Fear of.....?

So I had the most interesting ride home a Thursday some moons back. I’m using public transport and the sort that is common is what we call ‘commuter omnibuses”. These have rows of seats on which four people sit but are designed for three. Most of these now have been jazzed up to attract people to them. Most have radios which will be very loud playing either the driver’s or conductor’s pick of the day. A few instances a passenger has their flash with music they’ll ask to be played until they drop off.
A few have small TVs for entertainment for you to enjoy your ride.
I digress.
So here I am with a workmate who also resides in the same ‘hood as I do and we are talking about the news in that day’s local paper. When we get to discuss the article about witchcraft which had caused quite a stir in the news I ask ‘ Does this mean that the act that says no one can be called a witch has been repealed. I think the article said the woman was being charged for practising witchcraft”
Before my colleague answers a man a seat ahead answers and says no it has not. The lady on my side also joins the discussion. The discussion draws in more people on the ride as also the conductor joins in.
It’s quite a lively discussion as people give their insights. To make it more interesting the conductor comments that the husband should not send away the wife as she does whatever she does with the father-in –law. This obviously does not go down well. People say a witch is a witch. She should be divorced as you never know what she does without your knowledge. Then a question comes up ‘who’s better to have as a wife- a witch or an adulterous wife?’
Believe you me, people just are that difficult when it comes to life issues. The women respond that a wayward wife is a no-no as she’ll come with disease and the witch will probably leave you alone and not do anything to you.
The men want otherwise. They would rather have the adulterous wife coz they never know what the witch can get up to when you’re asleep. Yeah right!
As if they know where their wayward wife has been.
Bottom line, people are scared of what they do not know. There is a lot of fear as far as witchcraft is concerned and the superstitious stories have made people have the views they have. They will die from a spell cast by a witch but they’re unlikely to die from AIDS.
The story as I was to disembark was now trying to answer the driver’s question. (NB the driver is now also conversing with the passengers!)
He asks what he should do – he saw his friend’s girlfriend with another guy and she saw him. Should he tell on his friend’s girlfriend?
The answer I heard as I got of was he definitely should as if he doesn’t, the girl will also want to fool around with him.
And so the stories go, on the commuter omnibuses without radios which happen to carry discursive people like me.