Chapter 2 THE POLYGAMOUS MAN

Musoke loved his family; he made sure his children get a better education. Village education was not really the best but he encouraged his children to study hard, he did not want to send his children to faraway schools.

The driving force behind Musoke was his mother; he loved his mother so much, he made sure his mother gets everything she needed. He hired a nurse to take care of his mother because she had some weird disease; she used to wake up in the middle of the night and disappear, they could only find her on the farm lost. This scared Musoke a lot; that’s why he hired a nurse to always take care of her mother.

His children had to wake up very early in the morning and do some house chores before they go to school. It was a must to do chores in Musoke’s household; and if a child fails to do her or his chores, Musoke would punish that child by beating her or him; he believed in sparing the rod and spoils the child!

Musoke had his own house while his three wives also had their own houses. There was also a family house; it was very big. This is where meals were served and also used as a visitors’ house. All family members were expected to sit and have their meals in that place without missing it unless if you were sick.

Though there were three wives at the farm; Musoke built only one kitchen which was very big; each wife had two days in a week to cook for the family. That wife will cook the meals for those two days for the whole family and serve the meals in the family house where all family members sat and enjoy it.

The wife who is on the duty for those two days; was also supposed to discipline the children for those two days and also spend those two nights in Musoke’s personal house. Musoke’s children were taught to respect each other and also respect all the mothers at the farm. In Musoke's household; there wasn't such a thing as stepmother, stepbrother, or stepsister; they were all mothers, brothers or sisters respectively. Sundays’ meals were prepared by the three wives together with their daughters; no wife was supposed to step into Musoke’s house on Sundays, it was his day to spend by himself.

From school, the girls were supposed to help their mothers with household chores while the boys were supposed to fetch water from the stream and also help with farm work. Musoke wanted his children to know the value of hard work.

One day during Sunday lunch; someone knocked on the family house’s door; it was Musoke’s sister Lari; she was welcomed to join them for lunch. Lari came with her three daughters Lydia 16, Cissy 14, and Esther 12. They each had big luggage; it looked like they came to stay for good.

Musoke’s mother was so happy to see her daughter, Lari; she was her last born, the one who came after Musoke. After the Sunday meal; they all sat and enjoyed the conversation with their new guests.

Later, Musoke’s mother took Lari and her daughters to her house. She was only staying with her nurse; she had lots of unoccupied space so she gave one room to Lari and her two daughters while the older daughter shared the room with the nurse.

Later that evening; Lari sat her mother and her brother down, she told them that her husband had chased her away because she could not bore him a son who will inherit his legacy. He actually wrote a letter to his brother-in-law. Below is the letter:

Dear Mr. Musoke, Salute! This is your brother-in-law Kirigwajo; I’m writing this letter to inform you that I have sent your sister Lari back to you because she couldn’t bore me a son. As you know, in our culture, a man of my caliber needs to have a son who will inherit all my property. You know daughters always get married into other families; to me, they really don’t matter.

I need a son and since your sister couldn’t do it, I have to marry a young woman who will give me a son.

My daughters decided to leave with their mother; that is the reason they are there too, I think they are better off there than here since I wouldn’t want them to stress my new wife. Unfortunately, I’m not like you, I cannot marry more than one wife at a go; I do not believe in such things. No hard feelings brother, keep well.

Yours Kirigwajo.