Medicine man rescues marriage

Their religion for our culture

When we were out on Sunday at Zaanse Schans, we were a bit famished that we ended up at the pancake restaurant for a quick meal.

There we began to assess and analyse Nigeria and the Nigerian psyche which lead to an interesting tale, told by my friend.

Nigerians being overly religious and adherent to Middle Eastern religions but shackled to the animist sway of their contemporary societies almost see nothing in combining formal religious and animist methods in attaining all sorts of goals.

Sometimes, it is shame that every idea of traditional medicine and “black” magic is completely averse to the people it represents as our adopted religions make light of our cultural heritage without irony.

Trouble in the home

In this case, a couple was having trouble in their marriage; the man had taken to drink to the extent that some aspects of conflict had become physical.

The neighbours were beside themselves with the noise and commotion they had to live through every night the man returned and both husband and wife engaged in their noisy charade that had not end till either the woman was exhausted from chatting back or the husband passed out from the full effects of drink.

The lady came upon an idea about saving her marriage having tried counselling and all other means to no avail.

Medicine man to the rescue

She visited a renowned medicine man at the other side of town and asked for help in saving her marriage having explained in great detail what had been happening in her home.

The medicine man consulted oracles, threw about the cowries, invoked the names of terrifying gods, chanted with convulsive ferocity, pulled off chicken heads, splattered blood on anything that moved and then calmed down into a comatose meditative state.

The gods had spoken and he had received the prescription medicine for saving the marriage.

His instructions were as follows:

Take this bottle of medicine and keep under your side of the bed.

Just as your husband comes in after his drunken night out, take two tea spoons of the medicine and hold in your mouth, without gargling or swallowing.

When your husband goes to sleep, you can also go to bed spitting out through the window to the left of your bed.

The amazing effects

The woman was amazed at the efficacy of the medicine, for each night there was such peace in her home, her husband embrace her and her marriage seemed to revive with a passion from the years before.

The husband also began to reduce his drinking and be more sober to enjoy the company and love of his wife.

Then the medicine ran out and the woman was gripped with fear that all would fall apart again – she returned to the medicine man and asked for large kegs of the medicine for whatever cost.

The medicine man refused to budge and tried to explain what exactly the medicine did in saving her marriage and she would not listen.

Posers

The poser really is, what was in the medicine that saved her marriage and are traditional medicines that efficacious that we ignore them to our peril?

Or is it just the wisdom of man at play from which conmen can take advantage of the gullible?