It was
around 2:15 or 2:30 in the afternoon yesterday, I was coming back from NYSC
headcount at Marian in Calabar Municipal council. While I was standing to pick
a cab to my house, a woman was carrying this big wooden box like tray they use
in collecting bread from bakery. She was coming from a bakery. She was waiting
for a bus to take her to Atimbo. As soon as a bus came shouting 'Atimbo,
Atimbo' ,this woman ran to board the bus & she asked the conductor to open
the boot so she can drop the bread tray in there. As the conductor was trying
to help her take the bread tray off her head into the bus boot, suddenly, we
just saw that the wrapper this woman tied around her waist came down falling.
To the amazement of all lookers and passengers in the bus, this woman was not
wearing any under wear. No pant! No tight! Apart from the T.shirt she wore to
cover her braless breasts, she had nothing under her.
That she
was embarrassed is an understatement. Within 5 minutes, she was devastated and
lost words. People were abusing her that, how could she leave her house at
Atimbo to come to marian without wearing anything under her wrapper. She was
just saying ' ini ama ebe ôkpôñ mi, ini ama ebe ôkpôñ mi oo' ( Is because I was
in haste oo, and my husband told me ooo).
That
sight disturbed my memory for hours even uptill now anytime I recall the
scenario.
Do you
know many women are found of doing things like this? Some women can walk
bra-less with their breasts dangling like bell left and right in their
transparent oversize T.Shirt, and they will walk like that from their house
which is No 1 of their street to No. 40 of that street.
Atimes
when you take children to school in the morning, you will see many of this
women looking so rough, no bra, no decent hair on their head all in the name of
'let me quickly go and come back' or ' after 5 children, who dey look me?'
Some
women will put on bathroom slippers and be roaming the streets like ghost.
Are you
in the habit of tying ordinary wrapper on your waist without wearing pant or
under skirt or tight and you move from one place to another? Are you fond of
putting on bathroom slippers, with your hair scattered on your head ,with
roasted corn in your mouth like mouth organ and you are eating it as you walk
about your community all in the name of buying salt, buying onion or going to
pick your children in school? Madam, stop this dignity eroding habits. Don't
let people mistaken you for a street mad woman when you are not mad.
Every
time you step out of your house as a woman, be conscious of the fact that you
are a Queen. Dress well even when you are on casuals. Wear underwear. Don't go
round the street without your bra. Walk elegantly like a babe. Walk
majestically like a Queen. Let royalty and dignity be seen on you anywhere
people meet you. Lastly,
when your husband is correcting you for any habit, don't wait till that habit
disgrace you in the public before you will change.
I just
thought of sharing this with you all. Single ladies too can learn from this.
Little things count. Don't do anything that will give you public shame. I
imagined how that woman would be feeling sitting down with other passengers
from Marian to Atimbo after she has fed their eyes with her nakedness. Be
careful woman. Be very careful.