Thought Picnic: Feuds amongst kith

The wondering

He guessed there were times when his siblings have probably asked themselves whether they all were scions of the same parentage, reared under the same roof and sired by the same people.

With all their different personalities and walks of life, he does see a spectrum with a seam of similarity between them whilst attitudes might well be different.

There is every possibility that with all the opportunities they all had, they might well not have turned out as well as was expected of them, but this was not for the want of trying. All gratitude must still go to their parents for their love and their sacrifices, the siblings all are glad they are both still about, healthy and well, and that is a wonderful story.

The entreating

Yet, a recent encounter and exchange between them revealed a flaw, a division between the respectable and the uncouth visited upon the unsuspecting that it was both shocking and deplorable.

A request that amends be made was grudgingly done before the deployment of religious blackmail to prove a point that would have still not excused the contemptible behaviour.

However, just as many lines were crossed, the order was breached that the forebears might have to be intimated of some new information. The order in which they thought they had their wards is probably not someone in the lower order thinks is the case.

The unyielding

What brings on such haughtiness is surprising, probably an inability to subject oneself to scrutiny, a questioning of authority at every opportunity, a lack of breeding – perish the thought, those before have the most impeccable manners, rebelliousness? Well, that one has always had a rebellious streak, quite more so than the first.

A breakdown has ensued and it is going to get worse before it gets better, if it does get better. The silence of the elders must not be misconstrued as blindness, ignorance, indifference or weakness.

They can choose to ignore just because it is unnecessary to engage, people keep their cool to achieve many ends and choose their words carefully to send a strong message.

The puzzling

At this point for all that have decided to scratch their noses in puzzlement, one has chosen to scratch their nose with the gaping fangs of a viper, and as the reasonable degenerates into the utterly unreasonable, bystanders will shake their heads in wonder, was this not so entirely avoidable?

Yes, the question returns to haunt the present – were they reared under the same roof? Doubts remain, but the truth is there, some allowed instruction and others refused it.

Caught in the middle of feuds

Tired of the squabbles

He really tires of being caught in the middle of squabbles that might be significant to those involved but really just about stress him out unnecessarily.

Here he was trying to allay the concerns and feelings of his parents about his health which had suffered a crisis but now had reached a miraculous turn-around.

Then, when he was in hospital, there was that situation when his father was eventually informed of the truth of the circumstances just as he was preparing for some major celebration, his mother however was kept in the dark, for all sorts of reasons.

Consideration driving purpose

One of such reasons was, these people are now in their retirement years, they run around enough being concerned about the welfare of their children and grandchildren, obviously, the last thing anyone would want to introduce into that situation was the news of a child being very ill in some foreign hospital where they had no immediate access.

The father however was informed because he asked a direct question that put the answer beyond feigning anything else, one just has to be truthful in those circumstances, the mother, on the other hand lives in some religious institution involved in activities that makes Old Testament repentance look like kindergarten playschool.

God have mercy

To impose that news would have taken it into the stratosphere of the incredulous, he thought, at least, along with his siblings.

When his mother finally found out, it was the warpath paved with weapons for the ultimate assault, God have mercy, God have mercy, God have mercy on those who stood in the way, God have mercy, indeed.

So, armed with the news of confirmed medical developments, he sent a short text message to the phones of his mother and his father at just about that same time.

This should be news for all

His mother then called to warn that this type of news should not be broadcast, he is fed up with it all, prescriptions from abroad with the conveyance of fearful import along with all sorts of modes of amelioration – give him a break, I say, give him a big break, thank you.

Surely, such news of recovery should be broadcast to all, well, even the narrator cannot see the reason to keep it quiet since many already knew the situation.

At the end of the day, whatever is going on there should be sorted out there, they who are abroad have enough going on here to be so bothered about these seemingly external factors of conflict, feuding and passionate dislike, he pleads, let me not be your battleground.

His father had called earlier, was thankful for the recovery and prayed that both health and welfare be restored along with all the loses that came about due to the illness – that was definitely more edifying and easy on the ears.

None will take credit

The fallout is interesting, they both sent him medicaments, traditional and herbal with their different acclaimed potencies and those things lay in their bags just before either party claims that their thing brought about the source of good news.

Not one will take credit regardless of the efficaciousness of these things all because the poison of conflict leaves one lacking in any confidence in these things – he just does not want any of that on his mind.

Meanwhile, one fasts for weeks, the other prays in the witching hours, all for the good but where do these prayers go if at least for once between yourselves before you think of your son you cannot be friends or trust each other?

The question lingers, but no one wants to be caught in the middle of feuds.