Will you pay my Bride price?

Nneka sat under the mango tree in her father's compound and wept her eyes out. There goes another Saturday. One of these Saturdays should've been her big day but custom and tradition said NO.

Flashback:

It was the warmest Friday, the elders were all sitted, Nneka was all beautifully dolled up. The groom wouldn't stop staring at his bride. The food and wine was flowing. They happiness!!!!

And then it was time for the bride price!

The elders swore that Nneka was the community treasure, being the first Nurse and as such, were entitled to everything they demanded as bride price and the four pages od marriage list in general.

Nneka's fiancee, a young chap who was just starting out in life, bought the things he could afford. It was substantial as he had been saving for awhile but the elders of the bride vehemently refused to settle for anything short.

Four years later Nneka's fiancee had married another with kids even, while Nneka has gradually progressed to an old maiden.

This harmful culture of high bride price and crazy pages of marriage list has cost many their happily ever after. It's a pitiful situation for ladies whose parents are dead and have no one to speak for them, especially their fathers or those whose parents are equally greedy.

It's a union of love, not a sale's auction of your daughter.

It's another Saturday and somebody somewhere is shedding tears, having a fight or walking away due to crazy traditional marriage list demands.