two stories of a house

8/3/2019 Two Stories of a House

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MASINDE MULIRO UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY: EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT: LANGUAGE AND LITERARY STUDIES

COURSE TITLE: AFRICAN ORATURE

COURSE CODE: LIT 314

MEMBERS REG NO.

Antoney M. Luvinzu EDA/0981/09

Nehemiah W. Otipah EDA/1010/09

Shitote N. JacklyneEDA/0685/09


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TWO STORIES OF A HOUSE

SYNOPSIS

Two ladies are in a courtroom, before a judge. One of the ladies Khadija Bent

Ahmed registers her complaint of destruction of property by Meeluda, the second

lady. The two were neighbours, Ahmed lived upstairs while the proprietor Meeluda

lived down stairs.

The defendant (Meeluda) had if the implored the tenant Ahmed to leave

momentarily to allow for repair on her ceiling and had even sworn by Mecca that

she could come back. Things however took an ugly twist when the efforts to repair

the ceiling spill out of hand leading to breakage of the landing and demolition of the

stair case. She now cannot access her house and has to find refuge at her brothers

or sisters.

Ahmed on her side is convinced that she has adequately paid for the house for the

thirty years she has been there and feels like she is entitled to be there for the rest

of her life. This strikes Meeluda as utterly ridiculous sense Ahmed has only been

doing forty dirhams a month. She considers this peanuts as this couldnt even buy a

kilogram of meat. But Khadija is quick to remind Meeluda of her blood, Meeludas

own blood from child birth that Ahmed cleaned with her own hands. She further

reminds her of the meals she (Ahmed) prepared in Meeludas feast and morning

ceremonies. She doesnt spare her the memories of the children she (Ahmed)took

care of. She even evokes the memories of her late husband who extended a great

deal of generosity towards his friends. She terms this careless and extravagant.

The course of events in the previous two years prove too much for Ahmed that shejust cant contain herself. She breaks down sobbing like a child. The melodrama she

puts fourth in the courtroom prompts the judge to order her to stop being

sentimental about her late husband. She sobs the more as she talks about her

home.

What appears to amuse the judge is why Ahmed hadnt filed her suit expeditiously

but the latter says that shed registered it with the saints. What a nave lady! All in

all the judge decides that Ahmed be given back her belongings and she in turn

returns the key to the proprietor.

That day Khadija learnt that the premises were being occupied by new tenants; anold woman upstairs and an old man with his family on the ground floor. The wife to

the old man in question is a rough country girl hardly twenty. This raises curios eye

brows no doubt.

Ahmed shares her story with the old lady who lives upstairs only to learn that the

old lady bares a much deeper scar than hers. She says that shes been married to

the old man down stairs for fourty years only for this country girl to come between


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them. Shed found her pregnant, shedding tears in the shrine. Scared of her

brothers, shed opted to hide there. Not having children of her own, the old lady

deemed it proper to take her along and house her until she gave birth and she could

keep the baby as the girl went back to her home.

The girl eventually gave birth twin boys and the old lady took care of her as thoughshe were her own child, even delaying her departure. Little did she know that this

was her main undoing as the old man fell for the girl and consequently married her.

The now displaced old lady has to contend with living in the wooden hut on the roof

as the girl enjoys with the old man and her twins down stairs. The hard words of the

old woman are left resounding in our mindsthere is no good neighbor in this

world, no grateful people, no faithful husbands

THEMES

BETRAYAL

Ahmed recounts all the kindness she had previously extended to Meeluda; assisting

her during her child birth, helping cook during her ceremonies etc. Apparently

Meeluda is not about to consider this as she doesnt seem to care about Ahmeds

predicament.

The old womans story about the country girl whom she offerer assistance when she

was pregnant only to be displaced as the old mans wife. She says there is no god

neighbor in this world, no grateful people, no faithful husbands.

The old man deserts his wife of forty years for a young country girl he hardly knows.

RELIGEON

The names of the characters in the first place is pointer to the Islamic religion;

Ahmed Khadija etc.

