USE AND DUMP!...Part 1

CASE 1
Madam X is my aunt. Ever known to be a hot-head, she never gave her husband a moment's rest from wedding day "till death did them part"...

I never bothered to conceal my utter disgust at her attitude... when I was younger... and in my teenage years as I lived with them on Lagos island, Nigeria... ever pitching tent with her step-son who she set out to maltreat...

She was immensely self-centred... so much so that she left all home-maintenance duties to her husband, a man short of stature but good of cheer! To say this man was selfless would be an understatement...as he smilingly picked up all bills... repeat, all bills with zero (not near-zero) contribution from his wife.

Madam started off working as a clerical officer at the Nigeria Railways...but soon got a space near "breweries bus stop" in Lagos where her "buka" served customers with Nigerian delicacies. Amala. Pounded yam. Goat meat. Stock fish. Fresh fish...all washed down with cold bottles of beers supplied directly from the Nigerian Breweries, Iganmu...her next-door neighbour!

Luckily enough, she was supplied her beers at bulk price but she sold in retail...so her profit margin was quite high!

But she never allowed her family to feel the impact of her immense income as she spent it on raiment and "owambe" parties!

Madam was so engrossed with squandering her income on clothes and accessories that she stretched her obsession with wardrobe -stuffing and wardrobe-replenishment to gobbling up her husband's ample "entitlements" as he retired from the Nigerian Customs Service!

Repeat... she divested her selfless spouse of his entire retirement benefits on pretext of recaptalizing the "family business", leaving the man penniless!

But as luck would have it, men of the underworld soon payed them a visit one fateful day and carted off all her wardrobe contents... plus cash, jewelry and other items of value they could lay their hands on!

Madam never relented in her onslaughts on her man...often in the full glare of her kids who strangely enough, not only pitched tent with their mother but generally treated their father like dirt!

Her husband promptly developed a cascade of predictable medical conditions... a stroke...his misery compounded with a urinary embarrassment borne out of an enlarged prostate!

Madam simply dumped him with his people in Ifo...
It took immense pressure from all and sundry to get madam to allow this man live his final days with her.

I suppose I erred in refusing to attend his burial to pay my last respects to this good man...but my abstention was in protest!

At dealing good deed and fine heart such a mindless blow!

Their first son a medical doctor, is busy as ever, stuffing and restuffing his mother's wardrobe, housing his mother in cosy apartments, gifting her with fancy cars and of course, funding her parties...

I am yet to attend one...
For good measure...
My aunt reaps where she has hardly sown...
And I believe it is idiotic to try impressing society by squandering money on parties....

Your background was undeniably humble...
Your siblings are not financially secure...
And there are orphans and handicapped persons out there!

Dr Tosin Akindele is a medical practitioner and public affairs analyst.

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Articles by Tosin Akindele