BILLS (1)

BILLS//

° ASIRI
Do you wonder why people call you 'boss', 'alayé', 'olowo' etc., despite them not knowing the state of your bank account? It's because you are able to cover this bill month in and month out.
This bill is the first determinant of the way people treat you within your community. You earn respect when you don't make a drama out of paying this bill, and you become the butt of the joke when you go cap in hand begging for money each time you need to settle this bill.

This bill is the reason why you are tolerating them at your place of work.
This is the bill that makes it hard for you to call-in sick.
This bill is the reason why you find that dream of yours impossible to achieve anytime to try to give it a go.

This bill leaves you with a bittersweet feeling each time you cover it. While you are happy that your nakedness has been covered yet again, a ting of sadness is aroused when you look at the very little you have left, which is barely sufficient to stretch across all the other areas of need.
You become despondent because there's no satisfaction in this sense of purpose. You can't make meaning out of life if this is what it's all about-- work - pay bills - die.

The reminders you have set for the repeat payment of this bill slaps you back to the reality of the race you are in - It's a never-ending race. This is the bill of survival.

TO BE CONTINUED>>> PART 2: ILEFO

AV