The perfect polygamist (II)

Continued from last week ‘He has only one wife but he is the perfect polygamist. He knows just how to run a house without being unjust to anyone. Since he took over running our house I’ve been so happy because I no longer find myself in the desperate situations I used to be under Idi’s […]

Continued from last week

‘He has only one wife but he is the perfect polygamist. He knows just how to run a house without being unjust to anyone. Since he took over running our house I’ve been so happy because I no longer find myself in the desperate situations I used to be under Idi’s arrangements.’ Hajjoh enthused.
‘How amazing, a man with one wife handling a polygamous home so well?  How is Sahura taking his reforms?’ I asked.
‘Not well at all Bint. In fact the first day she tried to control herself. Especially after the way Tanimu had scolded her for defending her husband. But the day he shared money for Eid clothes she really lost it. You see Idi used to give each child N10,000: from my 18 year old to her one year old.
Tanimu changed the formula and gave each of my older children N15,000 each.  Then he allocated N10,000 to my last born and her two toddlers. After he left, she cornered me and said I should stop celebrating because the injustice Tanimu has introduced into this house will end once his brother returned. I told her there was no injustice here at all but a good dose of fair treatment. I asked how she would feel if she was in my shoes, having to buy Sallah çlothes for her 18 year old son with the same amount given to purchase for my 3 year old?
I said she should consider their sizes, and the amount of clothes-material each of them requires. I told her to also consider the tailor’s fees and see if any tailor will accept the same amount for work done for the two boys.
But she couldn’t be pacified despite my appeal for her to reason. She kept on and on about how Islam advocates equal treatment for wives and children and that it’s people like Tanimu that lead good husbands on the path to hell fire when they advocate unequal treatment of spouses.
At that point Tanimu suddenly joined our conversation from the sitting room.  We had no idea he had returned to pick his phone, which he forgot on the chair he sat. He said.
‘I always knew someone was making Idi act the way he was doing. So it was you with all your deceitful preaching about equality. Where is the equality when she and her six kids were being forced to subsist on the same amount as you and your two little ones? And like Hajjoh said, can you honestly dress an 18 year old with the cloth you use for a 3 year old? Where is your sense of justice?
Any way now that I know you are the scholar who led my brother astray with your selfish equality formula, I will surely do all I can to see that he is doing things the right way henceforth. We all grew up in a polygamous home. He had seen how our father ensured equity and justice in his treatment of us and our mothers. I didn’t expect him to run his house contrary to that, but now I know why he is doing it. He has you as his spiritual guide.’ Tanimu concluded.
‘Look Tanimu, stop insulting me just because your brother has made you acting head of this household. Do not think I will tolerate your insults in addition to your unfair treatment.’ Sahura warned him angrily.
‘Oh so you still call it unfair treatment?’ Tanimu asked ‘Ok since you are not ready to reason with us,  let me just warn you that these children, whose father you are encouraging to deprive of what they deserve, are older siblings to your children. One day when your husband is old or even dead, they will be the ones to take care of your children and provide for them. That was what happened when our own father grew old and later died.  We took care of all our younger siblings as he would have done himself. But do you know why we did it?  Because he treated us well, he fed and clothed us well and sent us to good schools. We were never deprived when we were under his care. Now if you encourage my brother to be unfair to his older children under some fake guise of equality, one day you will live to regret it. Your selfish agenda will come to haunt you when you need help from your stepchildren and they refuse to oblige you.’ Tanimu warned before walking away.
Since that day she never said anything to me about the way he was running our house. But she also remained cold and distant. I’m sure she can’t wait for Idi to return so she can influence him to reverse these changes.
‘Haba,  do you mean she is still unconvinced?’ I asked.
‘Oh yes, that is obvious for her coldness but I am not at all disturbed. If Idi returns and reverses his brother’s reforms,  he will have the children to face because they are all happier and healthier and will not allow this glimpse of a better life to slip away from them.’ She answered.
‘I’m sure they won’t. In any case with Tanimu to fight their case,  I think you people will surely win in the end In sha Allah.’ I said.
‘Yes, we hope so too Bint.  We really hope so.’ Hajjoh replied with a smile.