EVERYDAY IS FOR THE THIEF....

I recall a story my cousin once told me about how, when she was growing up, they lived in an apartment block where one of the tenants used to beat his wife regularly.

Nearly every evening, the neighbours would all be drawn to this man’s flat in a bid to rescue his poor wife before he caused her serious bodily harm. On a few occasion someone or the other had to rush the woman to the hospital to treat injuries inflicted on her by her husband.

Many wondered why she didn’t just leave him, but none voiced out these thoughts, as they didn’t want to risk being labelled as home-breakers.

As the story goes, one evening, as the neighbours were settling down to listen to the 9 o’clock news – remember the days of NTA 2 channel 5?, they started to hear screams – AGAIN!

How many must have rolled their eyes that night, how many must have sighed in exasperation, how many must have muttered ‘not again’ under their breaths as they all waited for an appropriate time to go rescue the ‘poor woman’- AGAIN!!!

As they waited, the screams grew louder, till the neighbours could realise that the screams were in an odd baritone – ‘could that be a man screaming’?

There was a mad scramble for the man’s flat where they listened to his plaintive plea for mercy from his 'dear wife'. Shock and utter disbelief took hold of everyone there that day but the sounds of crashing furniture and the ‘poor man’s’ pitiful groans, soon jolted them back to their senses and they all joined him in his appeal for mercy from his 'dear wife'.

 

After a long while there was a click at the door as it opened a fraction, one of the neighbours pushed the  door open to reveal ‘the man’ sprawled of the floor, beaten to an inch of his life.

Of course, he was rushed to the hospital where he was treated for ‘grievious bodily harm’ inflicted by his wife, they appealed to her to take him back and made her promise never to hit her husband again.

According to my cousin, the real estate value of that property must have increased after that incident because the whole area became so peaceful thereafter – not just because the man never beat his wife again, but because all the other men started to look at their wives with one 'kain' eye....

Didn’t they say ‘everyday is for the thief, but one day is for the owner of the house’.

 

Aunty Mo.