The mother in-law

It is a very hot Sunday and Sakhile is preparing to go out with friends for lunch. It’s been long since these ladies have met due to work commitments and they set the day to catch up. She is dressed in her jeans and t-shirt since she is not going to the office.

Her husband Mike works in Harare and usually comes home on weekends but this particular week he does not come due to work commitments. Instead of spending the day alone, Sakhile decides to join her friends whom she has not seen in a long time.

Stressed woman

The ladies finally meet and amazed at how each has transformed since they last met. Sindy has grown bigger and has a 6month old son. Mavy is even more beautiful, still maintaining her body size since they graduated; she is also a mother of two. Sakhile seems to be the only one who is childless although she was the one who got married first.

They have a lot to talk about as the day progresses. Mavy serves snacks and drinks and they chat all day long. It is very interesting for them to meet after such a long time and their conversations are so captivating that they do not realize it is getting late. They make their goodbyes and they leave to their respective homes.

After such an interesting day with friends, Sakhile gets home to find her mother in law seated by the gate with her luggage. It is very late and she wonders what could have happened for her to visit at such an odd hour.

As soon as she gets out of her car to greet the mother in-law, she gets the shock of her life as she is ignored. She proceeds to open the gate and the mother walks in as if she owns the place, leaving her behind. She starts shouting at her, accusing her of being unfaithful to her husband, who is working so hard to feed and clothe her and her family.

These words are painful to Sakhile as her guest tells her that she spends her son’s money with boyfriends. She is also told that she is useless as she cannot bear children. Sakhile sobs bitterly as it is not her fault that she cannot be a mother. After all the insults , the mother demands food and a bath as the bus had a fault along the way and had to be fixed by a mechanic from the city.

Is it a crime that Sakhile spent the day with her friends? Is it a crime that she cannot bear children? Is the mother in-law justified in the way she treats her daughter in-law? Should daughters in law suffer at the hands of their in-laws?