BEYOND THE VOWS

Ever heard of this book by John Oscar Macharia?

This book cushions the harsh truth that to communicate effectively, we must risk exposing our true feelings. It’s a fine piece of work-I strongly recommend all and sundry to read it .

This is a Kenyan story of Romeo and Juliet in 1950.

“She noticed the young man discreetly following her. Whenever she left the house to go to the garden or to the stream to draw water, he would be watching her. She pretended not to notice his presence and continued with her work.

‘He’s attractive,’ she said to herself.

The young man on his part had been watching her every move. He knew he was attracted to her though he was not sure why. They had not spoken a word yet, but he was convinced she was the one whose hand he wanted to take in marriage.

‘She would make a good mate,’ he thought to himself.

Days passed. She started seeing signs to suggest that the man was about to make a move. She wasn’t sure she was ready, but he seemed like one who would make a good mate.

He left his home that morning and even with the pattering of the rain, he was sure she would be outside-working.Indeed, there she was. Without hesitating, he made the move. As soon as he got to where she was, he reached out, lifted her off the ground, threw her over his shoulder, and took her to his hut.”

I’m sure somebody somewhere is exclaiming,’Oh what a romance story’. Not at all. This was a common approach to marriage in most of Africa until modern concept of love started being embraced. ‘Love’ is believed to have had no part in our earliest ancestors’ choices of mates.

You can tally with that, right.Rather, partners were chosen on the basis of other considerations like upbringing, character, attractiveness, and ability to work hard.

OH...OH Today especially in Kenya, it is different. First which make of phone do you have, which car do you drive if any that is, do you walk with a swagger, are you in the corporate world and earning big and so on..

But let’s ask ourselves is it worth it...

Catch me on the next sitting as we discuss how it is beyond the vows courtesy of John Macharia.