There was a suggestion, no doubt circulated by a widow, that a widow made a much better wife than some young thing marrying for the first time. After all, experience always matters. For many people widows, from Mrs. Robinson down, hold a certain fascination, not untinged by fear. But despite their promotional efforts, it has always been an uphill fight for the widow. Perhaps it has something to do with the widow spider whose mating always ends in a tragedy for the male. Perhaps its something to do with female power. In some countries it was believed that widows were bad news. As soon as the husband died, the widow would be buried with him. It is not made clear whether this was for the good of the society at large, or whether it was in the best interest of the widow herself, or as a cautionary tale to other wives to look after their husbands as their own fate was so closely tied up with their own. Where marriage and bringing children into the world was almost synonymous, unless she had, apart from physical charms, a healthy dowry, a widow was not seen to be much of a catch. The worst part was, that nobody would ever allow a widow to forget that she was a widow especially on her wedding day. As part of her wedding regalia a widow was expected to wear gloves instead of being allowed to flaunt her naked hands, to ensure that everyone recognised her for what she was. A widow. However, widows being a hardy lot, didnt just lie down and play dead. When she did manage to snare herself a husband, a widow bride made sure that the people didnt spoil her wedding by shaking their heads at the poor man who had so little going for him that he was prepared to settle for a widow. Knowing that her fertility would always be the topic around the bar, she would come down the aisle dressed not in white, as the young things did, but in green. Since green was the colour of growth and multiplying, she was sending out a challenge to all concerned, that if she were not inexperienced, she was also not over the hill. There were still many children to be had with what was left over. So what if she never actually had those children? Soon thered be another wedding to take peoples mind off hers. |
