Since posting “My Story: A Voice from the Grave” I have gotten some interesting reactions and this is one of them. This is a comment made by reader named “Online Magistrate” to the story. Note that the views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Pot Of Africa. Read and please share your thoughts on this issue.

My Granny hates and would never want to see or let you play any movie of a dark-in-complexion popular Igbo actress, known for the many roles that painted her an evil mother-in-law in most Nollywood movies (you know whom I mean) but ironically, I know this woman (personally) to be a very kind person.

Have you not asked why the law still brings someone even with a blood-stained shirt and holding a dagger to court to hear the case and consider if he is guilty of murder or not?
Dear readers, Let us not slaughter Kelvin or his associate first. We must revisit the passage and do the comprehension exercises we did back then in school
I left the office 4 hours past closing just studying this story. I have culled just the same words the writer used…let’s dig and see if we may find something conflicting

Read on:
*****WE STARTED TO FIGHT OVER LITTLE THINGS. THE FIGHTS WERE WORSE AFTER YOU VISITED HOME OR ATTENDED ANY OF YOUR NUMEROUS FAMILY MEETINGS.*****
Reading the lines above, teaches me that:
Firstly, the quarrel must have been mutual, she resisted and fought back always and not the case that Kevin would beat her. The pure story should have been ***you beat me over little things***
Secondly, the fact that the writer feels the family meetings were numerous means she never liked him attending them anyway

*****I REMEMBER WHEN YOU TOLD ME THAT YOUR FAMILY HAD ASKED YOU TO REMARRY. YOU SHOWED ME DOCUMENTS OF ALL YOUR NUMEROUS LANDED PROPERTY INCLUDING THE HOUSE WE LIVED IN. YOUR BROTHER WAS LISTED AS NEXT OF KIN. WHEN I ASKED YOU ABOUT IT, YOUR ANSWER ROCKED THE GROUND I WAS STANDING ON*****
Reading the above, I understand:
Firstly, it is still conflicting how a man who does not love his wife would decide to spend his time exposing his evil motives by expressly showing her papers of his properties rather than being outside with some other woman…what led to this showing of documents?
Secondly, I have not (in my whole life) seen where property documents bear the owners next of kin; even receipts may bear Mr&Mrs…have you seen Mr&Mr?
Thirdly, only a husband that has a little respect for his wife will ever tell her the family’s evil plan…he may have presented it forcefully to her with a bitter and confused heart during a fight

***1**IT IS FUNNY HOW TO MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS, I WAS THE BEAUTIFUL AND LOVING OGO, WHILST TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY I WAS A WORTHLESS PIECE OF RAG.*****
***2**I HAD NOBODY FOR WHOM YOU HAD ANY REGARDS WHO WOULD SPEAK UP FOR ME.*****
Kindly read the above two statement (from one person) and try matching them if you can…if 1 (above) is the real thing, I ask myself…was Kevin afraid of his in-laws and her friends?

*****I TOLD MYSELF. I HAD ALREADY TAKEN MY VOWS TO BE WITH KEVIN UNTIL DEATH DID US PART.*****
*****TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY I WAS A WORTHLESS PIECE OF RAG. YOU CALLED ME BARREN. I COULD HAVE FLED BUT YOUR LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE WAS OF MORE WORTH TO ME THAN THE LOVE AND ADMIRATION OF THE WORLD OUTSIDE OUR HOME.*****
*****I WILL KILL YOU AND NOTHING WILL HAPPEN BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO ONE TO FIGHT FOR YOU”, I KEPT ON STRUGGLING TO GET YOU TO LOVE ME BECAUSE, KEVIN, YOUR VALIDATION WAS IMPORTANT TO ME.*****
Reading the above I understand that:
This woman truly was ready to die for love…should you come into that union or curse Kevin for it? No!

