This is for men only. If you are a woman, please do not read this, if you do, I am not liable (Caveat Emptor)! I am not trying to be homophobe or “Macho man” (as some prefer to call it. I am just a villager (kama kawaida), put to the chain by a daughter of another man, known as a “father in-law” or is it “Lawyer Father”, who knows no law atall, maybe he deserves to be called an “Outlaw”. I would have preferred him being called a “father out-law”; the sons of this man or rather, the brothers of my “Chain Keeper” are my “lawyer brothers”. Are you confused by such a simple exploration? Many studies indicate that “if there was one man for every woman, then there would be much man less women”. I accidentally repeated it out in the presence of my “Chain Keeper”. As I write this, I am like a sort of Muamar Gaddafi (the Libyan embattled leader), sanctions have been slapped on me! Now, the question is either to do or not to do; there is this little voice deep down inside my heart or call it ma soul, that keeps telling me that, “a man must die as a man, he must only cry if and only if, he feels his heart is breaking”.As far as I have gone, my heart is not nearer to breaking point. Actually, it is getting stronger by the day and night; one of these days, I am going to walk straight, withoutvacillating or looking aside, to the manufacturer of my problems tell him off to the skin of his teeth that, “I have had enough of being his client, for twenty or so years of imprisonment are enough, he can try elsewhere”. I have learnt to put up with all sorts of “chains”. I was always beingnagged because I owned a car; she even went to great lengths to learn driving such that, she would always drop me off at work, pick me up and go with me wherever I went. I became so miserable that, I almost threw in my towel, thank God, I was a little bit patient, and one day, she rammed the car into another car, I connived with the garage guys to “eat” the car off and as a result, I convinced her to sell it to them as“scrap”. Eventually, I bought a Daihatsu pickup, complete with torn seats and a cracked windscreen and a greasy interior. You know what, this has given me a peace of mind because, she no longer drives it leave alone wanting to have a ride in it! Moreover, she cannot complain, wasn’t she the one who “wrecked” the family car? I have nothing to fear, the so called “outlaw father” can neither do the Ben Ali or the Mubaraka to me; I am still firmly in control! Dear Chain Keeper, if you have read this article, that is your own problem; I did warn you not to do so, in that case, I am not to be held liable for the statements above!Mfashumwana@fastmail.fm
