The Angel I Knew
We lived in a patriarchal world! Women mostly belonged to men. That’s how it was. It was a different time and space.
A man got himself a wife and she became his property, he may not own her heart, but body and soul were all his to do with as he pleased.
As a girl I lived in a village in South America, my little corner of the world boasted what was referred to by the locals as “the two most ignorant men in town”. These were the most abusive men around. They would systematically verbally and physically abuse their wives.
One of the abusers was married to a lovely and gentle soul. She had borne him 9 living children and had buried 3.
He had no respect for anyone including himself.
The husband would openly cheat and would carry most of his monies and certainly all his love to the side chick, leaving his family in want.
He would go home and regularly ill-treat his wife for any and all things. The fact that she existed seemed to aggravate him to no end. He would hurl insults so loudly they would ride the winds to the ears of everyone in the area.
This angel was a beautiful soul. She was a voracious reader and her love for the written word greatly influenced my love of reading. I used her collection as my personal library.
I remember myself and several neighborhood kids would congregate in her yard. She was always so welcoming and generous. She loved everyone and was the most lovely person I have ever known.
I have never seen her angry, even as he berated her in front of all her children and the whole village, she never responded.
She always had a smile on her face. What pains that smile hid.
I think now of the humiliation and pain she suffered and in the presence of us all. I don’t know how she found the strength to keep smiling.
She was so kind and gentle. She gave freely to us kids or anyone who asked anything of her.
My angel died many years back, from a broken heart I think. I never got to thank her for being such a kind person to us all.
Her death hit me especially hard as I had already emigrated and heard of it well after the fact.
I pray that my angel is happy, peaceful, warm, and secure wrapped in the loving warmth of her God.
