I Love Her, I want Her As My Wife; But Can’t Afford Her Bride Price
It is ludicrous, crazy, and unimaginable that someone in the name of tradition should expect me to pay more than 1 Million Naira just to marry the woman I love.
I wonder what this world is turning into; I mean how in God’s name would I have to pay crazy amount to marry the woman of my life? I know it is the tradition in the East, but something has to be done before our daughters start going mad just because their parents desire to milk men dry.
I have being dating Nkechi for some years, right before her graduation from the university. Everyone loves me in the family, and there is no doubt the father wants me to marry her; at least that was what I thought was happening until two weeks ago when I was presented with one of the longest and most expensive traditional wedding lists I have seen in my life.
I do not wish to divulge the contents of the lists, but it symbolizes lunacy, and I feel embarrassed and disturbed to say the least. The truth is I won’t let go of the love I have for Nkechi, but the thought of what I saw on that list scares and worried me a lot. Someone suggested that I should talk to the girl’s parents or better still go with some family friends to express my fears, but that too didn’t work because the father said there was nothing he could to help me out.
Nkechi too is not helping matters because she keeps insisting that there is nothing much she could do. She said I am even lucky because her immediate elder sister attracted a higher bridal price. This saddens me a lot because I feel like her family wants to cash-in on me. I have been kind, and liberal with that family, and instead of trying to cash-in on me, I should be treated with love and respect.
It is obvious that the entire family knows how much I love their daughter, but that in itself is the reason they want to take advantage of me. Sadly, I may not be able to come up with that kind of bride price, and still organize a befitting white wedding. Even if I come up with that kind of money, am I going to ever forgive my in-laws for the way I am being treated at moment?
I want the entire world to know that this has nothing to do with marrying someone else, it is a question of marrying the person I truly love. The thought of spending the rest of my life with someone else scares me, and I feel like my heartthrob is gradually slipping out of my hands.
I want this craze to stop for the sake of love because it has already ruined a lot of relationships. I could raise the money, but I have a feeling that it is going to create a wound too difficult to heal in my heart after the wedding.
Pay now and we both suffer later or what manage now and both enjoy later?
