THE INJUSTICE OF THE LIPS

I am not someone with a lot of friends but as you would expect I have met a lot of people in my few years on earth. Many have gone as quickly as they arrived, many knew they would leave but decided to take their time while a few have stayed through the years.

In meeting and knowing people I have come to realise that one of the most important thing that keeps the bond is the LIPS. It could be the first peck, the last kiss or the parting of the lips for the release of memorable words. I would pick the lips as a release of words and share some my monthly experiences of how the lips can be unjust.

INJUSTICE 1: LET ME LIE ABOUT HER LOOKS. Sometime in January I ran into a friend at the supermarket, I wasn’t looking my best I knew it, I had no make-up on, my hair was shabby thanks to my stylist who had refused to come take it out, my eyes were swollen as I had just woken up and oh my outfit, I was clad in my old Jalamia the one a friend had bought for me on one of her regular visits to Italy. As soon as I saw this friend make her way into the supermarket I tried to hide but before I could find a spot, she had called out excitedly ‘Tee, is that you?’ did I mention my name is Tobi but friends prefer to call me Tee. If you knew Sinmisola Smith, then you don’t need to be told what she she looked like on this visit to the supermarket. Sinmisola was a confirmed big girl. A miss I don’t fart, I don’t eat, I can’t walk on ground, not literarily I mean but you should understand prim and proper, if it were possible to walk in the car through the sections of the supermarket Sinmisola was the one to start that trend. Of course I had to move closer to greet my ‘when we see’ friend. She didn’t extend her body for a hug, she didn’t extend her hand for a shake, neither did see stretch out her lips for a friendly peck but yet her lips managed to pour out the words ‘You don’t look bad’. Pardon me it is not the idea of not looking bad that amazes me, it is the emotions and actions that totally disagree with the spoken words. My thoughts were ‘did she have to say anything about my physical appearance’ but then again it is what people care about the most they choose to talk about.

INJUSTICE 2: LET ME LIE I DON’T CARE IF IT HURTS. In February I met Johnson. Johnson was a fine, tall pimples free bloke. I had no idea how he got my number but he called me up. At first I was forming, ‘Where did you get my number? How may I help you?’ But as we got talking all that didn’t matter anymore because His voice melted my worries and answers just didn’t matter. We went on as phone friends and we spoke every day, I don’t know if it was the voice I fell for but I just didn’t know what was turning my head, but from where I was standing he was my man. I didn’t tell anyone about my secret relationship because I know how people can be, internet love haaa! Haaa! We met one day and he was even finer than pictures. In this world that we are in who is ever finer than their photo shopped, camera 360 pictures, ehn answer me now, who? But the God we serve is a good God He will not allow me to fall. Though I had fallen once o, God wasn’t going to allow me fall deep, I was still at the edge. To cut the long story short, oga had gotten my number from my friend’s phone and the twisted thing was that he was in constant communication with my friend, I mean love things. So I’m wondering, did he have to call me? Did he have to get my number and steal my heart? Did his lips have to offer all those deceit? He already had a phone mate, why find another?

INJUSTICE 3: LET ME LIE TO GET WHAT I WANT. Sometime in March I was giving a task to do at work. The task was really important and the company depended on it for a huge financial return. I didn’t beg for this task, my boss gave it to me, he came with the story of how much he trusted me and believes I am the one who can help us attain the great height. Fast forward till the next day he was back in my office telling me how he was happy to inform me that a professional just flew in from the states and he would like me to pass every detail of the task to him as he trusts him better. E gba mi ke where did all the trust he had in me the day before fly to? Did he have to sweet tongue me to get a job done? Did he even have to talk? He was my boss he could have just commanded and not stir up my emotions into thinking he had any trust or value for me whatsoever.

INJUSTICE 4: LET ME LIE TO LOOK HOLY. The Sundays in April were particularly lovely for me. The theme was flee adultery and I particularly enjoyed how our pastor handled the topic, he used pictures, music and what have you. Every Sunday when I drove back home in the car with my neighbour and his wife, he would always kick against adultery shouting and declaring that judgement was awaiting adulterers. He was really passionate about the topic and I thought in my heart this man must loath adultery. In my mind I was saying if anyone would ever catch someone committing adultery it should never be this man. Last Sunday in April the day that our fine pastor put a nice icing on the cake of flee adultery I caught my neighbour red-handed in the act… please I am not judging but did my neighbour have to talk about adultery at all on our rides home? Did he have to justify anything, no one asked him.

