Valentine Blues

This is not an account of my Valentine's day, mine was not as eventful. What you are about to read happened to 3 of my colleagues in the office. Lets call them Ade, Lade and Bade. The morning started with me teasing everyone who dares to come to work with a hint of red- red shirt or blouse or tie or lip gloss and you automatically became the butt of our jokes.Such was the gay mood in the office. The MD couldnt help joining in when she demanded for a piece of the cake and chocolates from the single girls in the office wondering why we having being getting any delivery all day.

Work ended at 5pm as usual and the Three Musketeers -They joined the company the same day,went through induction and orientation together and even though one is a scientist, the other in Accounts and the third in Client services their friendship blossomed. They decided since they had no dates they could as well try and have some fun. They went to a 'Joint' to have Fish Peppersoup and enjoy each others company before heading home seperately.

They left the office a few minutes after 5pm got to the Joint about past 6pm.Placed their orders and gisted away while waiting for the Fish delicacy to arrive.

Time Check 7.30pm

In zooms in the men in black aka policemen. The arrested the 3 Musketeers and all the people present at the Jiont including a pregnant woman frying Dundun( Yam Chips) by the road side. Ade and Lade jumped into the Police van without asking questions. Their hearts in their mouth wondering what their fate will be. Bade dared to ask what their offence was , why they were being arrested. She also wanted to know where they were taking them to. All reasonable questions you would think but all she got was a threat she would get shot if she didnt 'cooperate' The other two begged her to get into the Van and avoid trouble.

They took them to the Police Station and they were ordered to remove their shoes, drop their phones and get into the cell. They immediately started making frantic calls to their family, friends and enemies. Thank God they had people who could come to their aid. They were promptly released after a few 'greens' exchanged hands.

Why the Arrest?

We later gathered that there was a Robbery incident in that area the day before so they were 'suspects' and 'husslers'.

The Policemen while carrying out the arrest kept joking amongs themselves saying from Valentine to cell. The Three Musketeers couldnot laugh at that moment but could not stop laughing at work the next day.

I still can not wrap my head round how 3 young ladies chilling at a joint at 7.30pm on St. Valetine's night suddenly transformed into 'robbery suspects' and 'husslers'

How was your Val?

Dont have a Title

Reading through the comments from my last post just made me realise how uniquely different we all are. We see things differently and interpret things differently . For instance my last post Better Late than Never(Click the link or just scroll down..yes down..that is it) 5 comments already and no 2 commenst are alike. For the love of me is wondering why someone will choice Better Late than Never as a wedding toast. She is a Wedding/Event Planner so its understandable that she is wondering. Nyemoni sends best wishes about work. Read her blog and you will realise she is work person too.Whatever that means. 36 is back but mad at all the 'Valentinoes'. Rethots was a bit philosophical which I like. By the way I studied Philosophy for a year in Univeristy before going for Law. With hindsight I think I should have completed that course. I meet some wonderful people in that class.Where in the world is Elumaro. Solomonsydelle who is all things Maternal and more wants more details about my Showdown with my Mummy.

The comments just helped me realise how different we are and why one should always listen to the other side. No thats not what I wanted to say. I meant why Effective Communication is the Bedrock of every successful relationship.be it mother and daughter,husband and wife,employee and employer,colleagues at work,friends and family, boyfriend and girlfriends. That is it. Communication is all we have. Are you saying what you mean? Is the other person listening? Does he hear what you are saying? Does he understnad it? Omo it all boils down to Communication.

So my Mum who is so many things to all of us in the extended family. She is the 1st child of our Patriarch and so they all look up to her. She married an only Child my Dad. She and Maami were like mother and daughter... no that is the wrong analogy cos she doesnt have that kind of relationship with my sista or I. They were quite close and the success of the union not to down play what they feel and still feel for each other was due to the unwavering support my Granny gave my Mum. My Mum could never do wrong. She was always right in her Mother in law's eyes. Many people naturally assumed her MIL was her Mother. She lost her own Mother when she was barely 18. She tells everyone who cares to listen she doubts if her mother would have supported her like her MIL did.How many of us can say we have that kind of relationship with our MILs? My Mum could say that.

Growing up in that kind of home where love and support were not restricted to a few due to circumsatnces of birth or marrriage. I expected a GREAT deal of support from my Mum. However I never get what I want or rather as much support as I want from my Mum. I usually wont complain because I have come to realise that somethings dont change. My Mum is who she is. A miracle is not on my prayer list. We love her all the same but she just isnt the regular Mum. Think of anything that a Regular Naija Mum in her late 50s will do and my Mum is very likely to be doing the exact opposite. She is different. She is beautiful she knows it and she rocks.

