So I was at work the other day and went out to the bar (from the kitchen where I'm stationed. I work as a chef at some pub, shey I don tell una before?) to get a drink, when Hayley, one of the bar girls, a white chic said to me "I love you Sugarking", I was taken aback a bit, but replied "I love you too hayley". I got my drink and made my way back to the kitchen, walked by Steve (another bar staff who's gay) who said to me "I love you Sugarking". Now I knew something was up. That was when I looked and saw Shenika, another bar chic laughing her ass off literally. She's a mischievious one and had set this up.
Now I knew the whole thing was a joke, but I couldn't help feeling some tingle inside when they told me those words "I love you" (hey, forget the gay guy!!!!). Just three words, and just a joke behind them, but there was no denying the impact they had on me.
Two days later, I had just finished my shift and was on my way out the pub when I said to Hayley, "I love you Hayley". And I just said it for no actual reason o, not that I was crushing on her or something, but you should have seen her reaction. Her eyes suddenly darted from my Adam's apple to my left and right ears, to my lips and then the tip of my nose, but never my eyes. I could tell where it hit her.
Was chatting with my friend the other day on Facebook. "I love you Tasha", I said at the end of our convo, and I could tell she was shocked because it was the first time I had ever said that to her. "Really" she replied. "Aww, thanks hun" she finished. I wasn't basically looking for her to say "I love you too" o, don't get me wrong, but this was just me carrying out a decision I recently made to start saying stuff like that to people. I say it and leave them to label the "i love you" from me however they want to label it.
My mothers last words to me as I got on the plane here (she's still alive o!) were the words "I love you". I was choking so hard with emotions I was confused at what was happening to me. You see, its not that she doesn't love me o, or that I doubted her, No. far from it, its just that those words are not in our family vocabulary. That was about the first time she had ever used those words on me. It was just mind shattering to say the least.
I've come to realise those words really mean a lot to whoever they are said. It doesn't necessarily have to have some sinister meaning. Nine times out of ten a guy says to a lady "I love you", 9 times out of 10 the reply is always going to be something to the tune of "err... ok thanks" or "dude, you don't even know me". And I ask, "must he know you???" or better yet "what meaning did you attribute to the words?"
And that I think is the problem these days, is that people do not talk to one another anymore. Human beings do not relate with human beings anymore. Apple and RIM have invented devices to further estrange humans from their fellow humans. Everyone has their Ipods in their ears, or they're eyes glued to some device bbm-ing virtual people on their phones. Twitter has come up with that "follower" thing, where people now wake up in the morning, look at the number of follwers they have, and feel a delusional sense of pride. VIRTUAL PEOPLE!!! people are behind their computer screens on facebook and twitter chatting to people they can't see. No one's going out to even attempt to try and meet people.
What happened to walking up to someone and saying "Hi, I'm Kemi, how are you today?". Na so I reach bus stop one day and met this chic waiting for the bus too. A very lonely place and it was just me and her there. I come look say e go dey somehow if I no talk anything na, so I said "hey, you ok?" and she replied "don't talk to me please".
You see, normally, I'ld just jejely accept my red card and mind my own business, saying in my mind "just brush it off ok, you win some, you lose some ok?" but I thought to myself "NO!" wetin she mean sef!!! I began to methodically explain to the babe how it was only normal courtesy to say hi. haba, wetin? So I for just come dia, sitdown make me and you dey look road? what would you have thought of me? what would I have thought of myself? I'm a guy, society dictates that I make the first move, I now have, and you're going to form activity for me? babe wey say she no wan talk before begin talk by force, it now turned to a discussion where I let her know (amidst some washing, asking her how she expected to be sitting there looking so pretty and not have me at least say hi) that we are still living on this earth, and that we all need to stop acting dead for a change. I sha managed to get her laughing at the end though. I think she saw my point small.
So abeg my brethren, can we all please make attempts to say hi to someone today? stranger or not, its probably the only thing they need to get through the day, getting them to relate what's on their mind. And I can't lie some of the best conversations I've ever had where with total strangers. Above all, say "I LOVE YOU" to someone today!!
p.s. Chai, see how I'm sounding like one of athem T.V evengelists.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, 18 August 2010
at 13:01
. You can follow any responses to this entry through the
comments feed
.