INJUSTICE 5: LET ME LIE BECAUSE WHAT IM DOING DOESN’T FEEL GOOD. May almost went without lip injustice but would that ever happen, I don’t think so. I went into the kitchen to find my sister eating something. As soon as I entered she hid whatever it was at her back. I said what are you eating? She said ‘nothing’. Haba. Funny thing is she was having a piece of cake, what she was doing wasn’t bad but just don’t know why she felt her lips needed to utter a lie.

INJUSTICE 6: LET ME LIE SO I DON’T FALL MY HAND: In June I did the lip injustice, yes you heard me, I did. So I went for a get together and I ran into my ex. Well thank goodness I was looking the best I could so no shaking, but of course even with all my looks the battle wasn’t won because my EX walked towards me with a lady and we exchanged pleasantries then he goes to say meet my fiancé Ibiwunmi. In my mind yeah right you have come to rub in. so not wanting to be defeated I said ‘wow! When is the wedding?’ He goes January, then I picked his nose playfully and said ‘Omolayo you are sha following me I am also having a January weddin.’ The conversation went on with hearty congratulations. Brothers and sisters Moyo had not even said anything about marriage since we started seeing each other. But I had to save my face with an invented lie, no one will fall my hand.

INJUSTICE 7: LET ME LIE SO I DON’T LOOK LIKE THE CULPRIT: So in july, we were at a meeting when the room started smelling of strong fart, of course I knew it was the accountant beside me because I heard it well as much as he tried to squash the chair with constant butt squeezing. But as the question echoed ‘who did that? It’s so unprofessional’, oga beside me was the first to say ‘too bad.’ Help me o I knew he was the one I wasn’t even telling, he should have just been quiet though rather than speak.

INJUSCTICE 8: LET ME LIE TO MAKE HER FEEL BETTER: I was on the phone with my mechanic in August. ‘where are you now’ ‘haa aunty if you come out of your gate it is me you will be seeing o, traffic lo po’ when I stepped out of the gate, I saw people moving up and down but the one person I wanted to see was not in sight. Would he faint if he just says ‘aunty I am at Orile, but I will be there soon’ He had to make me feel better by saying he was close while infact he made me feel a lot worse.

INJUSTICE 9: LET ME LIE TO EAT MY CAKE AND HAVE IT: The worse happened in September. I started dating Moyo in March. The speed at which I got over Mr Johnson was beyond me. Myself and Moyo were deep in love, we loved the same things and got on just fine. Infact I had no doubts that by my next birthday in November he would be one bended knees begging moi to marry him, haa I have been too good to that man jare, even the economy can testify because it was not a barrier to our love. One day he put an inscription on His DM ‘F.L.O…. in my heart’. Of course that caught my eye and I asked what it meant, he was quick to say Forever Loving Oluwatobi. Haaaa this man just melted my heart. So you can imagine my frustration when he called me some weeks back and broke up with me. Yes sir he broke up with me and on his DP he had a picture of himself and a lady with DM reading Loving FLO since 2010. I went to see the DP again I didn’t see the lady’s face because she backed the camera but I saw her shirt and at the back was written FLORA. I couldn’t believe my MUGU state so all that F.L.O wash was for Flora. Mogbe o. did his lips have to utter lies to me?

There is the LET ME LIE TO LOOK WEALTHY, but I have not had an encounter, maybe in October. Little advice you better surrender before the economy humbles you. No one ever has it all, we are to support one another in truth not lies.

Why do we always feel the need to say things we do not mean?

Why do we always feel the need to pretend?

Why do we always do injustice to people with the words of our mouth?

How did it become increasingly difficult to tell people what really is in our heart?

Why do we think that people can’t handle the truth?

Why do we think it is only a lie that can make others feel better?

Why are we so afraid to just say the truth?

There is no law that says we have to talk. No law says we have to compliment. No law says we must make people feel good in a lie. No law says we must make people love a lie. The need to speak at all times, the need to control every situation, the need to never have our hands fall, the need to exploit people, the need to use people, is the reason why we constantly use our lips unjustly saying what we do not mean and having our actions far from what our lips utter.

Let’s take it one step at a time. Let’s be courageous, maybe if we used our lips better, we would have less people getting their hearts broken, less people wearing that not so nice dress, less people rushing into marriage, less people having untrue friends.  when people go through so much stress, problems and heartache, it wouldn’t hurt to comfort someone with the Sweet Truth from our lips. So next time you want to use your lips be sure it is for the truth.

Let’s stop the injustice.