My dad called yesterday. The first time since new years day. He calls his best friend, cousin and brother almost everyday but I get christmas, birthdays and when he wants to give some kind of instruction. Yesterday it was because his friend gave my brother a parcel to give to his son and the guy was supposed to pick it up from my office. Well it was a phone call so I take it like that. But he did tell me a very sad story. He was on his way to a friends house to pass his condolences as the guy had lost his sister. The story goes the sister had been married and the marriage broke up for whatever reason. The husband had bought the land that they had built their house on but the wife had paid to build the house. She said that he should move out as she had paid for the house. He decided to burn the house down the wife and 2 of their children inside. One child is in critical condition in intensive care, the wife and the other child perished in the fire. There was a third child who had come to collect his school fees the day before but had gone back to school, I’m sure he is not thinking how fortunate he is with his mum and sibling gone.

What a sorry state of affairs when one person commits arson and murder all because the marriage has broken down. When the love has gone, and you have reached the point of no return, why is it not possible just to say it’s been great but goodbye. Why did this story have such a pitiful ending. For the children they have lost both parents, I hear the man is on the run, if God is watching, he will end up in jail. There will be a constant reminder of what this man has done, both physical and emotional. What was going through this man’s mind. Extremist male ego or a complete mental breakdown, who knows but the man is sick, and will have to live with it for the rest of his life.

A classic example of choosing your partner wisely and not hastily running into marriage because time is ticking away.

My prayers go out to the family.