There are times when every single gal yells, screams and just shouts excessively in need for a man. And one such time is when she needs a handyman. Yes, a handyman.
A handyman to change the bulbs, kill the roaches (at least understand that roaches do not kill you), put together the standing fan which surprisingly does not come just as is displayed in the showroom, put together the shoe rack, and understand how the heck we should set the thermostat on the AC. That and so much more.
I have been able to do all these and much more by my lonesome self. I have to admit it was a lot easier in America because apartment living afforded me so many luxuries like not having to deal with changing a light bulb and unclogging the toilet. Apartment service facilities handled all those issues. All you had to do was make a phone call. But Nigeria living is not so glamorous. You pay for the apartment (casing) and nothing else, as-is doesn't even begin to describe it. The shredded mosquito nets, the holes in the walls (that let in the influx of cockroaches and lizards), the moldy walls and dead light bulbs all have to be handled by yours truly. At times you wonder, "So what did I really pay for because I don't get it....I have to do all this?"
I put together my Binatone Standing fan, stopped halfway, asked for some help from a guy friend of mine and he balked, claiming he didn't have his trusty toolkit. Luckily for me my carpenter came in that day and saw the abandoned state of the fan and obliged with its completion. He remarked when I asked him how he knew I needed help, "Well, there are some areas where a man is just better." Hmm...that just hurt because I did go halfway. Offended by that, I started on my rechargeable (Andrakk) fan myself and it took me, hmm...4 weeks to put together. Granted some parts were missing and I swore to the folks at the store that they indeed were missing before they could provide me with the missing parts. But they kept doubting my intelligence (or my handiness) in the process. How do we know she has an idea what she's talking about? That doubt when confronted by a female trying to put together a machine that even males can't conquer. It's just so daunting all the little parts begging to be tied together. It's like an endless IKEA project. The last piece for now was my shoe rack which I had to put together by pretending my Frye boots heel was a hammer.
Albeit there are still holes to plug up, plumbers to negotiate with and of course, good ole' light bulbs to change. I'm just so overwhelmed. How do women do this alone? How can I, a single woman, handle all this alone? It saddens me that I have to be faced with all this. No matter, I have to shirk off this self doubt in myself and just summon up the gusto to do some by myself (which I have), or...hire a handyman to help me out. Because underneath my stainless steel exterior, I still have well manicured nails which bend, break and chip ever so slightly when I try to handle all this rough stuff myself. Men were created for some things - as a renowned feminist I hate to admit this - and handy work, rough stuff, lifting the heavy stuff, it's just them. I may try to do it and I have for the past 2 months because unfortunately all the men I know are just so much more prima donna than I am, but in doing these things I am exhausted. There's still so much more left to do. How do I keep the roaches permanently at bay? Who else would know how except a man? Who else would know the difference between gloss paint and luster paint? I don't. I don't even really care. Before now, it never even mattered to me.
Albeit there are still holes to plug up, plumbers to negotiate with and of course, good ole' light bulbs to change. I'm just so overwhelmed. How do women do this alone? How can I, a single woman, handle all this alone? It saddens me that I have to be faced with all this. No matter, I have to shirk off this self doubt in myself and just summon up the gusto to do some by myself (which I have), or...hire a handyman to help me out. Because underneath my stainless steel exterior, I still have well manicured nails which bend, break and chip ever so slightly when I try to handle all this rough stuff myself. Men were created for some things - as a renowned feminist I hate to admit this - and handy work, rough stuff, lifting the heavy stuff, it's just them. I may try to do it and I have for the past 2 months because unfortunately all the men I know are just so much more prima donna than I am, but in doing these things I am exhausted. There's still so much more left to do. How do I keep the roaches permanently at bay? Who else would know how except a man? Who else would know the difference between gloss paint and luster paint? I don't. I don't even really care. Before now, it never even mattered to me.
You may be so much more adept at going it alone in the real world, but in the rough stuff, the handy man work, try your best to do some but not all. You can put together a fan here and there, connect your electronics, set up your cable box, but please do not try to connect that ceiling fan or the chandelier you got at Shoprite. It's just too much. Let the men do it. Let them figure out why the roaches never stop their ingress. Because when it really gets down to it, this is what they are there for. We ladies are good at (and built for) doing so much more.
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