Maid of Honour

Standing on the registration queue on the first day in campus, Zinny was not sure why she accepted the offer to study Estate Management in this school where she barely understood what anyone said. Everyone thought that she was from that part of the country and spoke the language to her. At some point, she became tired of telling people that she was from a different tribe.

When they were not speaking the language to her, it was another similar language which sounded even worse than the first; and in the first two weeks, she contemplated becoming a drop out, life could actually be better that way. Making friends with other students was a problem but just when she had given up, Zinny met Bima and everything changed for her.

Bima was in her second year in the University and she became like a guardian angel to Zinny, she showed her everywhere that she needed to know and the school all of a sudden became to Zinny the next best thing after her favourite hot akara and bread.

In no time, they became a well known pair, you wouldn’t see one without the other, they even claimed that they were cousins to some people who had no idea that they were from different tribes. Bima took Zinny home to meet her family and they embraced her as their own. She wasn’t lonely and bored anymore; she had a place to call home.

Zinny did not have to go home on short breaks anymore and even during some long holidays; she stayed back in Bima’s home which had become a second home to her. The two families grew quite close because of Zinny and Bima’s friendship. Five years went by so quickly and Zinny was done with her studies, after spending an extra one month with Bima’s family, it was an emotional day when it was finally time to say good bye to this family that had treated her just like their own.

What a happy reunion it was ,when Bima and Zinny reunited in Zinny’s home, Bima had just gotten an entry level bank job and the only available posting was in the city where Zinny lived. It was only natural for Bima to stay in Zinny’s house; deep inside her, Zinny knew that her family was not as hospitable as Bima’s family and this made her very nervous.

Bima noticed some odd behaviours from Zinny’s siblings but ignored them out of maturity, they intentionally wouldn’t tell her that dinner was ready and she often went to bed hungry after she got back from work. She knew that such a thing would never happen in her own home under her mother’s watch. As much as she tried, she never had a relationship with Zinny

The last straw was when Bima went in to take a bath one evening and discovered that Zinny’s younger sister who shared the same room with them, had hidden the soap, she confronted her and Zinny’s sister told her bluntly to buy her own soap. Bima shed tears that evening and to worsen the issue, Zinny said no word to her sister; rather she told Bima that she was over reacting.

For the first time, Bima told her mother what she had been going through in Zinny’s house. Her parents quickly made arrangements for her to move to an apartment where she would live all by herself. After a month of not speaking to each other, Zinny summoned the courage to call Bima.

When she visited her, she fell on her knees and asked Bima to forgive her and her famiy, she acknowledged that Bima’s family was exceptional, everyone was accepted there but her own family did not know even know how to express love to each other.

They became quite close again as Bima forgave her immediately, at some point, they started to live together and they shared the house rent since Zinny had also gotten a job.

Now, Bima’s long time boyfriend has asked for her hand in marriage, the wedding date has been fixed with Zinny as the maid of honour. That should be cheering news but it is not, Bima’s mother is still so bitter with Zinny’s family for the way her daughter was treated in their house. Zinny and Bima had travelled at some point to visit her parents so Zinny could personally apologise on behalf of her whole family but Bima’s mother has not quite gotten over it. (I do not blame her)

Bima is an only daughter but her mother insists that her cousin she had only seen once and who is five years younger than her must be her maid of honour instead of Zinny. Bima has other friends but not as close to her as Zinny; now she is in a running battle with her mother over this issue. Zinny offered to step down but Bima refused, she says her maid of honour is an important part of her wedding memory and would have no one ruin it for her.

Her mother has threatened to stay home on her daughter’s wedding day if Zinny was the maid of honour and Bima is quite stressed right now. Her father has intervened but her mother is as adamant as her daughter. (Guess the apple does not fall too far from the tree) Bima’s mother believes that Zinny is not a true friend to her daughter and wants to severe her relationship with Bima.

I have never seen where a small matter is made into such a big deal, Choice of maid of honour? Some things shouldn’t just matter.
Ps: real names have withheld for privacy sake