I’ve mentioned here before what great letters I get from my column every week. Here’s one in response to Sunday’s column on jokes:
Hi Nick
As I am reading your column on this Heritage Day, I am not on speaking terms with my partner. She went last week back home to Durban to attend her daughter’s coming of age ritual, one of those costly cultural things I don’t understand. She called me on Thursday to share bad news with me, the goat that was bought the previous day as a sacrifice was found dead a few hours after arriving. Oblivious to the fact that it could be interpreted as bad omen, I laughed. She wasn’t impressed, I had to apologise profusely. She called me the following day to inform me that the sacrificial cow that arrived on Thursday for Friday slaughter went berserk and attacked a couple people, some seriously injured. Again I laughed and quickly had to remember to apologise and offer consolation.
She could say that the biggest joke was when she forgot my birthday on Sunday, it wasn’t very funny anymore!
The whole weekend episode is now out of my system, I am going to call her now. You see laughter (joke) is indeed the best medicine, which makes reading your column and Ndumiso’s my weekly doctors’ consultation.
Thanks, from <man who is in big trouble>
Hi <name has been removed to protect him from his girlfriend>
what an amazing mail, can i publish it on my blog?
Thanks, from Paige (Nick).
Hi Nick I am relieved that someone finds my story funny, I thought I was weird.
You can publish the story, without revealing too much about me. Remember there are cultural sensitivities, we must show respect for. You and I know that we are laughing all the way. My partner and I have not spoken, we are engaged in a mind battle about who will be the first to apologise. I have an upper hand in this mind battle, she forgot my birthday, how bad can that be? It is not everyday that I have an upper hand, your story mustn’t ruin my chances of winning this argument.
Good luck.
From <man who was next in line to be sacrificed, till his girlfriend forgot his birthday>
Sorry girlfriend, but there’s no coming back from this one.