Valentines - romanticized Extortion!

It's Monday Feb 14th - valentines day, do you know where your wallet is? Remember back in the day when it only cost you stamps money to enjoy your valentines? As in you had this thing for a chic in school so you sent her a letter, asked her to be your valentines a and then you both spent time sending 'sweet nothings' back and forth? Couldn't wait to get mail? Well guess what? That stuff doesn't fly any more, that day is gone son. You've got to have a J.O.B if you wanna 'get with it'.I mean, I have nothing really against valentines and noI have not had bad experiences in the past, well, apart from this one date I went to, had to have the chic pay fare for me going back home because (in the words of George W. Bush) 'I misunderestimated' the cash flow - didn't account for a last minute snack: something about the smell of popcorn at the theatre that hypnotizes me. It's safe to say that chivalry was long dead before I got there...And I don't see it rumbling back roaring any time soon. So back to valentines!

Guess what I did this time around? Well if you insist, and keep prodding into my private affairs and (this part to drive my english teachers crazy) you must know then I, being a poet as it is went back into time and tore off a romantic poem from an old literature book that I had in college, got some chocolates (I'm sure I'm not the first) and some flowers, a lot! Of flowers and a romantic card. Couldn't do the dinner thing coz it fell on a Monday but spent the better part of the weekend with my boo coz when it gets to weekdays our schedules just don't work. This not withstanding I have always maintained that I am not cheap by any stretch of imagination. This celebration of love has become (in my own words now!) 'Romanticized extortion'. Eddie Griffith, comedian extraordinaire once quipped, "What happened to falling in love with a [fellow] with a bus pass" or in our case, a megarider? I speak for those thousands who identify solidly with K-South's 'bado sijapata ndai'I tell you the matriachs have become even more demanding than the IMF. Cash flow crisis is an epidemic. You can say all you want about love and even claim money can't buy me love, whoever believes this adage just doesn't have money - even stamps cash bilaz! MC Lyte reminded us a long time ago - you wanna live lovely you've got to have money in her song '2 seater'. I say save your money this valentines. Instead of fillet mignon and some 'expensive' cheap wine from Marseille, boil some beans, warus and peas - tengeneza some Mokimo and drink a soda on me! This way you can save your cash for other important things such as buying a car, house or schooling yourself to be wiser the second time around. That's my word and I'm sticking to it.