TEARS OF HOPE

Last Segment of Maria’s Story………………………………………………

I have a home for the children now, but that does not mean my problems are over. My brother and his wife still regard my piece of the land as their own They still don’t agree that a daughter has the right to inherit land They insist my share of the property is in the home where I married. My brothers wife still harvests bananas from my part of the plantation When I send the children to the gardens to harvest, they are attacked and the crops are taken away from them.
“ I went to the Legal Aid Clinic again for help This time I wanted my sister-in-law arrested for assaulting my children when they were harvesting from their own garden. I was very sad when I was told that the woman officer who had helped me before, had left
The person I found said she was only keeping the office, she did not know anything about legal matters .I went there several times after that but found it either closed or occupied by the same lady.”
“There is another problem: I told you how my brother refused to repair the house again and I had to do it myself? When I moved to my new home, my brother simply wanted to take it over, but I would have none of it. Not after the way my brother and his wife had treated me and my children. These are the same people that made me sleep out in the open with a one month old baby. They wanted to rent it out to operate as a shop. Why should these greedy dogs earn money from my mother’s house, when they had refused to repair it when it collapsed? And they are the very same people who do not even want to look at my son’s!” The anger twists Maria’s otherwise calm expression She becomes agitated and her voice rises
“Where do they expect me to put my sons? Throw them in the Chuho river? They would not make any fuss if the children were daughters They would, instead, be examining the buds on their chests, longing to see them open so they could rush to get bride’s price. Would they hesitate to demand bride’s price for the “foreigners”, as they refer to my children?”. Maria checks herself and calms down. She then adds in a quiet voice ”Let us continue with the story. I was telling you about the house. I locked it up when I left and it will remain locked until they give me the money I spent on the repair.
That is all I am asking for
“After failing with the woman officer, I reported to the LC 1 Officer of the village. He has not done much to help. He said that if my sons are attacked again when they go to harvest, they should raise an alarm They have done that a number of times, but nobody has answered their call for help. The neighbors say they do not wish to get involved in family matters “
“What I fear most now is that the children might fight back one day. They are growing, they are becoming men .What if one day they are goaded into hitting that woman She could be killed! Can you imagine that! This could easily happen when I am not alive to keep them under control Now I warn them to hold their anger, but who is to control them when I am gone?”
The problem with my brothers family is not yet over and the constant quarrels and lack of peace are not good for my poor health I should try to end the conflict and with God’s help I will.”

THE END……(well not really ”The End” as almost 5 years later and Maria’s story continues. I will bring you up to date, in a future entry

I wish to thank Winnie Munyarugerero for this narrative of Maria’s story and , mostly, I wish to thank Maria Goretti herself for her lessons of fortitude, courage and Faith