An Imaginary Letter To My Mother In-law

May it please my Mother inlaw,
Only yesterday, I became a new member of your family. My happiness yesterday was indeed but an episode. I say this because, I, as a young man, has ventured into a very difficult yet enjoyable institution.

As I write to you, my heart is filled with so much passion, anxiety and happiness. Whereas my mind is occupied with curiosity. Just a month ago, I read a book which is titled 'GANDHI'. And as I read through the pages, I discovered that a man by name Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, got married at a very tender age. At age 13. And he recounted his days as a young married man in Kujarat, who knew nothing about marriage. However, he bemoaned that, the only experience he had as a young man was to lust over his wife, Kasturba. But as time went by, he coped with it and had a very successful marriage with the help of good counsel he recieved as a boy from his parents, inlaws and family friends.

My in - law, with issues of marriage, i am innocent. But i believe your rich experience in marriage will do us good as young couple. Few years back, i met your daughter. And on many occasions, i have said to her it wasnt her beauty which drives me, but her character. Her character was her secret. Initially, i never had a good thought for her until i came close. My inlaw, her beauty cannot be underestimated. She is a true definition of beauty.

But, I looked at the inner beauty, not the outer. You will agree with me, that it is best to look at the beauty on the inside rather than the outside. Fortunately for me, she had all. How lucky!

My in - law, to the extent that i will seek your advices, i donot promise a marriage full of glamour and forever smiles. This is a battle i believe will be long fought. Which is why i seek your guidance. But dont forget, you will be limited in many ways, especially in the affairs of my home. You will be responsible when there is the need to solicit advices from you.

My in - law, i write to you because you paid your price. A price worth pointing out to. You invested so much time, energy, patience and courage in raising my beloved wife to become who she is today. I believe that is the highest price you can ever pay as my inlaw. Well, just some few weeks back, i also did pay my dues. I paid as you requested, and my wife also paid hers by accepting to marry me. In all of these, we all did what is deemed as right. And only yesterday, in the presence of both God and man, you handed your daughter to me as my newly wedded wife, which makes her my bonafide property.

As i write to you, she no longer uses my father inlaw's name. And i am happy to let you know she is happy about that. But i want to also point out to you, that, this marriage is the beginning of the end of our problems. As at the we starting dating, of which you never consented to, and even during our courtship, and also the few times we had the opportunity to be counselled, we encounted myriads of challenges. They only remain as history.

My in - law, it is the great Mahatma Gandhi who once said, "The very existence of the wife is a great sobering and restraining influence in the life of a married man". I promise to play my part as a good and responsible husband. And i look forward to giving you your first Grandchild, considering that my wife happens to be your first born.

My in - law, as i intend to put a rest to this letter, i will gladly like to tell you that, i remain an optimist, not that there is any evidence that my marriage is going to prosper, but because of my unflinching faith that my marriage must prosper. Our inspiration can come only from our faith that our marriage must ultimately prevail. But anyways, a tiger does not shout about its tigritude. When you see the skeleton of an antelope, there you would know, that a tigritude has emanated.

I beg to remain,
Yours most cherished son in - law
Mahama Socrates Samuel