TAILOR-MADE LOVE

“Oga please bring my cloth o, I don’t want you to sew them again. Haba for three months, is that not wickedness”?

“Madam wait let me explain...”

“Explain what? You always have an explanation, just bring the fabric for me”.

“So you have been ignoring my calls but called back when I used another number”.

I ended the call in anger, no it was frustration – I was frustrated at that time.

Have you ever loved someone and hated them at the same time? One minute you want them and the next you want nothing to do with them. Know the feeling? Ever been in a relationship like that? This is the relationship I have with my tailor. I am angry with him today but tomorrow when he delivers my clothes I forgive him and give him more fabric to make more clothes.

If you have dealt with tailors before then you will understand this kind of relationship.

I told myself that I was done with him – for good. This is not the first time I would be making this decision but I tried to mean it this time.

I turned to my friend sitting by me and expressed my frustration. “What kind of nonsense is this? Since March o and now this is June, will I have to beg for my own clothes when he is not making it for free?”

He tried to calm me down.

I was angry because I had tried to call my tailor about the clothes but he ignored my calls and then when I tried to call with another number he picked up and even called back after I ended the call. That was all I needed to know that he intentionally ignored my calls.

He called me again afterwards but I ignored and then he sends a message that he would deliver my clothes the next week.

I was seething with anger and promised myself that I would never deal with him again.

The next week comes and he brings my clothes – very well made and as I held them in my hands all the anger I felt seemed to fly out of the window.

He apologized as I looked lovingly at the clothes but I paid little attention to him.

I finally put down my clothes and expressed my displeasure at the delay in delivery.

Then he dropped the bomb, “Madam I will be relocating to Lagos o, in fact by next month I will be gone”.

Say what? I tried to control my surprise as I asked him why. He explained and I tried to encourage him to go ahead…”sometimes God makes us uncomfortable just to push us to something better, just make sure you pray about it”.

Before he left I brought other fabrics I had been keeping and we picked styles for them.

As he left I thought about the stress of finding a new good tailor...choi! Minutes ago I wanted nothing to do with him and now I didn't want him to leave.

I hope he delivers before he leaves for Lagos because that would mean another round of arguments that would again result in me vowing not to work with him and when he delivers my clothes, I would change my mind and the cycle will continue.

Oh well…I guess there will always be that one person you hate to love and love to hate. You vow not to communicate with them when they offend you but like a deer panting for water, you find yourself going back again.

Ever had a love like that?

For me it’s my tailor…I guess ours is a love that’s been ‘tailor-made’ just for us.