It is time for one red rose and disappearing men and women

Valentine sounds good every year, and people tend to get carried away by the nuances of February 14. Shops and department stores are agog with the colour of love. A bright, unrelenting red. Everywhere is emblazoned with red hearts, red roses, and teddy bears of different sizes and colours. I am visiting my favourite gift shop in Abuja, and I am amazed to see a Valentine shrine, flowers, gifts, red boxes, and all sorts of paraphernalia.

This is where money would be spent without showing love to someone dear. I love to give gifts. I give gifts for all manner of things. Promotion, birth, weddings, etc. But gift giving is not to be given to everyone. My spouse, for example, does not like me, so if I did not get anything from him on Valentine’s Day, it would not matter; it does not mean he doesn’t love me. I get other perks. And no, I am not sharing. But for him, every other day is Valentine’s Day.

Today, we are driven by social media, and if a girl does not get a red rose, she might feel less of herself. Valentine has become a totem for where a lot of times, love goes on to die. e.g. He may have given six other girls the same single red rose with the same words he sent to you. And if you find out,what then happens? What about the young man who thinks he has found his soulmate and invests all his savings on a girl for Valentine? He decides to visit her and finds that she’s with his cousin. Love goes sour.

Valentine shows are about affection, true love, kindness, and loyalty. It’s not just about the 14th of February when we spend so much money, all our savings, to impress someone in one day.

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These days, there are post-Valentine blues, broken marriages, angry partners, deceitful men, and women pretending to each other that they are in love. So many people have disappeared in the cracks of Valentine, brokenhearted and difficult to fix.

I have nothing against showing love to a dear one; I am just against deceit, and a lot of it abounds during this period. A broken young man and a pregnant girl carrying one rose. It can be hard, but it can also be beautiful.

A comedian I have grown very fond of, Eric Gugua, runs a to-die-for online presence.

In one of his skits, he said, “Why are you visiting a boy wearing matching underwear, yet you say you have no plans?” Don’t mislead anyone or deceive anyone this Valentine of 2025. Be true to yourself, let your love be pure and true, and let it be every day, not just February 14th.

I have been wondering about what I would do with my time during that day. Maybe go to a library, perhaps finish a book I already started, or visit a garden. I know, for sure, I am not getting red roses from the man who believes flowers are overrated because they die, but I might get breakfast in bed. But there might be a few people who believe in Valentine, who might send me chocolates or a big furry brown teddy bear. Well, there you have it.

May the best man find you this season, and may the best girl be your Val.

Happy Valentine, my people.