WIFE SPEAK: Divine wisdom could save you from a dire mistake

There is a verse in the Holy Bible with this warning: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8, NIV).

The Holy Book remains one of the best books ever written. Not only in the literary sense, but the depth of the words in it are simply divinely inspired.

And that is why today I would like to remind the gentlemen to dust up that voluminous book and read it. Because, for sure, the devil roams when, for example, you are stuck in traffic with your wife and three female gems cross the road. Leisurely.

Your primal instinct kicks in and before you know it, your eyes escort their retreating backs. Your mind might have been 70 kilometres away, as you claim, but the enemy made sure that your wife noticed your distracted eyes.

Sometime this year, hubby was walking our little boy to class. They were enjoying easy father-son chit-chat when another parent, a lady, walked past them and smiled. The little man waved back and even turned to look at the lady.

“Dad, do you think Mama Annette is pretty?”

Seems his dad had said his prayers that morning and had remembered to ask for divine wisdom. After his initial surprise and amusement, he replied:

“Well, I did not notice. Why do you ask?”

“Because Annette is cute. Is her mom cute?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t notice.”

Hubby was careful with his words, sure that this was a trick question.

PLAYING IT SAFE

The little man must have thought how dull his dad was, while his father thanked the heavens for the instant divine favour. Because a different response to that question could have led to what the English call putting your foot in your mouth. And this would have resulted in a thousand and three scenarios.

Let us suppose he had said she is pretty. My little man would have come home after school, hugged me as usual, and, as usual, I would have asked:

“How was school today?”

“Good.”

“What did you like today?”

“We ate potatoes.” With him, it’s mostly about food.

“What did you learn today?” He would have rattled something about shapes and rhymes, then getting bored would have said: “Mama Annette is pretty.”

“Really, that’s nice. Why do you think so?”

“Dad says she’s cute.”

I would gasp, then ask: “Dad told you that?”

“Yes.”

Shallow breathing. Count to three. Deep breath.

“How…what exactly did dad tell you?”

“Not to forget my jersey today. Look, I got it!”

“No…not that. About Mama Annette.”

His dad would have come home to a house chillier than the Nyandarua fields in July. We would be painfully polite until the children were warmly tucked in bed. He would rack his brain at my icy politeness. He would ask, like he always does:

“Now, what did I do wrong?”

“Who is Mama Annette?”

“I don’t know…should I know?”

“Is that a rhetoric question? And why would you have a conversation with your son about her?”

“About who?”

As I said, this is only one of a thousand ways that this conversation would have progressed. It wouldn’t matter what way our conversation would have turned as either way would have still led to only one destination: curt words, overblown misunderstanding, hurtful feelings and a really chilly night.

Gentlemen, read that book and pray without ceasing for divine wisdom. Because, you do not know the hour or minute when the devil comes roaming, keen on tainting your well-guarded reputation. Stay alert my friend, lest you find yourself wrapped up in a messy intricate web that you have no idea how to extricate yourself from.

Because, let’s face it. Men do not really have the seventh sense. Women can sense the devil a kilometre away. But many men only learn to blame the devil when they are in the thickness of flaming charcoal, being turned over like roast goose, or nyama choma.

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