All our lives we had been preparing and waiting for this day. A day we knew we would never be able to choose who we wanted to spend the rest of our lives with because we were all women. we never had the right to choose,we didn have right at all, our feelings,are opinion what did they matter? We were all tools to create alliance, to gain power.

Yeah, right. It was all different for a man. If he married for alliance and power, if he did not like his wife he could just marry another one or take in a mistress, there's nothing we could do. We just have to pease him and watch as he married other women when he gets bored. I felt my blood boil but now was not the time to get angry.

Leaving all bad thoughts behind, I studied her in the mirror,  our moms spet ours preparing her, making her look more beautiful than we ever imagined, of course she was always beautiful but in that white and red dress, her all back braided hair with red hair pins in the shapes of love and flowers. Her prefect makeup. I felt sick there was a knot in my stomach that refused to go away no matter how hard I tried to calm myself, I couldn't believe she was leaving, far away from my reach gone for good, what if he did not treat her right, what if something bad happened to her and I had no idea about it.

A knock on the door interupted my thoughts and shortly after Timi came in.

"Mother it's time, the general has arrived" she informed us. She titled her head towards me, I watched as tear drops flowed down her long neck she was going to leave.

"Jamila do you really have to go?". I held her so closee to my body afraid she would disappear into thin air and kissed her tears. For a moment I wanted to hold her forever but suddenly got disturbed by our mother's outburst as if shocked by electricity we quickly separated.

"Stop it Muna don't you dare tear up and ruin Jamila's perfect wedding dress" they exclaimed.

"I am sorry Umar," 

"Come on let's go" we all walked out of the room, I watched Jamila careful steps it was hard for her to walk on the long tight dress and those heavy jewelry she had on her, just before she could fall , I quickly grabbed her hand and smiled at her, it was our last day together.

The ceremony had begun, or should I say marriage exchange, what was there to celebrate, a forced wedding? I gave Jamila a short reassuring smile before I left them behind to walk to their seats. Taking a deep breath, jamila strode into the Hall carefully and immediately all heads turned to look at her. She walked with heads high but gaze low, just the way we were taught. She sat next to him and greeted them, our fathers with trembled feet's.

I watched her father unbothered face not even with the fact that he was marrying her off to a general twice his age.

"Today I gather us all so as to celebrate The marriage of my daughter to general Usman" jamila's father spoke once everyone was seated. He raised his wooden cup "let's the ceremony begin and enjoy yourselves".

People clapped while dancers and musician walked in to entertain the quest. People seamed to enjoy themselves especially father kush, why wouldn't he, he was finally getting what he ever wanted, to be a chairman by marrying off his last daughter, well not like it was the first time but they never complained because'that's what a lady should do'. I hate being a lady'...

The carriage was waiting outside. The general or should I say Jamila husband led the way. She looked behind one last time, and finanly met my ggaze, her cheeks wat with tears.

"I will miss you more," I whispered.

That was it, she was gone, for good, my best friend..