Oloicura’s mother-in-law has agreed. We had a meeting a few days ago, a couple of elders, some older women of Olbalbal, Nalepo, the mother-in-law, and me. It lasted four hours and Nalepo had a chance to totally lay out her reasons for taking the drastic step of prevailing upon her husband to take their daughter and her children away from Oloicura. This was a meeting where everyone got as much time as they wanted to have their say… It was long. Much of the rapid back and forth Maasai went over my head, but I was able to keep track of where they were going. I made one small intervention. I commented that it seemed to me that Nalepo may have over reacted but she was right to be so angry. Oloicura said some truly awful things to her and called her some horrendous names. We are in a society that values respect for parents and in-laws as a sacred duty. After it was over, I asked the people if they thought any headway had been made. All gave an emphatic, “No Way”. Nalepo was not ready to give an inch. At the end of the discussions, she said that she would go and think it over, but no one believed she was serious.
Then yesterday evening a big surprise, Oloicura came to me and said his mother-in-law had just brought his Lele, his wife and their three children, Parmes, Nanta and Metoi, to him agreeing that the family be reunited. Then, she took them back to her village to await the formal agreement of her husband, which I am told will not be a problem. I wasn’t there when she arrived with the so and so and the kids. I wish I had been. I can’t figure out how things were so against Oloicura a few days ago and then the situation reversed so quickly.