Tuesday, January 16, 2007

WOMEN, MONEY AND ARROGANCE

One day some guy told me that women should not work because when they get money, it gets to their heads and the get arrogant. I felt insulted and actually accused this guy of being stuck in mediaeval, stone age (insert your own insult here), of being cheap and myopic.

But listening to Bishop Wanjiru insult the poor husband, who am told is an excellent cobbler, I was left niggling with the idea and thinking I was unfair to the guy who said money gets to our heads. People have their various party lines and have reasons why Wanjiru should of should not have reacted that way.

Ofcouse it is wrong to generalise about women but it has been argued that women who have money are big headed and have no time for small time niggling husbands.

But is it about money or is it about knowing their rights and stamping their authority?

Wanjiru will in the coming weeks be sacrificed as the devil personified. The question is, if Wanjiru was a man, would she have elicited the same level of criticism?

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

The chewing loverboy

I could only smile while I entered the Grand Regency hotel, one because I knew what I was up to and secondly because I met people who I knew would never guess my mission.

It was the venue I was meeting this dude, who I had called and presented myself as a very wealth but lonely and my only interest was a nice guy who could be my companion. I had made the call and demonstrated how well am doing but little did the poor dude know, my handbag was not padded by wands of cash, hard or plastic.

Once in a while I go to the hotel and that day I had strategically said we meet at 4pm, at that time, I would not expect him to ask for beer. Besides, we barely know each other so hold your horses!

The dude had described himself and there was no difficulty in identifying him. But the story got a different twist when a friend of mine who is a bishop came, he knows me and knows am single and of course knows am ready to mingle. The only problem is that the dude was like 23 and was chewing like a stupid monkey!

God! The chewing irritated me!

Anyway, the dude tells me how he is in campus has no money blablabla and all the mumble jumble psycho bubble about how he is nice and loving but ca not get a decent girlfriend. And I was like “dah… booo…haa… get a life”.

I also poured my heart, how I have this UN job that keeps me late and I can’t get a man to fulfil all my needs. In the meantime I am pinching myself as I tell him that he can actually use my car or even move to my house in kilimani. He had no driving skills so he had to learn how to drive then come use my car.

To my surprise, he said he can’t raise shs 8k for driving, and I thought, “you must be a starter” he suggested I raise the money but I insisted he had to do it as his contribution. He promised to talk to his relatives, raise some little money, and then I would top up. I agreed.

Of course he made me aware of how he can make me happy, do things never done before and I smiled and cheered him on…saying I cant wait……. We parted ways near city market where I was going to buy some fish. We agreed he would meet the following day, so I can top up the money.

Because I was using a newly acquired cell number, I donated to some street boy who was standing near city market on my way out.

I was smiling all the way……

Of young men and old women (1)

I must say that I was not expecting the kind of reaction when I told my friend that I have been working on an “under cover” piece on young male gold diggers.

I was surprised when she thought that I should go ahead and publish the piece! I thought she would rebuff the idea, but she just laughed and told me how true it is.

I got the courage to press ahead because I recall that six years ago, we read the Saturday magazine and get mesmerised by the superlatives that people use to describe themselves.
“Who would not get married to such a person, with all those qualities?” I wondered.

That time, the column was known as lonely hearts, now it’s known as soul mates and is far more serious and am sure has resulted in many marriages.

The column has also evolved to include jokers and those longing for make believe life as espoused in movies and the much aped western lifestyle.

It has included the young men who feel that they can also be maintained just like some women do. Simply gold digging, look for a woman with money and yours shall be a case of emotional satisfaction!!! I agree, the reverse has for a long time been the case.

I must admit that I have no objection to men enjoying the sweat of a woman because I know that women do the same, after all, it’s a free world and we have for a long time demanded equity and equality.

In as much as I may sound biased because of my biology, it should represent a woman’s perspective.

part 2 coming