My friend is notoriously mean to his three daughters.

And exalts the very ground upon which his son walks.

Two of the girls are older than the boy.

The first girl is twenty.

The rest in their teens.

The girls slave on household chores.

The boy is forever playing games on his phone.

Most of the words that he flogs the girls with begin with -

"Don't you know you are girl..."

And the words that end the sentences he defends his son with are -

"... leave him alone, he is a boy."

He hits and curses out the girls on the slightest provocation.

But his patience and love for the boy is beyond human.

And when the girls bring up his favouritism, he retorts angrily.

"You have to learn to respect your brother. He is the man."

And when they attempt to argue, he cuts them shut.

"How dare you teach me how to raise my son! You think I want to raise him to be a man who will be controlled by women?"

And in between all of these is his wife.

The bread winner.

She pays for every bill.

While he starts and abandons unlimited projects and businesses.

All funded by her.

She cries in silence.

And when her daughters beg her to stand up to their father.

She says in deep sorrow.

"It is easy for you girls to say it. You are his daughters. I am his wife. You will never understand until you marry and see that this is the only way to behave if you want to keep a happy home."

When the boy refuses to wash his plates or clothes.

She says to him.

Sorrowfully.

"Please don't become like your father. My prayer is that God provides a good, quiet, hardworking and God fearing woman to marry you who can cope with this your bad behaviour."

Lagos.

From Jude's collections

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