Sometime in 2006, a lady was fed up with her marriage, and so wanted a divorce. Due to the fact that divorce was a very serious issue which may have to be taken in consultation with family members, she invited her two brothers and mother to make her intention known to them. She needed to gain their understanding.
As they met to discuss, their mother was firm in drumming her support for her to go on with her plans. Her two brothers equally stamped their support for her. They were almost rounding off when I came in by chance. As a very close family friend, they welcomed me and asked me to join them.
The older brother summarized the issue at hand and said all of them were in agreement in supporting their sister to go ahead and divorce her husband.
I already knew the misunderstanding between the couple in question was not new. It was a sort of an open secret. They were just tolerating each other. I requested to know the key point that warranted this stand.
"The number one reason why I'm no more interested in this marriage is that this man has completely abandoned his role as a husband in this house," the lady pointed out. Continuing, she said, "He's unemployed, and not willing to do any work at all. I'm the only one providing the financial support for the family."
"I thought he was dealing in assorted wines?" I interjected, pretending as if didn't know he had stopped that business.
"The business has crumbled long time ago," replied the younger brother. He hinted, "Do you know that he even insulted our mother."
"That's very wrong of him," I said, trying to side him, and at the same not to make his point sound too strong. "What could have led to that?"
"Sir," said the older brother, talking to me directly, "the best thing is for our sister to separate from this man."
Their mother was not really talking but, you could see her disdain for her son Inlaw written boldly on her face from the way she was carrying her face, and gentle shaking her head.
"In all," I started again. 'I'm yet see a compelling reason for a divorce." My opinion was based on the fact that the two had been living together, or should I say tolerating one another for over 18 years. Besides, they have an 11 year old daughter. I thought the lady could have just been managing to live with her husband while their daughter serves as a unifying factor in their life.
All my argument fell on deaf ears. In the end my opinion was rejected so, I left and the couple parted ways.
In spite of their sharp difference then, 25 years later, this couple are back, living together today.
What happened was that that their daughter got married, and came back after some years to make peace between her parents. Moreover, as time passed, the bitterness they had tempered, justifying the notion that "time heals."
