Decades of persecution

17.JULY.09

Editor: I have been enduring a life of persecution spanning over four decades. Firstly, it was a life of physical and verbal abuse from siblings. Secondly, nearly a decade the same abuse from a fiancé (ex). Now, jointly, over two decades, sibling and ex have teamed to persecute. Within recent times a pattern of events has resurfaced and a latest incident has forced me to speak publicly.{{more}}

Latest scenario

I am one of those persons who always work long hours in order to manage. Carnival Sunday afternoon, I was just awakening from a privileged rest, after returning from church, when my daughter called and summoned me to come to her assistance urgently. Without a clue, I drove to a cross road to find a large crowd gathered.

What happened between a father, his son and his daughter (my child) had brought out a village in their melee. What transpired, in a nutshell, is the father accused his son of stealing a goat and they squared off. His daughter, who was on spot, intervened with a quieting word and got spit in her face. After a spit exchange, it ended with her getting knocked to the ground from a cuff to her ear; another unsuccessful attempt to get at me. All the rest is history.

A history of assault and battery.

This story has a whole range of issues spanning decades. This young lady is a fully-grown adult with two children and the young man older and also a father. To my knowledge, they were both raised without a father. They have different mothers but have a close relationship. From experience, the man has had a history of assault and battery. More recently, the confusion has moved to his children, and every second there is often accusation leading to confusion. What transpired on Sunday is a manifestation of years of habit. The attack was launched on the female, but big men are afraid of licks, especially from young strong men. I do everything possible to avoid certain people.

Living in hell

A great portion of my life has been a living hell, more so with one particular sibling, and to a lesser extent, the same with the ex. I have extricated myself totally from both. It may sound puzzling, but when I was engaged, my sibling and ex were bitter enemies. Once, ex had even encountered an attack from sibling. Their memories are short, because after breaking up over two decades ago, both became sweet friends and started rumormongering and persecuting me. More recently, they were unsuccessful in trying to involve my child in it. Since then, my sibling vowed to spend every cent owned to ensure that I beg my bread. I have done them no harm, only good. This is envy, hatred, malice, jealousy and bitterness. Both persons are in constant contact and collusion and seem to stop at nothing to make bacchanal with me, then sully my name. After years of distance, sibling used visit sick Mom as excuse to enter my home. It was January when an attempt was made to fight me at home, and a threat was made to shoot me in the presence of other relatives and Mom on her dying bed. With each confrontation, I strive to do the right thing and seek the correct help.

It is not easy.

Together, my mother and I endured a life of hell. When I was fed up, I took certain drastic actions, including going to the police, lawyer and court, and making my telephone number ex-directory to get peace in our lives and at home. Over years, after all direct efforts to incriminate me were unsuccessful; this physical abuse to my child is another. It is also a strategy to get the newest member of my family drafted in. Persecution has started here, too. Strangely, after marrying, out of the blue, my sibling wants to build a house close to me on lands I own. Is this a coincidence?

Not stopping at anything.

My sibling is bent on destroying me. In subtle ways, efforts are made to get close to persons I associate with, including siblings, friends, and God knows whom else. Once, when engaging one of my friends in lengthy conversation, that friend felt strongly that if she were in my stead, she would never speak to sibling until death. During the past weeks, totally false stories started disseminating about my family, to other siblings. As fate would have it, I was fortunate to hear and dispel rumors. How many more rumors I am not fortunate to dispel, knowing that many people, even in high places, are easy catch with mischief. They do not verify. “A man is innocent until proven guilty.”

Is there a nexus?

My concern is, how much damage is being done and falsehood circulating. I have observed a trend at work. I do my very best and for decades, about every four to five years, situations pop-up that make me question what have I done. Once again, I have been seeing real hell and things are very covert and evasive. This leaves me to question if there is a nexus. In the absence of work some will beg their bread. (God is God.) When subtle comments are made and when persons vow to stop at nothing to destroy you, as human beings, are you wrong to wonder when the strangest of things happen? Some people will tell you they have high connections and big friends in the right places. Others are good chefs and cook goat well for big friends on the beach. Others who work abroad have resources to buy and sell me and can call long distance daily to keep abreast with rumormongering. I am still puzzled how some criminals do not live behind bars.

I want to live in peace.

I want my family and I to live in peace. After much of my effort, Mom has died in peace. Now I will speak out publicly. My family is not people who love to make confusion and do not want to be portrayed as such. But one has to stand up for his right. Who wants to be involved in street brawls and confusion as a way of life? It happens when one associates with certain people. I reiterate, it is a fundamental right for one to live in peace; whether at home, in a community, at work or anywhere. Spiritually, too, everyone can find peace if they want to for their hearts not to be troubled. John 14:27 says “My peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.” Jesus has left it for all of us who believe. To survive, I have to find it in the midst of the perennial storms that have become the norm. I will never give up and I will forever serve the risen Christ. Paul in his second letter to Timothy said “Alexander the Coppersmith did me much evil, the Lord reward him according to his works”. Be reminded that everyman will be rewarded according to their works. Until then, my family and I will endure the persecution; not the physical abuse; and do not forget that “the fervent prayers of a righteous man availeth much.”

L.B. Williams (Mrs)