Blood is Thicker than Water, Love is Thicker than Blood???

Things said are things thought. Most thoughts are things seen around us.  Beautiful words are simply day to day facts laid out with mastery and this introduction seems to have nothing to do with the topic…. Hahahaha!!!

So, I went to boarding primary school in Busoga here in Uganda and one day during the third year of my seventh year, I did something foreign to my character. I took possession of an item, a football  that did not belong to me just because I thought to myself, ‘the owner just finished Primary Seven and so he has no need for this ball, I mean he’s going home for ‘vacation.’’ Vacation is the school break for pupils transitioning from the Primary to Secondary school level in Uganda. Needless to say, I was spotted, hunted down by the owner who basically turned all his fury on me and decided he’d inflict vengeance for all the injustices he had suffered through primary school on me.

Alas! He had never been more wrong.

Realising that my punisher was going to lay it all on me, I took flight with whatever speed I could master with my assailant in pursuit. Every once in a while he’d catch up and kick my butt but I kept on running.  I just had to lose him and hide away.

As I ran, out of nowhere, my brother who was my assailants’ classmate showed up and flew at him with a crazy rage…… and both my fears, pains and troubles were taken away. Blood spoke louder than the wrong I had done. My assailant got a beating. I was safe. Water for all its justification had nothing on me.

I can tell you plenty of other stories from my childhood that shout blood is thicker than water but I am sure you have your own to tell so I won’t bore you. Neither should you bore me with yours. I am not doing a case study over here; just writing.

Part B

I have always wondered at this fact. That someone can be so in love they will lay down their lives for another. Am not talking about Jesus, yet. I could though. I have always wondered about the true feelings of girls when they leave their parent’s home and adopt those of their spouse. I shudder that even when it doesn’t go smoothly where they’ve gone, they more often than not stick it out. They give away their lives and seal it with a new name. I think it’s admirable but over and above, I know it’s an enigma that I still haven’t solved. Maybe a kind lady will make me understand.

I have thought about friends. It amazes me that friendships are such stable relationships. A friend once sent me the following sms. She said ‘good friends are like the morning. You can’t have them  all through your day but you’re sure they’ll be here when you wake up tomorrow.’ I have friends spread out and am sure so do you and the impressive thing is that neither time nor distance, nor absence of contact affects our bond. I don’t understand how that works. The weird thing is we always hit it off once we bump into each other. It is a thing of beauty. So much so the Bible or the Good Book for those who fear its name says, ‘there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.’

I have known families that live apart and only come together for a wedding and a burial. I have also known families that make excuses to meet each other. They have the duty to.

Friends will just show up and will not always give you a reason. When they are not in touch, they will think about you, even miss you. They do not have a duty to.

Human beings are complex and so is their behaviour so I won’t pretend that I’ve figured it out. Blood is thicker than water, love is thicker than blood???

(c) Ojara Andrew C