(The law is no respecter of persons. If you are not yet able to summon up enough courage to point out to your mother-in-law the mistakes she makes then you are still an infant).
Maito, maito Kaii ! It’s time to narrate Fables of the Animal World.
Yasi nanu: Three sons-in-law (mekiya) of Njika Nyame asked Ikula Nyame for advice. Narrating their problem, the eldest son-in-law, explained:
“Mola Ikulu kooko !
Our mother-in-law is embroiled in a boundary dispute with the wife of
Mbwe-ya Nyame. We have inspected the boundary and observe that our mother-in- law has encroached on the farm of the wife of Mbwe-ya Nyame.
The case will be tried in court on Friday (e-wunya wo Mesango). Our mother-in-law will certainly loose the case. What should we do to avert embarrassment to our mother in law and to ourselves ?
Ikule replied:
"Ask your mother-in-law quietly and in private to withdraw to the original boundary and have the case settled out of court”.
The youngest son in-law exclaimed:
"Chei !
That would be too bold.
We cannot speak so shabbily to our mother-in-law (our Mokiya).
She will feel that we are rebuking her”.
Ikule responded:
"I understand your plight.
Your problem is complicated by two seemingly contrasting words of wisdom:
While one of these words of wisdom states that:
“isoni ima woteya ndi o-ndome,
i-mende, i-mende, si,
i-su-we-ya o-lii-va”
(“Honour and respect starts from your relationship with your sisters/brothers, and then culminates in your relationship with members of the family of your spouse”);
The other words of wisdom states:
“osi tule te Nyonga Liva mosango wunya,
oma osi koki foni”.
(“If you are not yet able to summon up enough courage to point out to your mother-in-law mistakes she makes then you are still an infant”).
Acquaintanceship (political, social, economic connections) should not be allowed to impair the administration of justice. You certainly find it very difficult to rebuke your mother-in-law when you are expected to give her the highest degree of respect.
All the same, a wise person can hold his/her mother-in-law in high esteem and still politely and in private draw his/her mother-in-law's attention to what he/she considers as mistakes the mother-in-law is making. This is precisely what you are expected to do now. Your mother-in-law will of course understand the stress you have experienced in arriving at that decision.
“osi tule te Nyonga Liva mosango wunya, oma osi koki foni”.
Literally: The law is no respecter of persons.
It is not correct to support a wrong action because the person who has taken the action is your friend. Justice aught to be applied without fear, without favour.
Lexicon:
(i) mosango = a matter that is being contested in a court of law; plural, mesango.
(ii) mosango = peace.
mosango move ni inyo = peace be with you.
eyole = tranquility.
eyole na i-inyo = peace be with you.
Mesango = Friday: Fridays used to be reserved for litigations in customary courts.
mokiya = (i) the parents of your spouse; (ii) your son in-law; plural, mekiya.
ndome = a sister.
lii-va = marriage; a marriage.
Oma nanu.
Imba
Mola Mbua Ndoko
P.o Box 38 Buea, South West Province
Cameroon, West/Africa.
Email:[email protected]
Website: http://www.mbuandoko.com
I like that,Mola.It is enriching and thought-provoking.
Posted by: JULIUS MOTUMBA | August 13, 2010 at 07:31 AM