Man Dies Mysteriously after Wife Joins Happy Widows’ Club

Benjamin Ngah

            Inhabitants of Ndu Town in Donga Mantung Division are still to come to terms with the behavior of a man whose names this reporter  got as Tanto James who took away his own life because the wife had joined a club known as “Happy Widows’ Club”.

          The circumstances surrounding the horrendous act is still incomprehensible and doubtful in the minds of many who prior to this action were with the man who was highly spirited and exchanged pleasantries with everyone as he sauntered around.

         James and wife lived a happy and fulfilled couple`s life with their children and grand children until his wife`s affiliation to a widow`s club.  James considered this action of the wife as betrayal and could not understand the fact that he was still alive and his wife was attending a widows’ meeting. In his own reading, this act was a bad omen that would push him directly or indirectly into his early grave.

          To avert this, he sought for traditional rites to be performed between them as culture demands.  All the claims and allegations James levied against his wife met with very strong objections. Mrs. Tanto rather estimated that her husband`s move was satanic and she would never accept such things. She opted for a divorce rather than to perform the traditional rite popular known in the area as “Nchvula”.  She demanded to know what makes it weird to associate with widows even if he James was still alive.   She wondered aloud why widows suffer stigmatization, rejection and insults for the status most of them did not give an invitation to. She swore that it was only going to be over her dead body to take an oath or carry out any rituals to cleanse her from belonging to the Widows Club.

         The couple ended up staying apart as no compromise was reached. James was saddened and helpless seeing the wife going away. Although outwardly, James did not show any sign of depression but probably was being eaten up internally by the wife’s decision to show sympathy with the widows by joining them. His death has raised a lot of dust as to what actually would have been the cause of his demise as many are not very sure whether it is the wife’s behavior that has actually pushed him to death.

         James lifeless body was discovered home and there was no sign of torture, poison no suicide making people wonder as to what would have been the cause of his death.

         The creation of a Happy Widows’ Club in the area has been very much controversial. Many people who are against such a club argue that it might encourage women to kill the husband in order to inherit their property and live as happy widows. Others think the club is just a forum for the poor widows to chat ways of helping themselves and to go about a normal life after the demise of their husbands.