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UP CLOSE

Lola’s day will start going awry the moment she miscuts Iya Sadia’s fabric. She will blame the red scissors, the one with a history of ruining just the good clothes—always the possessed scissors, never her erring hand. She will then sit hard at the sewing machine, labouring to undo the mess.

She will soon panic as an acrid smell reminds her of the food on fire. Rushing to the kitchen, she will knock off the handbag of a dark, middle-aged woman in the passageway. She will apologize hastily and offer to help in picking up the bag’s content. “Don’t worry,” the woman will say, and Lola will dash off immediately.

Later she will recall some of the objects knocked out of the woman’s bag. Local knife? Small scissors? Who carries those in a handbag? And in a moment of heightened suspicion, she will trace the woman’s movement to Iya Titi’s room and eavesdrop by the window side.

“…Aunty, you’re sure it will go well?”
“Is this my first time doing it?”

“I’m—“

“Come off it, Iya Titi. Our mother did the same for us when we were little. Didn’t we benefit from having the sinful flesh removed? Didn’t we become real women? Lobatan.”

And Lola will hear a little more, just enough to know Titi will soon be back from an errand, at which point the naive girl will be cajoled into following the dark woman somewhere in the neighbouring area.

In shock Lola will wonder what mindless mother would approve of such an all-round agony for her daughter. And for what godforsaken reason?

Not wanting to relive her own agony, she will vow to never allow Titi to undergo what now gradually kills her during her periods. She will call her close friend Doris, and ask her to come over now-now. “Titi’s rescue is crime-worthy,” she will say. And a few moments later, both friends will commit a crime serious enough to put them on the run for weeks. They will cajole and kidnap Titi into a safe place downtown, from where they will plan on what to do until Titi is no victim but victor.

But none of these will happen until a couple of moments later. Right now Lola knives the red scissors into Iya Sadia’s fabric and miscuts it. She sighs upon realising that whatever is cut off cannot be grown again.

38 Responses

  1. Really, whatever is cut off cannot be grown again💔…and that is why more intentional people like Lola are needed in our society to speak and act against FGM. Great piece 👍

  3. Hmmmm,what an interesting short story that demonstrate a tragic settings, Lola as an intercessor trying to safe a life end to lost and being indebted….

  23. Female should not be deprived of their rights…..they have their lives to live too and they should be allowed to do what they want.

  28. Every girl has the right not to undergo such pain. Lola did well. The story is a big message about what we choose to or not to do in the face of glaring evil. Good job!

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