Many widows said they wanted to seek peace with their in-laws and to preserve relationships, even after their in-laws had taken everything from them. Many did not fight back against in-laws’ attempts to take their property, hoping to prevent family discord. Thelma, 45, lives near Harare and was 32 when her husband passed away. She and her husband had written a will and had some means to hire a private lawyer, yet she still capitulated to some of her in-laws’ demands. She described how desperate she was to make peace: The relationship was okay when we were married…. We used to visit them in rural areas often. We sent them money every month…. My husband told me [when he was dying] not to give even the small items like his clothes [to his family], but I wanted to. He said: “One day I will die, and I want to leave you as much as possible so that you can pay for school [for our son].” At the memorial service, my in-laws [told me they] wanted everything. I went to the memorial service with the tombstone and his clothes for distribution. Six big suitcases. They said, ‘Why did you bring the tombstone and nothing else?’ They refused the clothes. They wanted a stove or a fridge. Later, I tried to give the clothes again, and my father-in-law took them. The will [which my husband had prepared] gave me a [Toyota] Hilux pickup truck. My father-in-law said that he wanted it. The lawyer said it was not for him. But I gave it to him, to try to stop problems. By custom, if a child is sick, you are supposed to consult with the in-laws, but they never come. They won’t pay the children’s school fees. My inlaws are greedy. Whenever we meet, they say they want the house. You cannot feel free. They were threatening at first. I wanted to put my house in my son’s name, but I put it in my name, because I feared for his protection [his safety].51 51 Human Rights Watch interview with Thelma, June 2, 2016. 23 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | JANUARY 2017