*****I DESPERATELY SOUGHT TO BE LOVED BY YOU, KEVIN.*****
*****I WOULD MAKE YOU LOVE ME ONE WAY OR THE OTHER AND I KNEW THAT ONE SURE WAY WOULD BE TO PRODUCE A CHILD*****
*****I WILL KILL YOU AND NOTHING WILL HAPPEN BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO ONE TO FIGHT FOR YOU”, I KEPT ON STRUGGLING TO GET YOU TO LOVE ME BECAUSE, KEVIN, YOUR VALIDATION WAS IMPORTANT TO ME.*****
Reading the above, I pondered:
Was she really struggling for his love or mostly his attention?

*****AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF MARRIAGE, OUR PRAYERS WERE ANSWERED. GOD BLESSED US WITH OUR SON*****
Reading the above, I understand:
Kevin also prayed for his wife to conceive…why then did he beat and hate her anyway during those 7 year period?

**1***THE COLD AND RUDE SHOCK OF THE WELCOME HIS BROTHER’S WIFE GAVE ME SET OFF AN ALARM IN MY HEAD*****

***2**THESE PEOPLE DIDN’T THINK I WAS SPECIAL.*****

**3***I REMEMBER MY FIRST CHRISTMAS AT IHIALA AS A NEW BRIDE. MY BROTHER-IN-LAW’S WIFE WOULD SNEER AND CLAP AND REFER TO ME AS “NDI JI UKWU AZO AKWU”*****

**4***THEY NEVER REALLY WANTED ME, I CAN NOW SEE. BUT I WAS TOO BLINDED BY LOVE TO REALIZE THAT. I NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING TO CEMENT KEVIN’S HEART WITH MINE.*****
Reading the 1-4 statements above, I understand:
Firstly, she always had quarrels with her brother-in-law’s wife (not even his sisters) who was also just the same as she was: A JUST-COME
Secondly, this woman (brother-in-law’s wife) seemed to be the leader of the ***they*** team…does it mean the others were mere supporters?
Thirdly, why then did Kelvin’s evil mother stay silent and let someone else steal the show of molesting someone she hated?
Fourthly, how come our Esther could not be loved by Mama but Jezebel was…does it mean this brother’s wife bewitched Mama?
Fifthly, what in the world was this brother-wife woman fighting after, the property of a man she was not married to or what?
Sixthly, The line 2 tells vividly of what she may have thought of herself…”…didn’t think I was the legal wife” should have been the words of a humble woman and not the arrogant “…didn’t think I WAS SPECIAL”

*****SHE WOULD SING TO ME ALL DAY LONG TELLING ME THE ONLY REASON WHY THEIR BROTHER MARRIED ME WAS BECAUSE OF MY BEAUTY AND COMPLEXION*****
Reading the above, I could understand that:
The brother-in-law’s wife actually acknowledged she was better than herself and may have rather suffered inferiority complex but not full hatred…Why then did she not see this and get positive?

*****KEVIN, YOU LOVED ME AGAIN. YOUR FAMILY ACCEPTED ME. LIFE WAS GOOD. AND ALL WAS QUIET AGAIN. …………………… FOR A WHILE.*****
Reading the above:
I now get a little conviction that she had agreement issues with the family
But let’s ask ourselves, why should he start loving her first before the family began the loving? Why then did the writer try to make us understand he hated her more each-time-after he met them?

**1***YOU AND I GAVE NUMEROUS AND VERY GENEROUS DONATIONS TO DIFFERENT CHURCHES IN THANKSGIVING TO GOD*****
**2***YOU HAD REFUSED TO GIVE ME MONEY FOR MY MEDICAL TRIP TO LONDON. I KNEW THEN IT WAS BECAUSE YOU HAD YOUR HANDS FULL WITH CARING AND CATERING FOR EVERYBODY WHO WAS DEAR TO YOU*****
The above makes me think Kevin was generous…but why did she stop loving the act? Did she only believe in thanksgiving or never wanted his loved ones to benefit from his wealth too?…why did she not end with the word ***was dear to us*** rather than ***was dear to you***…did she oppose them?

