Hydroqui-none for me!

So there I was in house girl mode. Then I heard it. I heard 'my song' on tv. Hahaa lool I did the 100m sprint straight to the front of the screen. Then my part came. Ghen ghen!

"Where have you been all my li-li-li-li-life...." I broke into the dance. Ehhhn Kimon! My little cousin joins me and we show rihanna how its done lool

Thats how the epic struggle for the tv remote started. Jesu! That girl was strong.
"Aunty Dewu, give it to me now! Im a growing child, I need tv" she screamed. Not today abeg I'd had enough of the disney channel.
Amidst our struggle, something happened. I was instantly struck by her beauty. It was her. Her dark skin glistened so beautifully, Alek wek!!

Breaking my trance, I heard a voice.
"You need deliverance" she squeaked.
"Who is this mad woman in our house" I thought to myself
"Look at how you are dressed, you are dressed like a man, so indecent" she squelled on.

*Yepa! Ori mi scarra! Somebody hold me oh...*

Fortunately someone does. The lady and I become acquainted. Shes from 'the church' -__-

Focusing on the positive, Alek wek was still on tv.
" who is this blackie?" She asked. I looked on, nah this woman isnt trying to start up a conversation.

She seemed too relaxed. She had dark patches under her eyes like she had placed them there with black shoe polish. Her cheeks looked burnt. And her knuckles were black as soot. She was Toning, as we Nigerians would say.

"Let me even tell you now, you had better not walk around lagos looking like this woman on tv"

*Now this lady was really getting on my nerves*

"If you want to find a good man and get married you had better lighten yourself up, you are too dark my dear"

*Ye! Did this woman just say what I thought she said. If I call her ignorant now she would say im rude*

So I try to focus on the rest of the show. Alek wek was being interviewed about how she started out her career. How it was being and looking different from other models in europe.

"Im sure that woman is not married yet. As old as she is. Very ugly."

So I had to descend to her level. I asked her, "Aunty why didnt your 'toning' prevent your husband from runing away with his secretary. Please I want to know.."

She turned red or was it bluish-green? I couldnt tell with her 'skin of many colours'.

There, I had been rude. But I was left puzzled. Puzzled as to why anyone would give such advice. But this lady wasnt to blame or was she? She was just one of the millions of women think the same way and have similar practises.

I headed to my favourite spot. The balcony. There, I began to think.

I realised a lot of people didnt have confidence in their appearance. At least at one point or the other we have all doubted our appearance, you know your swag
*(common stop lying there jare, you have! Lol) *

But we all handle it differently. A new pair of shoes, new hair do or a completely new wardrobe often does the trick. But some of us go the extra mile for so many reasons.

I hear a lot of my peers lambasting people who lighten their skin. And the first thing I say is: "Why you dey vex, is it your body?"

But I hear it all transends my point of view. There are the very important health risks associated with all the types of skin lightening remedies. These risks, it seems, no one is bothered about. For me they are paramount.
And according to a friend "theres no peace of mind mehn. As your bottle of 'the stuff' is finishing, so are you. Finishing" lmaooo!

But it seems its all embedded in a deep obsession with one's self. Well who isnt self obsessed?

What then is the difference between me changing my haircolour, the colour of my eyes with contacts or the length of my hair with extensions or the apparrent smoothness of my face with makeup and lightening my skin tone?

So I put it to myself. And I ask: "why arent people cooking up potions to make them darker?"
Apparently, some of my people have been raised to believe 'dark is wack' *le sigh*

There in lies our problem. Self worth and self image. I probably write too much on the aforementioned topics. But what I would say here and now is:

if you feel that 'lighter' is better and for some crazy reason, superior to 'darker' and you feel that making your skin an example of this 'great discovery' is your obligation, be my guest.
For my stand to critics remains: "Is it your body? Why you dey vex?"

But I must say, hydroqui-none for me. Thank you!

'DWN