This archive report was first published on 9 December 2019.
December 9, 2019, marked a significant milestone for many people, but for one woman, it was a day she would never forget. At 35, she had had the chance to sample various cultures and experience their traditions, but nothing could have prepared her for the shock she received when she married outside her tribe.
With more people embracing diversity, intermarriages are becoming common. Dating or marrying outside your tribal or racial lines is a great way to accommodate and learn about people. However, some traditions are just shocking, especially to new comers.
One such tradition was encountered by the woman when she was in a relationship that lasted three months. Things started getting murky when her partner informed her that, as his prospective wife, she would be expected to undergo a tough examination by his relatives. At first, she thought he was joking until she got there and was subjected to one duty after another.
She was expected to go back to the homestead and do all the chores, from laundry to harvesting cassava. She got back home and because God gave her powerful lungs, she yelled and yelled at her man asking him why he didn’t step up and fight for her when his people turned her into a machine.
Another friend was made to serve her in-laws chicken during a function and she went on to serve it like any other person would. Little did she know it was a test. Apparently, there are specific chicken parts meant for the in-laws -- from the eldest to the youngest -- and they should be served in that order.
