The widow’s predicament

The widow’s predicament

Except in some exceptional situations that are mostly not justified, a woman in her right senses will never wish her husband dead. Not only because they are always the bread winner of the family, but also the best companion in marriage, I sometimes wonder maybe this fact is not well established, when I see widows being persecuted for the death of their husbands. From the little I have seen in some part of Africa, the eastern part of Nigeria for instance are most guilty of this wicked act. Most time, the prosecution is not as a result of strong indications that their son was being killed by the wife, but the greediness of acquiring the property of the deceased. They tend to make every one believe that their son was being killed by the wife. Some others will even come plain by saying the wife is not capable of managing the husband’s property. The extremist amongst them will chase out the widow and the children, leaving the widow to fend for her-self and the children. In some other cases the widow is being forced to marry a relative of her husband, which may not fit her marital standard.

This is another great challenge before our mothers. Some widows after being chased out to the vulnerable world had no choice than to compromise their marital standard. It is generally advisable and accepted to remarry if need be, but then some may be over due for that, and even if the remarriage worked out the joy will no longer be there. Their children especially female ones are prone to the risk of rape from their step-fathers. There are some others, who will accept their fate and face the battle of life squarely. These set of women will have to go extra lengths just to better the life of their children. They engage is various form of jobs that does not befit them if their husband were to be alive.