This is a true life Story.  It happened in Rumde, Jimeta.  I was still feeling the pain of losing late Sahabi when an elderly man in the area told me this story that has kept me wondering.
 

Mallam Musa (not real name) married two women.  One day, the wives had misunderstanding that led to a fight.  The people in the compound were upset about the fight because it was uncalled for.
 

When he came back and heard the “show of shame” that was displayed by his two wives, he decided to send them packing.  He sent both the first and second Wife back to their father's house.  He actually did that to avoid blame game.
 

After a couple of months, the first wife decided to come back without waiting for a “call-back” from the husband.  As responsible as Mallam Musa has been known for, he let the sleeping dog lie.
 

The second wife heard about the development, and decided to come back too; without the husband's permission.  She came back and met her husband's father (her father-in-law) and his friends sitting on the mat infront of the house.
 

She said, “I'm back. I've been told that you people said that I'm a trouble-maker, it's today that you all here will know the definition of trouble.  Yes, I have come back to put an end to this trouble”.
 

After saying that, she walked into the house.  The elders did not bother to neither respond to her nor follow her in.  There was no need for that.  Since she came back as the first wife did, so be it.
 

She entered the house and called her “rival” who was inside the room.  Immediately the first wife came out, the second wife removed a knife from her shirt and stabbed the first wife.  There she laid dead on the ground in the pool of her blood.
 

When the elders and other passers-by heard the scream, they rushed into the house and their shocking eyes got sight of the hopeless and lifeless body of the woman. One man among them courageously snatched the knife from the then “newest murderer”.
 

When Mallam Musa came back, he met none of his two wives.  When his first wife was lying dead on the mat, the second wife was taken to the CID office.  The deceased was buried at the Jimeta Cemetery opposite Adamawa State Polytechnic Yola popularly known as SPY.
 

Mallam Musa found time and visited his second wife at the CID office.  As soon as she saw him, she asked him about his wife that she stabbed, and after he told her that she was dead, the woman fainted.  After an hour or two, she regained consciousness, waiting for the law to take its course.
 

When the elder man was done telling me the story, he asked me, “My son, if you were the man, what are you going to do?  Will you fight to set her free or you will divorce her to face her fate?”
 

I wanted to answer him immediately, but I paused.  This old man did not tell me this story for the fun of it.  What was fun in the story anyway?  I knew very well that this elder man had something on his mind before telling me the story.
 

As myopic as I am about life compared to this man, I wanted to find the positive side of the story, “Baba, since the second wife asked about the woman she stabbed, that means she is sorry and regretted what she did.  I'll see reasons to fight for her case and continue to live as husband and wife if she is set free”.
 

The old man smiled silently, and that was an indication that somehow somewhere I had “missed road” in my judgment.  The old man told me that while forgiveness is priceless, sometimes people have to go their separate ways for the good of the individuals.
 

“My son, the most dangerous person to stay with is someone who could do anything when he is angry or jealous.  Such persons are capable of doing anything; things that they would later regret when they go back to their senses.  My son, I’m not encouraging divorce.  But if staying together will do more harm than good, sometimes not letting go is wickedness”.
 

The old man's words were reasonable, and wrapped in wisdom.  But I could not figure out any sense about being wicked staying with someone sometimes.  In my own little understanding, I thought any man who divorces his wife doesn't love her again.  But from what this man was saying; does that mean that there is a divorce that could be resulted from the love the man has for his wife?  Is that not an irony?
 

This man here was old enough to be my father, and I couldn't just say he did not know what he was saying.  But as a young man who always wants to know more, especially from elderly people, I asked him to enlighten me more so as to get a clear and better picture.
 

He cleared his throat, “My son let me tell you a story…” It was after the next story Baba told me that I bought his ideas.  Hope you are eager to know the story?  Grab a copy of The Scope next edition.