*****THE MIRACLES STAYED WITH ME BECAUSE 18 MONTHS LATER THROUGH ANOTHER PROCEDURE, CHIMAMANDA WAS BORN. HER BIRTH WAS BITTER SWEET FOR ME. SWEET BECAUSE YOU KEVIN, MY HUSBAND, AND MY IN-LAWS WOULD LOVE ME MORE FOR BEARING A SECOND CHILD*****
*****YOU SAID THAT OUR DAUGHTER, MY AMANDA, WAS A GIRL AND THAT YOU HAD NO NEED FOR A GIRL CHILD BECAUSE SHE WOULD SOMEDAY BE MARRIED OFF. I REMEMBER, IN PAIN, THAT YOU DIDN’T ATTEND AMANDA’S CHRISTENING BECAUSE YOU WERE UPSET WITH ME. YOU TOLD ME YOUR MOTHER WAS MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU THAN “THESE THINGS” I BROUGHT TO YOUR HOUSE. YOU WERE REFERRING TO OUR CHILDREN, WERE YOU NOT? “THESE THINGS”.*****
Reading the two statements above:
Firstly, I could not figure out how the birth of a girl child could bring joy to a man that was to hate her in few years time even when still innocent
Secondly, the writer explains clearly and in simple language that the reason why he did not attend Amandas christening was not that he hated the girl but that he was only upset by his wife
Thirdly, will you still go for an event together with your spouse when a fight between yourselves was still red-hot?
Fourthly, we must understand that most of Kevin’s character and words in the passage were fully captured mainly during fights…were they all he said or did in 12years?

*****WHEN AFTER ONE YEAR OF MARRIAGE THERE WERE STILL NO CHILDREN, THE PAINFUL JOURNEY THAT SENT ME TO MY GRAVE STARTED. I WENT FROM SPECIALIST TO SPECIALIST, INGESTED EVERY KIND OF PILL*****
*****AFTER WE’D BEEN FROM ONE DOCTOR TO ANOTHER I DECIDED I HAD TO RESORT TO PRAYER. I WAS FRIGHTENED. I WAS TERRIFIED. I WAS THREATENED. I STARTED TO FEEL UNWELL. I HAD DIFFICULTY BREATHING. I NEEDED TO SEE MY DOCTORS*****
Reading the above I understand:
She explained clearly her primary killers and the fundamental causes of her death…were these from Kevin?

*****BY TELLING MYSELF THAT YOU WERE UNDER A LOT OF STRESS AT WORK AND THAT YOU WERE ALSO PROBABLY REACTING TO ALL THE MONEY THAT YOU HAD SPENT ON MY TREATMENTS.*****
Reading the above tells me that;
If she could ever acknowledge that a bad Kevin spent ALL THE MONEY then he really must have spent big on her

*****I HAD STAYED THREE WEEKS IN LONDON AND KEVIN, YOU NEVER CALLED, SENT A TEXT OR INQUIRED HOW I WAS FARING.*****
*****THEN KEVIN, I RECEIVED THAT E-MAIL FROM YOU*****
Reading the above, I must understand that:
Either, she was able to defy sickness when it comes to checking her mails
Or, Kevin (or someone else) told her of the unread mail
Or, she was rather strong enough to browse the internet during the three week stay in London

*****APPARENTLY YOUR EMPLOYERS HAD CALLED A HOSPITAL IN LONDON TO INQUIRE ABOUT ME*****
Reading the above, I understand that:
The news only got leaked to them from some strange person because Kevin would have given correct details,…or do they track her movement?…If they knew of her trip, why calling London to verify?…Who was telling?…Who masterminded the telling?

