I was at a school park the other day and yes, already some of you are murmuring about my widened scope of observation these days. Minding my own business was unfeasible as I watched one woman walk from one end of the car park to the end where I parked my car. Clearly, her eye for detail and enthusiasm spoke volumes on the determination to make her presence both felt and known. She was on a definite lookout. I persistently watched in awe as she moved to the red car next to mine, almost antagonising the driver who sat there patiently waiting for her ward. She spoke on top of her voice.
“Hi. You must be Mrs. so, so. I know your husband. You see, he is my brother-in-law. Has he told you about me? My name is so so. Your husband sired a child with my sister. He is at home as we speak. His name is so so and I thought it wise to come and greet you, Mrs. so so since we have a child by your husband.”
The poor woman, as unmoved as she portrayed her situation, responded politely with an inquisition into the name of the love child which she murmured something to the effect of having been told by the husband. You would think that would be enough to shoo this inquisitive woman. No, she thought it wise to repeat the husband’s escapade with her sister all over again and why she felt persuaded to introduce herself to the now woman of this man’s house. I admired the wife’s demeanor because she entertained this woman and listened on with a few questions here and there. Someone would have seized the moment to shut her out with a few verbal barricades, if not blows. She didn’t and this is what caught my attention.
Later on, the subject appeared on the scene and there she was, at it again. She leaped to the fellow with her ‘evil’ greeting before narrating to him how she ambushed his wife with details of his past. Her attention soon turned to the car the wife was driving as she drove out of the school compound, leaving former in-laws behind. “Nice car. Where did you buy it and for how much?”. “I bought it from a white man at K750 000, blah blah”.
By golly!! Were all these details really necessary? Did this woman have the right to ambush the wife the way she did? Heck no! In my humble upbringing and mannerisms learnt later in life, etiquette was evidently deficient and this woman needed a bun to shove up her mouth and possibly leg shackles to glue her to a safe distance. She will definitely meet her match one of these days and trust me, blows will fly and teeth counted in a bowl if not careful.
A few observations. Firstly, the wife should have directed the conversation to a stop because she had the compass. Secondly, miss overzealous should control her outbursts lest she embarrasses other people or herself. Thirdly, hubby too should have set boundaries in as far as how extra baggage conducts itself and be ‘protective’ of the official entity and this child’s rights. There should times and places for everything. Look, she was only the sister of the former lover. Koma mpakana pamenepo. (Up to that extent).
Respect people. Please. Anaonjeza!!
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