What Does It Actually Mean To Be Broke? I've come to learn that being broke doesn't necessarily mean poverty, but an absence of money which may be momentary or recurring.
You use the phrase ‘I'm broke’ most of the time. Why don't you say ‘I'm poor’ instead? Now this may or may not be a fact so feel free to chirp in your corrections.
Now to the scenarios (the major inspiration for this post)...
Fine girl fine girl, looking expensive from head to toe. More than once, I've had to stop pricing to save myself harassments from angry sellers who feel I'm just stingy and have money I'm hiding somewhere. Other times I've had to look forward and keep going cos I heard prices I knew deep down I couldn't afford and also the intensity of the catcalling from sellers and not wanting to put myself in embarrassing situations of pricing down and not buying on the long run.
This is not my point but I have to build on my beginning body before I drop the juice, forgive me.
Just the other day I went to fix my phone... I can hear Seember sigh and say, “did it pain you that much?”. Yes, it did. I was embarrassed and frustrated.
So these men at this telecommunication shop saw me and from the time I entered, I sensed trouble but I didn't know what kind. I told them my problem and I was offered a seat, indicating that fixing was going to take awhile. I sat and began to answer normal questions about my phone and this and that. After sometime I began to answer deeper questions... “So you get two phones? As you don get this one now who you go give the other one? This your phone battery dey last? Like how many days e fit stay without charge?” Okay I was proud that they were amazed but I knew the worst was on its way.
Time to pay...
Me: So how much is my money Sir?
Man from inside who didn't even answer my greeting from the beginning: #4000
Me: (laughs)
Oga of the shop and asker of all the questions: just bring ...
Me: ah Sir, you should have just told me to sell my shoe and give you
At this point, I'll tell you that my completely honest reaction was my greatest mistake. These men joined together to make my life miserable. Snide comments here and there. One started speaking Yoruba that I pretended I didn't understand even though I understood most of it and when I didn't answer, he hit the chair I was seated on to get my attention or reaction.
I was irritated at this point cos I actually didn't plan to spend half the money they were calling and half the time I'd sat. I resulted to pleading, coercing and bargaining like the Nigerian that I am but these men wouldn't have it.
So many other things I cannot include went on but I'm choosing to leave them out. These men had already ranked me from my appearance and the size and name of my phone and didn't want to leave me. I almost retched. I heard things like big girl like you no get money? Make I hear. One even asked if I was whining him when I said I only had 1k in my account. The facial expressions and gestures were very scary and I can almost say that if it weren't a very public place the music would have taken another tune.
I actually had money in my account that I already had plans for you get? I didn't even tell my parents I was coming to fix the phone so I didn't get money from them.
My pride took over and I stopped answering. Since they assumed they could charge me big cos I looked big, I was also going to swallow my humility and act big. I got up in the middle of a question and went to a nearby POS. You needed to have seen my walk...
Lol, Jesus take the wheel.
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