Desperate co-wives

Maryam didn’t waste time with any niceties. She burst out the moment I picked her call by saying. ‘I ‘ve waited all day for your call but just decided to find out what is holding you back.’ She blurted. ‘And why were you awaiting my call? I don’t remember promising to call you today.’ I […]

Maryam didn’t waste time with any niceties. She burst out the moment I picked her call by saying.
‘I ‘ve waited all day for your call but just decided to find out what is holding you back.’ She blurted.
‘And why were you awaiting my call? I don’t remember promising to call you today.’ I replied.
‘You didn’t have to promise Bint, after the video I sent you last night, I didn’t expect you to go to bed without calling me. But when you didn’t, I now decided that you must have been tired but will be calling me in the morning so I waited all morning and when it was a minute past noon, I decided I had waited long enough. So what is your take on the video?’ She asked.
‘I honestly don’t know what video you are talking about.’ I answered.
‘The video I sent to you last night. My whatsapp marker showed that you had seen it.’ Maryam insisted.
‘Ok, I think I know what happened. There was a video I tried to open last night but it wouldn’t open. I mean I opened the message but the video won’t download. And I was so tired and sleepy I didn’t even persist in trying to do so. Now that you’ve said it, I remember the message was indeed from you. But I am yet to see it.’ I explained.
‘Ok in that case try again now and watch it, then I will call back to discuss it.’ She offered.
‘No Maryam, why don’t you just tell me what it is all about so that we can discuss it without wasting any more time?’ I suggested ‘No Bint, you have to see it to believe it. So please take my advice and watch first. I will call back in five minutes insha Allah.’ She urged.
‘Ok, since you insist’ I said hanging up. I immediately went to my whatsapp account and began to go through my chats. The moment I spotted the message from Maryam I opened it. Luckily for me this time around the video downloaded easily. I opened it and watched attentively while the contents played on. Before I got over the shock of what I viewed, I saw Maryam’s call coming back in.
‘Assalamu alaikum,’ I said , as soon as I  picked it.
‘Wa alaikissalam, have you seen the video?’ She asked impatiently ‘Yes I have’ I replied and added ‘I was shocked by what I saw and heard. I can’t help thinking it’s part of a drama presentation. How can something so horrible happen in real life? Are you sure that was a true life incident?’ I queried.
‘Of course it is. The first thing I did was to call someone who lived in the area to ask whether he knew the two men who spoke in the video.
He confirmed that he knew them and so the whole thing was not the work of actors.’ She affirmed.
‘But why would anybody desecrate someone else’s grave in pursuit of some worldly cause? And women too for that matter. I can’t believe anyone can convince a woman to go to a cemetary and dig up a grave in order to do some crazy rituals. How would they feel if someone dug up the grave of their loved ones just so as to commit some act of sorcery there?’ I asked, rhetorically.
‘But they don’t think that way. Indeed they don’t even remember that one day either they or their loved ones will become occupants of graves and therefore potential victims of sorcery.’ Maryam argued.
‘The worst thing for me is the message that was found on the piece of paper after the person who was digging the grave had been chased and almost caught. The piece of paper found inside the grave next to the dead body was calling on Almighty God to separate a certain man from his first wife, the same way He separated the dead man from his life.
How can anyone be so vicious?
On the one hand she is calling for an end to someone’s marriage, on the other she is desecrating a fellow human being in his or her final resting place. Now what could make anyone do a thing like that?’ I demanded.
‘Desperation Bint, that’s just what it is. Some desperate co-wives can go to any length to keep a husband to themselves. From what she wrote you can tell that she is a second or third wife who felt the first wife was a hindrance to her happiness. So she went to a sorcerer who told her to write those words and bury them in a grave along with a dead body before her wish can be granted. Only God knows how much she spent in order to get that piece of paper and the instruction to disturb the peace of the dead. But because she is so blinded by her desire she couldn’t wait to do just what she had been instructed to do. How unfortunate.’ Maryam concluded with disgust.
‘Yes it is. It also reminds me of the story a friend of my sister’s told me some time ago. She said a colleague of hers came to work looking really worried. She went to the colleague and asked what was wrong. And her colleague replied that she heard something that got her very disturbed.
‘What was it you heard?’ She asked.
‘You know my husband took a new wife recently. I began to get worried that I was losing his affection and attention. So I went to seek spiritual help in order not to lose him completely. But do you know what the crazy sorcerer said to me? The moment I told him my problem he replied:
“You have one of three remedies to choose from; we can either make her mad or very sick or kill her. Have your pick.” In horror I said to him “But I don’t want any of those, I just want to retain my husband’s love and affection, I don’t want to lose him completely.”
“And I have told you what the solution is; choose one of these three remedies and your problem is solved.” That very moment I jumped to my feet and said “I am not that evil Mr sorcerer, I can’t subscribe to any of your remedies.” He let out a maniacal laughter after my protest and said. “Then get the hell out of here, you don’t belong here.”
 So I came straight from there to the office and I have not been able to get his words out of my head. What if my husband’s bride had taken my case to him and decided to choose one of those so-called remedies, is that how I will suddenly be afflicted with madness or a horrible disease or be killed? This is what I have not been able to chase from my mind. And that is why I am so worried.’ The colleague explained.
‘My sister’s friend said she congratulated her colleague on having such a strong faith that will not allow her to afflict anyone. Then she counseled her against having anything to do with sorcerers. She reminded her that the person who visits a sorcerer will have his prayers of forty days unaccepted. In conclusion she urged the lady to remain prayerful because that is what will make her find love and peace in her home even though her husband has a new wife.’ I concluded.
‘Right, I think that is precisely what we will do too Bint. Yes we must call a meeting of the Ladies Parliament and organize lectures on this very important issue. We have to lecture fellow women on the need to keep away from sorcery using this issue of the graveyard desecration as our springboard.’ Maryam recommended.
‘Yes, this sounds like a great way to counter the evil caused by desperate co-wives seeking to destroy their mates. We should call the meeting next weekend. The earlier, the better.’ I said, before I bade her farewell and hung up.