Clipping the wings of a gossiper.

A teenage experience gave me a better understanding of how humans think and what they are capable of doing. I have learned to be very careful when dealing with certain kinds of people to prevent myself from getting into trouble like I did over a decade ago.

Before now, I lived in a house with about 21 rooms with 21 different occupants, there were couples and families with two or more children so it was crowded. A day won't pass without people fighting over the silliest things you can ever imagine and for over 4 years in that house, I never got into a fight with anyone.

It wasn't like they never stepped on my toe but their level of understanding was terrible so I just chose to avoid them the best way I could. Due to my lifestyle, the tenants were always trying to be friends with me but I really didn't have the time for all that, we weren't enemies but there was this gap I created to avoid any form of relationship that would bring issues.

I lost my job and staying at home exposed me to a lot of things and somehow, I started figuring out everyone's behaviour in the house. There was a woman who gossiped a lot and she was an expert in that field.

I discovered that she was the major cause of the fight in the house because she always tricked people into some discussion to get information and spread it to cause conflict. She does it all the time and I don't know why people keep falling for her behaviour.

On a fateful day, I heard this sharp knock on my door repeatedly. The person interrupted my nap and I was pissed even before seeing who it was.

I grumbled for a few seconds before reaching for the door and it turned out to be this woman so I quickly blocked her at the door and asked what she wanted.

"Please I want to see you for something very important." she replied and for a few seconds, I was wondering what in the world she wanted to talk about.

"I am with you, madam" I replied.

She was about talking so I told her to hold on so I could get a shirt since I wasn't wearing one and she entered the room with me.

Immediately she closed the door, I wanted to walk her out but felt it would be insulting so I just hurried her to talk and gave an excuse about going out.

She sat on my small single-seater and I felt like recording everything she said so I picked up my phone and started recording. She reported some tenants and went on to say something about her family before requesting help.

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I was careful with every word I said and gave her the help she wanted. Months passed and I heard an argument outside.

"What could be going on again?" I asked myself but didn't step out of my room.

It didn't take long before someone came banging on my door screaming that I should come and clarify everything I said.

I started wondering what I said that might have resulted in noise in the compound and couldn't think of anything.

I needed to know what was going on so I went outside and all eyes were on me but I wasn't troubled.

Immediately I saw that woman among them, I thought she had something to do with it so I walked gently to them and asked what happened.

"Mummy B said you were the one who said this and that", they wouldn't even allow themselves to talk individually

I turned to the woman and asked her when we discussed such an she started stuttering. I wasn't in the mood for the rubbish they were dragging me into but reacting harshly wouldn't let us get to the bottom of the issue.

They told her to repeat what she said and was just saying rubbish so I thought about ending her silly behaviour that day.

I reached for my phone and Bluetooth speaker to play the voice note. Everyone was shocked and that was how I vindicated whatever lies she must have told them about me.

She apologized later and I begged her not to ever knock on my door again. People saw her true nature and put her in her place. For sometime, the house experienced peace before another trouble started.