Wives On Instalment Plan

Southland Times, Issue 23650, 27 October 1938, Page 14

Wives On Instalment Plan

Tale Of Balkan Moslems

TZEMAL'ATATURK, dictator of Turkey, has abolished plurality oi wives within his own country, and he would like to see all Moslems give up this old and valued privilege. But the Balkan Moselms, particularly those of Bosnia, are not agreeable to the new regulations, as this article shows. In his drive to modernise Turkey Kemal Ataturk has ruthlessly brought the axe of dictatorship on everything which in the eyes of many, constituted the peculiar charm of the East. His ban thus fell on the institution of harems, and on everything it implied. At one stroke most of the mystery of the Orient was thus destroyed, and many a wealthy Turk has since been casting longing eyes towards the Balkans, where his Moslem brethren are still permitted to indulge in their secular practices. The most important group of Balkan Moslems is in Bosnia and in Southern Serbia, where they still number about three-quarters of a million. These followers of dhe Prophet form, generally speaking, a rather primitive community, whose family . life is ' still shaped by tribal customs which are thousands.. of years old. In that part of the world a man can still purchase, for hard cash, a wife or wives, who becorhe his absolute property. ' . . ... ■ . There is often an element of great humour in these- matrimonial transactions, as in the case of the extraordinary affairs brought not long ago before the Skoplje magistrates, whose wisdom it will test to the full. . Suleiman Murtezovitch, a peasant of the Buyanovatch municipality, lived on the best of terms with a wife bought by him for 9000 dinars, but, after several years of bliss, Fate rained her heaviest blows on Suleiman. He was ruined by the wheat crisis, compelled to mortgage his land, and eventually lost his wife. At the early age of thirty-three Suleiman had no intention of remaining a widower for the rest of his life, but he was short of cash. He told his sorrows to his friend Arif Mamutovitch, a sexagenarian enjoying a great reputation for wisdom. Ramisa, Arif’s first wife, had given him three fine girls, a fruitful source oi income. Arif found them well-to-do husbands, and with the proceeds added to his Ramisa, who was fifty-five years old, a second wife, the beautiful Nejima, who was only eighteen. “Listen, brother,” said Arif to Sueliman, “and take counsel from experience. You’d do much better not to marry again. I did, and shall never cease to regret the senseless waste of good money which these fancies imply.” Such downright good advice was utterly wasted on Suleiman, who adhered all the more strongly to his decision to acquire a wife as promptly as he could, and forthwith set about the task of finding a spouse among the villagers possessing marriageable girls. He had to call empty-handed, however, and departed likewise. In despair, Suleiman remembered Arif’s expressions of regret at having married the marvellous Nejima, and despatched a friend of his to ask Arif for Nejima’s hand. Arif did not turn down the proposal, but sent word to the suitor that his price for the cession, transfer, or assignment of Nejima was 4000 dinars. The quotation was surprisingly low, but the old man spoilt it by adding a shattering clause: “For Nejima,” said he, "shall return here every Wednesday, and spend the night under my roof.” Suleiman, however, accepted the bargain. clause and all, and started can-

vassing for the 4000 dinars. His credit was at a low ebb, however, and his attempts at inducing his friends to finance the venture proved a failure. But the young farmer would not admit defeat, and bade his trusted messenger once more try and soften the heart of the treasure-hoarding Arif. A measure of success was achieved this time, for the old man (out of pure friendship, of course), consented to reduce the charge from 4000 to 35000 dinars, but insisted on receiving 1500 dinars in hard cash, the balance to be payable in monthly instalments of 500 dinars. He was adamant, moreover, in upholding his clause of the loan of Nejima every Wesdnesday. The wretched Suleiman made a supreme effort, pledged, pawned, and borrowed the 1500 dinars, and hastened

at last to old Arif, who smiled a somewhat toothless welcome, counted the notes, and summoned Nejima. “Listen, child, this Suleiman has asked me for your hand, and I gave thee to him, but bear in* mind that thou shalt have to return here every Wednesday, and spend the night under this roof. Art thou willing to' follow him in these conditions?” “Your commands, master, are my law,” or words to that effect, said Nejima, to whom the suggestion rather appealed. There was nothing left to be done but to couch the whole transaction in the form of a contract of sale, for the purpose whereof the parties repaired to the local lawyer, and Suleiman, the following day, came to collect his Nejima and here goods and chattels. The first days of the honeymoon were the most blistful money could buy, but, as the first Wednesday approached, the groom could not dispel certain pangs of uneasiness at the thought, of parting, even temporarily, with the dearest of his treasures to the villanous old Arif, pursuant to that disgraceful clause of his.

In short, when the dawn of the fateful day came, with it a sharp reminder in the form of a knock on the door from Arif’s messenger, Suleiman had fully decided to disregard the clause, and told the messenger so. Arif, on receipt of the message, felt the supreme contempt of the righteous for those who make themselves guilty of the crime of tearing up scraps of paper in absolute disregard of the sanctity of contracts, called upon Allah for sanctions against the impudent lawbreaker, and, pending the application thereof, working himself into incoherent fury, sallied forth, muttering strange curses and clasping a stout stick. Such a development was not altogether unexpected by Suleiman, who, providing himself with a stick of equal stoutness, took up a defensive position in front, of his threshold.

“Surrender Nejima,” hissed the old man, and, before his opponent could utter the Serbian equivalent of “sez you,” landed him a hefty blow on the head. Suleiman reeled under the impact, but collected his swimming wits and smote Arif in his turn.

Nejima screamed, the neighbours collected and took sides, and joined in the fray, which assumed the proportions of a pitched battle, in which half-forgotten grievances were suddenly revived. All the police could do when they reached the scene of the contest, which ended at their approach, was to collect a man who had had the misfortune to meet an open blade, and had to be despatched to hospital for repairs. After this fracas Arif Mamutovitch applied to the courts for redress, dehanded that his right to his weekly pound of flesh be recognised, or the alternative return “in toto” of the “corpus delicti,” the payment made on account being forfeited to him by way of damages, without prejudice to such claims as he might be entitled to make for the assault commited on himself.