Ije Uwa - The Journey Of A Hard Life!

I promised to shake a particular table today, so I am writing on a not very exciting journey of life. Women being abused in marriages. You see, in the part of the hood where I come from when not so great things happen after much lamenting people would end their tales of woe with the exclamation IjeUwa

IjeUwa literally means The Journey of Life. In English you this is the point where you just exclaim What a Life! or Life for short.

So let's talk ladies. I do not have any personal tales to tell on spousal abuse, however there are too many stories out there and it is a real story for so many of us.

Why would a man woo a lady, get married to her only to start beating her up. I do not get it. Ok, let's leave beating your wife, many men would verbally abuse you and leave you so worthless you see yourself as the shrimp at the bottom of the food chain under the whale's poop in the Shark's Tale movie. Yes, I said it - why would you make an entire human feel so low.

Oh by the way, it's a two way street because there are obviously women who make their spouses feel less than a man. But my apologies, I stand with the women today.

Let's get back to my story, I have seen women beaten so hard they lose a tooth or end up hospitalized. Such an impact may have killed if it landed on the wrong place. I have seen women being cut off from family members and friends just so it's impossible for you to cry out for help. I have seen financially capable women become nothing all in the name of saving a marriage.

Ladies, listen up - borrow some sense. Do not stay in till you are carried out in a body bag. Speak out (this by the way was the name of a program I grew up watching). Speak Up. Speak Out. Shout for Help. Please. I know you need a lot of courage to do this, but trust me you will be better off if you get help now.

The one that even pushes my button more are those ones who are just dating the girl and decide she is their property and he can beat her at anytime. Who does that? You are just a boyfriend oh. These are the signs that I wish my sisters would see and kiss that relationship goodbye but no, love still pushes you to marry him.

I know that right now some of the men reading this may not want to come back to my blog, haa haa haa. Don't worry, we are coming right where you are to shake the tables of that wife ...... that the Bible described in Proverbs 21: 9 - go and read it up yourself. If you do not own a Bible yet "phone a friend".

So until we get to that Proverbs 21:9 WhatsApp group, better stop beating your wife. Stop beating that girlfriend that you have not even paid lobola/bride price for. Stop It! Stop Eet! Stop! If you're being beaten, get help fast so we do not have to sigh and exclaim IjeUwa over you.

And by the way, parents, stop beating your children in the name of correcting them in love. By beating I mean really pummeling them with your hands. They learn to see this as a sign of love which makes it easier for them to accept this form of love from others. I know you will now quote "Spare the rod and spoil the child" for me, but "unculu", is ya hand a rod abi is ya wife still a shudren that needs your correction? Get a true Nigerian to read this particular sentence for you, I'm too upset to write proper English.

See you next Thursday. What life journey do you suggest I write about - leave a comment below. Until then please follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Our handle on both pages: ije_journey

Ije...... the journey.

Photo by Richard Felix on Unsplash