It was another midnight, as the thin air hung desolate. Mr. and Mrs. Friday's midnight prayer ritual began. Our neighborhood is calm, a bit far from the busy road, making it serene at any time of day. Mr. and Mrs. Friday, a couple, commit to their loud prayers every night, unconcerned about the disturbance they cause other neighbors at that hour.
"Is there no method this couple can use that won't be a disturbance to others? I can barely concentrate on my preparation for Sunday school class tomorrow," my brother told his wife.
"I seriously don't know how they will feel if everyone prays like this. What would this neighborhood be like?" she replied in a very angry tone.
Many people have been suffering from this disturbance in silence. Some who couldn't bear it have gone to the community chairman to make a report, which ended up falling on deaf ears. Countless times, my aunt, who felt like going to speak with them in their house since it was a stone's throw from ours, would try to resolve the matter, but the reverse was the case.
After several attempts with no results, my aunt refused to stand by again and suffer the disturbance and lack of adequate sleep in silence.
"Mary, get that music box charged; it will be of great use for me tonight."
"Tonight, I thought you liked a quiet night. You I know won't even like to hear the sound of a hummingbird as early as 8 pm," I reminded her.
"Yeah, but a child who says her mother won't sleep will equally not sleep. Mr. and Mrs. Friday have tested my patience for too long, and this is the time for me to give them a taste of their own medicine. Ah ah, this is not a church; even the churches we have around don't even disturb the neighborhood like they do!"
"Hmmm, it is seriously tiring. If only they realize and employ another method," I responded.
"They will soon figure that out. They have been doing this because all we do is complain, and no one is trying to retaliate."
I wasn't completely aware of what my aunt's plans were. She had already devised a plan to confront Mr. and Mrs. Friday and put an end to their behavior.
It was another midnight, and immediately they began their usual, she turned on her music box, she set the volume to the highest and took it to where it would sound directly into the Fridays’ house. The sound of the music, which was louder than the prayer, was a disturbance to the couple.
Source
As the music box blared into the night, the Fridays, as early as 7 am, had gone to the community chairman to report the incident. The chairman, who knew he wouldn't be the right person to settle the conflict, called the attention of other dwellers. With these neighbors as witnesses, the case began.
"My neighbor here, around 1 AM yesterday, started playing very loud music, which disturbed the peace of the neighborhood," Mrs. Friday explained bitterly.
"Do you have anything to say to that, Mummy Naza?" The chairman asked.
"Yes sir, I do. I am very happy Mrs. Friday spoke first, and she used the word 'disturb.' I just realized from her words how selfish they can be. Just one night of music box, and you call it disturbance. Have you thought of everyday nightly prayers not in silence but one that comes with so much noise and all sorts of sound?"
"Mrs. Friday, has she warned you and your husband about this before?" The chairman asked.
Without giving them a chance to respond, she answered, "I have done that several times before. I even realized from other neighbors that reports have been coming to you on a daily basis about how they turn people's night to a distress night. My husband has lots of medical books he reads during that hour, but once the disturbance begins, he loses concentration."
"Mr. and Mrs. Friday, we are not against prayers, but doing it in a way that becomes a nuisance to others is not nice. You don't know what others use their midnight for; therefore, others shouldn't know what you use yours for," one of the neighbors intervened.
"Many have been complaining bitterly about this, and they both paid deaf ears, which is why I decided I must give them a taste of their own medicine."
After the gathering at the chairman's compound trying to settle the incident, as anyone who passed stopped to say one or two about their dismay, it helped the chairman not to speak much as he concluded with "you have heard everyone; no one is against prayer as we pray, but doing it appropriately won't result in a gathering like this again."
After the gathering, everyone dispersed, and the neighborhood became what it's known for: a quiet and peaceful atmosphere both at night and daytime, as Mr. and Mrs. Fridays' prayers are now done in silence without the notice of anyone. They bore grudges with my aunt for some months, refusing to answer her greetings.
The main reason behind it we couldn't tell whether it was her giving them a taste of their own medicine, or winning the case, but my aunt persisted in greeting them not minding if they responded. At last, they started responding to her greetings, and that brought us united again.