*****KEVIN, SINCE YOU WANTED NO PART IN IT, I HAD CONTACTED THE MEDICAL OFFICER IN YOUR COMPANY DIRECTLY FOR REFERRALS.*****
Reading the above I understand:
Firstly, Kevin had a strong reason against the last (killer) surgery
Secondly, she believed otherwise and was stubborn to his insistence
Thirdly, she may have actually taken their family issues to his office (against his will) which makes him think she was messing with his integrity

*****KEVIN YOU HAD REFUSED TO PROVIDE FOOD FOR OUR CHILDREN. KEVIN, YOU HAD ALSO REFUSED TO PAY FOR KAMSI’S HOME SCHOOLING.*****
Reading this, I understand:
This was where he got it all wrong…he portrayed a negligent father here

*****I WILL KILL YOU AND NOTHING WILL HAPPEN BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO ONE TO FIGHT FOR YOU”, I KEPT ON STRUGGLING TO GET YOU TO LOVE ME BECAUSE, KEVIN, YOUR VALIDATION WAS IMPORTANT TO ME.*****
*****YOU ARE DISTURBING ME, AND IF YOU CONTINUE, I`LL MOVE OUT*****
Reading the above gives a clear picture of the action that went on during each fight
These are not accurate statements to be made to a hated wife, it rather fits into what you tell a nagging wife

*****YOU SCREAMED. I SHOULD PAY YOU BACK ALL THE MONEY YOU GAVE ME FOR MY TREATMENT IN LONDON.*****
Reading the above, I pondered:
Was Kevin now putting to her what he never provided for?…but she did say earlier that he did not give her money for the London trip?

Fellow country people, we have not heard from any of this couple yet…What we read was only a second-handed information…let us not rush into cursing one side first but hear them or LEAVE ALL TO GOD’S JUDGMENT !
Remember, here in Africa, everyone stays out of the husband and wife matter…the both family did this…we too must also watch and listen like them
Do not doubt me if I say she may still choose to return to that same house if God sends her back to earth

Also DO NOT HATE ME if I say that from the passage, I understand:
1. They were the kind of couple that do the fighting exercise twice/thrice a week
2. The woman was the kind of ***you must kill me oooooo, Kevin! you must love me oooooo, Kevin!*** (holding his cloth and fighting back during action)
3. The brother’s wife must have been a champion-trouble-maker that won everyone with her lips, they never agreed
4. Kevin was a principled man that takes no nonsense from his woman and damns consequences of action when vexed. By the story, he was truly a bad father but MAY HAVE BEEN a manageable husband to some other women.
5. To fight and still be together for as long as 7 years without taking another woman means Kevin actually may have rather loved his wife but was not getting something right in his home or was frustrated by something he kept in mind
6. The woman desperately, passionately and tirelessly wanted something she (herself) knew Kevin will not give (this we must find out…do not be too sure!). She never gave up in the quest and swore to fight for it to the end; that she simply did!
7. The extended family may have been bad but she rather took the battle to them, they may have disliked her but did not come to fight her, only Kevin fought her in her home.
8. She wanted a high place in the government of the extended family not wanting to patiently earn it, but to enforce it (but we learn the brother-in-laws wife was not a good woman, why did she earn this?)
9. The main factor that destroyed the union was the storm that arose as a result of the confusion and inability to bear and manage family problems (mainly illnesses)

Just to get to the roots of the matter and arrive to a conclusion, THE LATE MUST SPEAK HER OWN SIDE NOW (this account may have been written in a hurry) after her, we must also hear from Kevin. But two questions (from me to Kevin) that may not need her consent are
1. What made you suddenly retire from taking your ill son to the hospital and to start hating him?
2. What was/were your reason(s) for opposing the last operation on your wife and why did you sell her car?

It’s about 5am now and I have spent 13 hours working on this study (no sleep). I initially skimmed through it (just the way you did) and began hating Kevin, But reading the associate’s side of the story, sent me back to library. If you also have studied this story hard (like I did) then we may talk but if you did not, LISTEN!

These are only my views, I have not met or seen any of the parties, someone only gave the web link to me, I do not intend to put heads together or direct the statement to them; it is purely for the reading pleasure of other internet users. MAY HER GENTLE SOUL REST IN PEACE, AMEN!