Money Made Me Do It

The Silent Tax  There’s a silent tax we pay in Nigeria. It’s unspoken, expected, and always urgent. No, it's not the famous black tax.  It is weddings, and not yours, of course. Other people’s weddings. In Nigeria, Aso-Ebi has become a social tax and just like all taxes, you are expected to pay by any means necessary.  Take my case, for instance, one random Wednesday evening, I got a message from someone I hadn’t spoken to in years. We were classmates in university, but we hadn’t exchanged a single text since graduation. No “happy birthday,” no “how far,” no “I saw your tweet.” She was getting married and she wanted me in her aso ebi squad.  “ Hey, sis! Long time! I’m getting married next month. Aso Ebi is 85k. I’d love you to be part of the bridal girls. You’ll look great in peach.” My Aso-Ebi Dilemma I stared at the message for a full minute not because I was flattered, but because I was broke. It was the middle of the month when last month's salary was gone with t...