Actions, Inactions, and Truth

Whatever we do in life, we should remember that there are always consequences for our actions and inactions. This serves as a good reminder for us to be careful in our daily lives and even in our utterances. As humans, we tend to be impulsive at times and act solely on our emotions, which is not entirely bad. We are emotional beings to begin with, but emotions should not control us to the extent that we fail to weigh our options before venturing into anything, whether in our responses or in how we deal with people.

I had an encounter with someone yesterday. She used to be my neighbour, and we have helped each other in one way or another. I do not want to say she benefited more, because helping one another is something we do for ourselves anyway.

Yesterday, a group of people came to drill a borehole in our community, very close to where we live. Before they started, they did not speak to anyone in the community, especially those who had already drilled boreholes nearby, to ask questions. Perhaps they believed they were professionals and had done all the necessary calculations and assessments before commencing work.

However, I was surprised when I later saw one of them in our compound asking questions about the well and borehole we drilled. I thought to myself that this was medicine after death. I was told they had lost the water, so I asked how many pipes they had already used.
I had to tell them that they had made a mistake and explained our own experience to them, including the person who drilled our borehole. I tried to retrieve the person’s contact number from my phone, but after searching thoroughly, I couldn’t find it. Then I remembered my neighbour, who also drilled a borehole last year, the same person handled both projects. I picked up my phone to ask her for the contact.

To my surprise, her response was not pleasant at all. She said it did not concern her, as if we had previously quarrelled. She even added that I was not the one who needed the favour since I was asking on behalf of someone else.

Later that morning, I heard her coming to fetch water at our house while calling my name. I responded, and she said she had also come around the previous day to check on me. I did not even step out to see her. My husband later told me she had been around and advised me not to be offended by the way she spoke to me on the phone.

To me, I simply felt that it was unnecessary to behave that way when an apology would still follow. Such is life, and we should not always take things personally.
Life happens to us all; we just have to be careful in our dealings. Life will certainly show us who truly cares about us and teach us how to handle our circumstances.