Resumo de "halima" And "duere The Orphan Boy" - Margaret J. O. Eze [Ms]/Nigeria

"HALIMA"

The story of Halima is the true story of a typical
African girl-child. Africa is a place where little or no respect

is accorded the girl-child.

In a society where sweeping preference is given to
the man-child, the birth of a baby-girl in any family is more

often than not, heralded by sighs of regret, disappointment, and in worst cases, complete rejection. Most

times, issues concerning the girl-child between the man and his wife will see the man referring the girl child as

her daughterr, while concerning the man-child, he would refer to him as his son . Such comments show the

status of the girl-child in the heart and sight of her father.

Halima found herself in that dilemma when she was
born. Her birth caused a whole lot of rifts between her

father and mother on the one hand, and among family members and friends on the other. The problem was

made worse because Halima happened to be the first child of her parents.

Her situation however improved and appeared over with the births of three lovely boys in quick succession

after her. After the births of her three brothers, Halima's life turned pleasant. She was on a roller-coaster of a

life free of all troubles and worries.

Halima was a true replica of her father. She
had virtually all his features, except her gender; tall and fair

in complexion. She also had brain, brawn and beauty as additional virtues which put her heads and shoulders

above her peers.

As fate would have it however, Halima found out, to
her chagrin, that her lofty dreams of studying pharmacy in

the University of Ibadan, with the aim of becoming a professional pharmacist, was heading for the crash; all no

thanks to her father's contrary stance.

Halima dreamed of becoming a pharmacist and of being in a position to produce drugs for the use of the poor

who cannot afford the high cost of drugs. How she had wanted to help the poor in her community to overcome

their health problems by by making drugs available and affordable to everyone and consequently, reduce the

incidents of unnecessary deaths because of the nonavailability and high cost of drugs.

At the age of sixteen, Halima had finished her High School Education and passed out as the overall best

graduating pupil in her school; carting away most of the awards for excellence on the day of their prize giving

and send-off ceremony.

Any father would have been proud of his daughter who had such qualities as Halima's, but not Audu her

father. It was her father's opinion and reasoning that any money spent on the education of a woman is a waste,

for the simple reason that every woman ends up in the kitchen of the man as a wife. Audu thought it money

cast in the drain for any woman to go beyond the high school level, if at all, and his daughter's case would not

be an exception.

Halima became traumatized, sad, moody and lonely. She lost all the sunshine which had characterized her

life since her childhood and while in the elementary and high schools.

A marriage fixed and carried out forcefully by her
father with a man of fifty-something years of age, her father's

old time friend and business associate, produced all sorts of intrigues, drama and ugly incidents.

Alhaji Dipcherima was very rich, but Halima was too
young at only sixteen, all tears and lonely. She could

not believe that her dream of acquiring a university education was being scuttled by her father.

Alas! Halima was later to realise that she had only been dr......ming or was it a nightmare?

You've got to find out as you read!

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