---She takes
a look in the mirror one more time before she steps out of the house; she is
the image of perfection! Every strand of her hair perfectly in place, her dress
fit her like a glove; her makeup was so aptly applied you would almost miss it
if you didn’t look closely. She stepped out with a deep sigh and got ready to
face the world again. Nobody would ever know that she cried herself to sleep
last night…
She has to confront the reality of the bills
that consumed her. She could be the married woman who has been covering for her
Husband by ensuring the bills are paid or that single woman struggling to take
care of herself and her dependents or maybe that widow or single mum who
struggles to pay fees and put food on the table. Whoever she is and wherever
she is today, I salute her!
I always write from the heart; often inspired
by my observation and personal life experiences. A few months ago, someone
accused me that my writing showed too much emotion… The truth is she might be
right, but I told her that I think that the emotions I express are a lot of
people’s inner cry and dealings and that as I share my struggles and victories,
maybe someone would receive the motivation and energy to keep going.
In my Mind’s ear, I heard the long sigh and
the hearts beating faster in a lot of homes once it was 27th of
April 2014. It was the dreaded day before the kids went back to school in Lagos.
Parents who had not been able to put the school fees together worried. Some
even went into panic mode and began to make desperate attempts to borrow, beg
or bargain! Then the 28th came to pass…..
I heard a few amazing testimonies from
mothers who got ‘Angels’ to help them sort the school fees or those who
negotiated a flexible payment period with the school (Where were the Father’s you might
ask? That’s a story for another day). There were still those who had to
ask for more time to sort it out, but in all, as I listened to my sisters and
heard their sighs of relieve, I couldn’t help but write this Ode to the strong
independent woman.
I told a friend the other day that sometimes
I get tired of being strong; I was scrolling through my phone some time ago and
it really cracked up when I realized that I had the phone numbers of several
PHCN officials from the connector(Who climbs the pole) to the Marketing manager
in my district! But a girl needs to know the people that help to keep life stable.
The purpose of this ramble which is quite
different from my usually organized thought process is to give you (Yes You!) a
part in the back and say well done strong independent woman and if you are a
responsible man reading this, you deserve a part in the back too! Because that
means you are caring for a sister of mine and not just milking her fountain!
Love and Peace
Tale
Ode to the Strong Independent woman!
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