Sometimes, people go through painful experiences that tempt them to retaliate, hoping to ease their suffering. However, vengeance rarely heals wounds; instead, it often multiplies sorrow, as seen through the experiences of several characters in Paul B. Vitta’s Fathers of Nations.
Professor Kimani’s tragedy illustrates this truth. Once a respected lecturer at the University of Nairobi, he faces humiliation when his wife Asiya leaves him for a flamboyant politician, Newborn Walomu. Feeling betrayed, Kimani storms into Walomu’s office and insults him, even attempting to beat him up. His efforts at revenge backfire terribly: Walomu mocks him, he is jailed for assault, and demoted from professor to senior lecturer. Instead of gaining closure, Kimani is left with shame, despair, and a career in ruins. Clearly, revenge deepens his anguish rather than soothing it.
Engineer Seif Tahir also learns this bitter lesson. When Rahma, a junior colleague, politely declines his advances, he misinterprets her words and lashes out in anger. In public, he slaps her, only for Rahma to strike back, leaving him half-blind. His attempt to punish her through court action ends in hollow victory: though she loses an eye under the Hammurabic law, Tahir sinks into bitterness, self-hatred, and isolation. His revenge strips him of peace, showing how retaliation worsens pain.
Comrade Melusi’s case is equally tragic. Fuelled by anger over the brutal killing of his wife Ziliza and the oppression of his Ndebele people, he plots to attack Zimbabwe’s president. However, before he can act, he is quickly overpowered by guards and disgraced. Rather than avenging his wife, Melusi ends up with humiliation and despair. His grief remains unresolved, and his retaliation proves futile.
Rahma, too, falls into the trap of vengeance. When Tahir slaps her, she reacts without thinking, driving a letter opener into his eye. Though it might have felt like justice in the moment, her act earns her a harsh Hammurabic punishment. Losing her own eye becomes a permanent scar, leaving her with regret and sorrow instead of peace. Her retaliation highlights how instant revenge often creates lifelong wounds.
Even Pastor Chiamaka suffers from the same fate. After being jailed and banned from preaching, he devises a comical plan to embarrass Nigeria’s president in public. Unfortunately, the dinner where he intends to carry out his scheme is cancelled. Instead of finding justice, he is left frustrated, bitter, and consumed by anger that eats away at his spirit. His quest for revenge only leaves him emptier than before.
In conclusion, revenge rarely delivers the healing one desires. Professor Kimani, Engineer Tahir, Rahma, Comrade Melusi, and Pastor Chiamaka all show that reprisal turns wounds into deeper scars. It may feel like justice in the moment, but in the long run, it leaves behind only regret, bitterness, and wasted lives.