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Smashing Pots to Marry Another
By Mihar Dias
Copyright (C) December 2021
In the 1990s, we moved to a community in West Kuala Lumpur.
It was a small neighbourhood of 200 houses where many strange events took place.
One night, a man smashed all potted plants in front of a locked gate.
Three police cars arrived.
The man kept on destroying potted plants he could lay his hands on, unperturbed.
He reached over the gate and crushed more on the driveway. The police, security guards and neighbours watched, helplessly.
He kept on mumbling as he broke one pot after another. When he felt he had completed his task, he stood up.
“You deserve that, you deserve that…” his head tilted towards a face behind the curtain of a window on the first floor.
My neighbour asked, “Why don’t they arrest him?”
The police officer overheard. “It’s his house. He’s destroying his property. That’s his wife up there!”
He pointed to the lady peering out from behind the curtain.
“I shall come back to destroy all your pots until you say yes”. He jumped into his car and left.
We stood there looking foolish and puzzled.
“Yes, to what?” asked a new resident.
A senior in the group replied, “He did this last year, too”.
“But why?”
He laughed, “She wouldn’t let him do what he wants!”
He laughed louder and walked away from the curious crowd that was quickly dispersing.
The police cars rushed off with sirens blazing, responding to another call.
We went home speculating on what the old man said
My wife was sure, the pot buster, wanted to marry another.
Over breakfast, the next day, my wife’s suspicion was confirmed by an old professor who lived next door. The couple, he said, were married in a state where to take on a second wife, a Muslim husband had to obtain written permission from his first.
I asked the professor why did he destroy the pots.
He replied, “That was the only bargaining chip he had left. She wouldn’t let him”.
“Why couldn’t he move to another state?”
He said that it was not possible. Every state demands documentary proof. “He needs her thumbprint”.
“Why can’t he divorce her? Then marry?”
The professor gave me a lesson on marriage. “First, as a Muslim, he had the right to marry more than one wife but he must treat them equally. In this case, he had not treated her fairly. He had neglected her. So, there was no reason for her to consent”.
He continued, “Second, don’t transfer all your properties to your wife early in your marriage. Keep some for old age. Our neighbour’s first wife is demanding an incentive for her thumbprint on the consent form. That drove him crazy since he transferred most of his to her, earlier. She wants more. He could only destroy the pots to get even. She’s not worried. They’ll be replaced by the gardener soon enough!”
I looked at the old professor hoping for another tip. He did not disappoint.
“Now, for my last tip. At 50 don’t fall. Don’t fall down the stairs or stumble on your front yard. Look at me, I fell at 50, I am still limping”.
He paused, showed me his leg. He had bruises on the left.
“Most of all don’t fall in love late in life. The women are merciless. If the second does not beat you, the first will. I am limping for the rest of my life!”
We parted company. I walked away repeating his tips like a mantra; treat wives fairly, never transfer all your wealth to a wife early in your marriage and do not fall in love in old age or end up limping, for the rest of your life.
Mihar Dias is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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