Reader's Digest Report
"I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced"
from the book I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced, by Nujood Ali with Delphine Minoui
When I saw the photography I suppose that the history its about a divorce of the little girl in a strange country because their culture permit this situation.
This story is terrible for me because I have a sister and She is 10 years old and I can`t imagine this situation. She started telling her history when she stated in front of the judge and say him "I want a divorce".
She explain her history sequentially, The first part, it is the agreement, She was born in the village in Yemen in Khardji. It's a tradition in the village that the woman marry very young. Her father told her that he has good news, and He said "Nujood, you will be married". I think that she may have felt scared and She didn`t understand this situation, but the situation in her house was very complicate, because her father didn`t have a job and her brothers sold many things in the street. They did many things to get some money for your house.
She remembers that afternoon to her father that was chewing khat with his neighbors, because it help him forget his troubles.
In these days her father accepted the Faez`s proposal, because He was looking a wife. That evening her sister gave many reasons for example, Nujood is too young to get married because She was 10 years old, however in this country the men give the orders.
After that, She remembered her wedding, in that day She didn´t know who will be her husband. She cried so much because She went with her husband to another place with her new family.
She described her first day as Faez`s wife, She knew her Mother in law and her house, later she learned that marriages to little girls are not unusual in the countryside, so exist a proverb that says, "To guarantee a happy marriage, marry a nine year old girl".
After that She described her first night as a wife, She told a terrible experience, because that night She lost her virgin. She cried, gasped, ran, shrieked however the people near her, They did not help.
She had many obligations in the new house, She obeyed to mother in law`s orders and all days was repeat the bad dreams especially in the nights, after some days Her husband began hitting her It was a terrible experience and when She say "I want to divorce" He said "My brothers and cousins will kill you, because you are my wife"
She was very sad, so her husband and She visited her family and she could explain her situation, however nobody helped her, so She visited to father`s second wife and she gave help and She said "you must go straight to court". The next day she went to the courthouse to request help, because She wanted to the divorce.
The people were surprised because it was unusual that a little girl was married and request a divorce, it is the reason that many people helped her because She has right. The judge say that he has never seen a case like her and He explained her, that in Yemen is frequently married off quite young, before the legal age of 15, it's a tradition and the little girls never was showed up at a courthouse.
According to Yemeni law the contract it was valid, however after the trial She won and She returned with her family and now lived happy, because the divorce changed her life and She could returned to the school and when she grow up She`ll be a lawyer, like a Shada (her lawyer) to defend other girls like her.
Vocabulary Use:
Ashamed: /əˈʃeɪmd/ adj : Feeling bad because you are aware that others know that you or someone connected with you has done something wrong or embarrassing.
Gasp: /gæsp/ v: To take a short quick breath through the mouth, esp. because of surprise, pain, or shock.
Shriek: /ʃrik/ n: a loud, high cry:
Courthouse: /ˈkɔrtˌhɑʊs/n: a building that contains rooms where trials and other legal cases happen.
Guarantee: /ˌgær·ənˈti/n: Guarantee is also the state of being certain of a particular result.
