboaso.
The fairies were busy torturing her.
The hunter fired his gun and one fairy fell down.
The leader of the fairies then said to the others, “The hunter has drunk palm wine and is intoxicated.
“Take him away and go on squeezing her.”
The fairies advanced towards the hunter and the hunter fired at them and one fell down.
The leader of the fairies again said to the fairies, “The brave fellow has drunk too much palm wine and is overcome. Grab him and lay him down somewhere, there.”
But the hunter went on firing and killed all the fairies except their leader.
The leader then called out to the hunter saying, “Come, oh, hunter! Come on here! I will not harm you.”
The hunter went over to her.
Then the leader of the fairies addressed him saying, “Go into my room. There you will find medicine for your gun and the bullets you have fired.
“Take what belongs to you and also Kwaboaso with you.
“But before you leave, go cut some bananas and throw them on the path as you go, so that when the fairies wake up and pursue you, they will stop to pick up the bananas, and by the time they finish eating them, you will be far away.”
The hunter went and cut the bananas as he was told and fled with Kwaboaso.
When he reached the path to his home, he threw away the bananas one by one and continued to do so all along the path as he fled.
When he was about to reach his home, he looked back and saw the fairies coming towards him in hot pursuit.
He threw down the one banana that he still had and the fairies went after it.
By the time they had finished picking them up, they lost sight of him and decided to go back. The hunter arrived safely at his home and returned Kwaboaso to her parents.
Now, after some days had passed, the hunter saw messengers arriving at his home and he received them kindly saying, “What is the news?”
And the messengers replied saying, “Kwaboaso says she has asked the head of the village to intercede for her saying that now she is willing to marry you.”
The hunter listened quietly as the messengers delivered their message and then replied saying, “I thank you for the words from the mouth of the headman of the village.
“But I cannot marry the girl. For, I still have ticks on my body.”
That is why our ancestors often advise saying, “Choices are reciprocal.
“While the heart is like a tree which chooses wherever it wants to grow, the soils also have a right to choose which trees may grow on them and which trees to reject.
“Rights are like a bridge in marriage.
“They go both ways.”

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