Ahmed says when asked by the judge if she just locked the door and walked

away.wouldnt a good muslim lock the door and walk away?...

Meeluda is said to have sworn by Mecca that Ahmed could return.

POVERTY

Ahmed well knows that her home is indeed little. Besides, she cant afford an

alternative housing and has to seek refuge from her sisters if not her brothers

place. Whats more her little home cost her forty dirhams a month. This couldnt

even buy a kilogram of meat.


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The description of this young country girl as rough cuts the image of a poorly kept

person.

IGNORANCE

The rough country girl, roughly twenty already pregnant .Apparently she is not well

kept.

When asked why she had not filed her suit expeditiously, Ahmed tells the judge that

she had left it in the hands of the saints.

FAMILY TIES

Ahmed seeks refuge at her brothers and sisters place when she fails to get access

to her house.

STYLES

Its ironic how the country girl puts off the old woman whod taken care of her and

was now bidding her good bye. The girl shamelessly retorts Oh no its rather time

for you to go.Claiming that she is now in her own house.

Its ironic how the old man deserts his wife of fourty years to fall for a country girl

he hardly knows.

This stylistic device has been used to bring out the theme of betrayal.

VIVID DESCRIPTION

The description of the house;the wooden hut,the rate charged per month etc draws

a mental picture or a substandard premise. This brings out the theme of poverty.

DIALOGUE

The talk between Ahmed and the judge when Ahmed responds to the judges

question of whether she just locked her door and walked away by answering that

wouldnt a good muslim lock the door and walk awayThis rings out the theme

of religion.

A STORY WITHIN A STORY

The old womans story about the country girl snatching her husband is another

story besides the main one pitting Ahmed against Meeluda. It brings about the

theme of betrayal.

MORAL LESSON


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That trust is fragile, once broken its almost impossible to put it together. For

instance the old woman is now rigidly convinced that there is no good neighbour, no

grateful people nor faithful husbands. This is after she had been betrayed by people

she trusted if not helped.

ELEMENTS OF ORALITY

MORAL LESSON

That trust is fragile, once broken its hard to rebuild.

DIALOGUE

Since oral literature ought to be performed the story is either narrated or performed

by characters who engage in talk to bring out development of plot.

UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATING THE STORY:-

1. The events of Khadija Bent Ahamed`s story occur in the court room.

2. Khadija was trickedby Meeluda when she was asked to leave the house

momentarily pending repairs only for the staircase to be demolished.

3. It has been two years since Khadija lost her house.She has been living

alternatively at her brothers house if not her sisters.

4. Khadija is so attached to the house because of the long time she has spend

there.She lived there for thirty years and felt like it was her home.

5. Besides paying rent ,Khadija has helped Meeluda deliver ,she has lelped her

cook during feasts and mourning ceremonies.She has taken care of her

children and her late husband extended a lot of generosity towards her

(Meeluda).

6. Her late husband was generous;he extended a lot of generosity to his friends.

7. The judges verdict is fair because the house belongs to Meeluda and Ahmed

was just but a tenant

8. No,Ahmed says she left to the saints.

9. Ahmed is the cause of humor when she tells the court that she left to the

saints to solve her problem.This brings about humor which effectively easens

tension.


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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1 What makes the old lady so cynical is the fact that she has been disappointed

and hurt by the people she had trusted in the shape of the husband and the

country girl respectively.

We agree with her since such happens in real life.

2 The story has various instances of tradition for instance the presence of

mourning ceremonies(funerals)-Khadija helped Meeluda prepare meals during such

occasions.

There is ashow of tradition among women in the shape of dying hands and feet

with henna as a sign of beauty for muslim women.

There is the tradition of marriage evident when the country girl holds out her

marriage contract.

The presence of the shrine depicts tradition where the country girl is found crying

hiding from her brothers.This shows that the shrine is considered superior and can

offer protection.

3 The story reveals that women are their own enemies,evident from the two

episodes in the story.Ahmed is pitted aginst Meeluda while the old woman is pitted

against the counry girl.

two stories of a house

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