Wth age however I expect that she will be more receptive to my 'needs'. I'm a Daddy's gal any day. Mum was in Lagos for a burial. She however came in a week before the burial so she has time to rest ,recover from the 4 plus hour trip from Ilorin,see her Grandchildren, catch up with her Sista (who she speaks to eveyday), generally get ready for the burial. She didnt stay at my place. She always stays at her Sista's place cos she doesnt want to be too much of a burden to us. We appreciate that a lot. Besides when we go to work who will take care of her.My Mum is a Diva.I dont have the headache of wondering what she will eat or drink.

To be contiuned.

I have to go now. Tomorrow is Val and I havent bought Dh a card.

Better Late Than Never....

I can't seem to think of a better title for this post. I can almost not believe I posted last about a month ago. The title of the post however bring memories of some of the crazy fun we had growing up in my perculairly unique family. We have this tremendous ability to laugh at ourselves and find humour where others seek 'spiritual interventions'. Everything or rather almost everything is a joke.

One of my Mum's cousins, lets call him Uncle Jay was finally getting married. He was getting married late (by my family standard). I guess he was in his mid 30s.Late is anything from 25 for the women folks and 30 for the male. We are crazy like that. My Dad married my Mum when he was 26 and she was 25. I have Aunts who married at 21 and 23 and most of the guys married on or before their 30th. I got married 27 and they were already wondering what the problem was cos then 23 year old sista was already looking forward to her 2nd wedding anniversary. This is not to say we dont have a few unmarried Aunts and Uncles but then I would have to think really hard. One more weird fact about my folks we like to keep it in the family i.e within the tribe. I hope this doesnt start a war and horrible comments form Anons o.
I must say this in defence of my family though that our Patriarch dated and almost married an Irish Lady who till today is in touch with the family. Why he didnt marry ? You dont want to know.

Back to Uncle Jay. his wedding invitation card had a Toast;'Better Late than Never..... I honestly can't remeber the rest of theToast but that sure got us cracking and crying and rolling on the floor holding our bellies from laughing too hard. Till today several years after you sure can get a good laugh when you say that phrase, 'Better Late than Never' to any of my folks.

So much has happened while I was away. 36 said goodbye. I hope she finds love and happiness and come back to blogville do a post and make all the Anons crazy. Its Lent and I miss Taureanminx. Will she ever come back?
Let me just stick to my normal way of update after a long absence.

Work

All is well at work or is it? In the past weeks I have had series of emotions about my work and my worth in the labour market. I have felt like resigning and just start selling eggs.I have felt like going back to school to get another degree. That I knew I couldnot do immediately cos I dont have the fees. I already said 4 years time. I wonder how I came up with 4 years sha. My best buddy is going back to school for her LLM this September so that kind of got me thinking about school again and unachieved goals and time lines.
I have also wondered what I have against the Banking sector. Why I havent ever thot of getting a job as a Banker?( I was very broke then and all I could think of was the Fat salaries of Bankers)
I also thought of dusting my wig and gown. Join a Law firm and start practising. But then I realsied all I'm doing now is preparing me for that later cos Law I'm coming back at you.

I also got an offer from my former boss who wants me to come back. That was very tempting I must say but will throw me off tangent again. I decided to see him and we talked and we didnt really agree but then he is suppose to call me back. I'm still waiting.

I finally got confirmed at the office. I got the letter with mixed feelings and all. So many things were begiining to get at me. I usually do not complain. I like to just do my best and hope to be rewarded somehow along the line. For about 2 weeks I just didnt feel like getting up from bed and going to work. I needed a break and I wanted out. I didnt blog about it cos I know it was a temporary thing. Also I love my job.
I'm feeling a lot better about work now. My options are still opened though.

The Boys are doing great.Oldman now goes to Nursery with Senior Boy which is fun. Senior Boy is living up to his Big broda status. He is always looking out for his 'aburo ' which is good. Oldman loves it in Nursery and sings lots of Rhymes for us now. He likes his Teacher and his Spiderman Lunch box.
Senior Boy however has a major assessment in a couple of weeks. He was Four last September so he qualifies to go to The School. I 'm getting all worked up already but I choose to be positive through it all.

This post is gettig too long. I will contiune the update in my next post.
Coming attraction: Show down with my Mum and other tales.
To Solomonsydelle, Kemimamalopes,36,For the Love of me , you asked for it now you have it.