I saw this post on one of the blogs I read, Omalichaspeaks.com, Please check it out too and thank me later. I heard one gist few days ago that really upset me. It’s the kinda story I like to refer to as ‘dirty gist’. So less than two years ago this dude married a chic he had been dating for over two years.
The girl’s family which consists of father, mother, two brothers and a sister live in a self contained apartment in a semi congested compound. They often have fall-outs with the landlord over petty issues. One afternoon, it was learned that the landlord came out and saw a pool of water in one part of the compound, he enquired who had poured water there and was told it was one of the sons of his troublesome tenant. He summoned the boy and queried why he poured water in a spot where he had told everyone to avoid because the water does not flow out. The 19 year old responded by asking the landlord if that was why he was shouting his name like that. It was reported he was quite rude to the landlord so the man simply told him he has no home training. His 24 year old elder sister who was listening in on the altercation from inside stormed out charging at the landlord “how dare you say he has no home training, if your own children had home training, would they still be living in your house even after getting married?”. The Landlord slapped her for speaking to him that way, a fight ensued but was quickly squashed. On returning home, their parents learned Oga Landlord beat their children, the father grabbed a cutlass the mother changed to a t-shirt and denim shorts. They charged to the Landlord’s apartment and another fight ensued which left the landlord with a slightly deep cut on the arm. He called the police and the entire family were arrested. They bailed themselves out with 10k with the condition that their father will cover the cost of Oga Landlord’s treatment at a nearby hospital. They were then dismissed.
Now Oga Landlord wants the entire family out of his house. Rewind to last year. Mr Wahala’s daughter got married to a guy from another tribe. The guy has a very good job and even lives in his own house. Now shortly after they got married, Oga Landlord was threatening to kick Mr Wahala out because he was owing six months rent. Mr Wahala told his in-law and his daughter that -in his own words: “that evil man is using my star to progress, I have been living in his compound for fifteen years and have nothing to show for all the years I have spent in Lagos”. So he said he wanted to find another apartment and leave the place.
His in-law told him to let him know when he found one. Few weeks later he called the in-law to inform him he had found a two bedroom apartment which cost 210k agency and legal fee inclusive. His in-law then asked him how much he had to put up for the apartment. Mr Wahala said he had no money but that he could borrow 40k from his village association. His in-law gave him 200k. Few months later, Mr Wahala hadn’t moved house. His daughter went to find out why and he said he couldn’t borrow money from the association because he had been owing them before so he had to settle his debt plus the six months rent he was owing Oga Landlord. He then told her he wasn’t read to move for now. His daughter then advised that he should return the balance of the money to her husband. Na so baba provoke! He said the balance was chicken feed to his in-law and can’t understand why they are making such a fuss about it. So they died the matter. Three months ago his daughter gave birth to their first grandchild. The naming ceremony was held in her husband’s house and her parents went home grumbling that a ‘high table’ was not reserved for them….lol (poverty mentality). They stopped speaking to their daughter and her husband over this high table issue. They refused to take their calls. But when police locked them up, they remembered they had a daughter. She posted their bail and paid Oga Landlord’s medical bills. Now Oga Landlord has given them one month to leave his house. Mr Wahala had the nerve to tell his daughter to go ask her husband to give him money to rent an apartment. She knows she wouldn’t dare to ask him.
She is a job seeker who recently completed NYSC and a nursing mother to a three month old baby. Where would she get money to give them They have been mounting pressure on her to get money from her husband. Her mother even threatened that if Oga Landlord kicks them out, they would all move to her house “after all, your husband owns the house” she said. Hmmmmm……this is how some in-laws ruin their children’s marriage o! How shameless can people be? Their marriage is less than two years old and they won’t let the poor girl be. When she was preparing to get married, her father gave the husband a looonnggg list of items to purchase. They also gave him the option of settling with cash of 700k. They negotiated it down to 500k. And she was sold!
I have heard some people charge as much as 1m naira for bride price alone excluding the long list of items the in-law is mandated to provide….for what now, your pikin na land??? Why do some parents do these things to their children? Don’t you consider your child’s dignity in her home and with her in-laws? Have you no self respect? **Have you had any uncomfortable experience with your in-laws that you care to share?
