I have written about my neighbour’s plantain severally on this blog; his fascination with his beloved plant and what life’s lessons he has gleaned from watching her closely. He once likened his beloved plantain to the poor man’s lamb in Prophet Nathan’s parable to King David after he had murdered Uriah and taken Bathsheba his wife.

He compared his affection for his plantain to the affection which the poor man had for his lamb. He was as attached to his plantain as the poor man was to his lamb. On most mornings, he stood on his balcony and gazed at his plantain in admiration. He tended it with great care and even procured the services of a gardener to increase the attention the plantain received.

He planted the plantain on 6th September 2021. When the first signs of growth appeared, he was excited and began to dream of an exciting relationship with the plantain. Unfortunately, after a few weeks, the plantain died, spreading gloom and disappointment over my neighbor. But a few days later, he noticed a new shoot sprouting from the side of his dead plant and his hope began to rise again.

Fast forward to yesterday morning. He was having breakfast when a friend called him and said a thief had harvested his beloved plantain and cut short all the grand harvesting plans he had been nursing for weeks. Quickly, he rushed to the site and cringed at what the thief had ‘left’ for him.

Together with other persons in the neighbourhood they traced the thief to her hideout and confronted her. Where was the portion of the plantain she took away, someone asked? She was already cooking it! And the story of why she stole the plantain began to emerge. She was hungry and there was nothing to eat! No money, no food and no hope for where the next meal would come from.

She began to beg my neighnour and pray for my neighbour. After much pleading, he left her and went back to his house.