Unravelling Grandmother's Age: A Journey Through the Era When Salt Was as Valuable as Gold
Unravelling Grandmother's Age: A Journey Through the Era When Salt Was as Valuable as Gold
The question of my grandmother's age was a recurring topic among my siblings and me. Our father’s mother, Hajia Zeenat, was often faced with this unending query, and one day, she decided to provide us with the best answer she could. Despite the Gregorian calendar being in existence when she was born, it was neither common nor widely accepted during her childhood. Consequently, concepts like birthdays and birth certificates were foreign to her. Given that my father was over 50 years old at the time, it was safe to assume she was at least 70. However, considering early marriages and childbirth, she might have given birth to my father before she was 18.
On that particular day, Hajia Zeenat attempted to answer our persistent questions. She recalled a period in Nigeria when salt was as valuable as gold. Salt was so scarce that having it was a sign of wealth. The scarcity was so severe that she and her mother, my great-grandmother had to mine salt locally at the beach front in Eko, now modern-day Lagos. During that arduous journey, she was liken her height, and breast size to my elder sister who was 13 years old. 
Despite this detailed story, we couldn't pinpoint her exact age. This mystery lingered until the advent and growing popularity of the internet. One day, my elder brother remembered the story and decided to search online for the period when salt was scarce in Nigeria. To our amazement, he discovered that this scarcity occurred between 1940 and 1942, during World War II, which lasted from 1939 to 1945. In pre-colonial Nigeria, salt was not only used for cooking but also as a medium of exchange.
Armed with this new information, we deduced that if my grandmother was around 13 years old during the salt scarcity, she must have been born around 1927 to 1929. This revelation was shared among us siblings, bringing some closure to the mystery of her age. Though we never learned her exact age before she passed away, this information provided a reasonable assumption to work with.
In conclusion, while we never determined Hajia Zeenat's precise age, the use of historical context and modern technology helped us approximate it. Eulogies to my grandmother, Hajia Zeenat. May Almighty Allah bless her soul. Amen.
## References
- "History of Nigeria." Wikipedia, [History of Nigeria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Nigeria)
- "World War II." Encyclopedia Britannica, [World War II](https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II)
- "Salt Trade and Scarcity in Africa." African Studies Review, [Salt Trade and Scarcity](https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/african-studies-review/article/salt-trade-and-scarcity-in-africa/)
These references provide historical context and additional information on the events and periods mentioned in the article.
