Stories by design: a series about multi-hyphenate and millennial women’s everyday experiences in or around Africa. By Sade Adiat Disu, founder of marketing & media firm Adiree.com and marketplace Adiree.com/shop
The woman wearing an Ankara pattern similar to mine (except she had on a skirt set) received a gazing look from my man crush on the bus.
She flushed and smiled, pleased when the man (my dream husband ) finally gave her testosterone-driven compliments—”You look like a perfect Angel!!” He then continued complimenting her on the choice of color against her honey-brown- skin.
I secretly wished her death by drowning or by fire—though not out loud.
Saying it out loud would be problematic.
The recently congratulated woman turned to me, eager to share her joy. She saw through my face and thought twice about her wishful “sister-GURL” moment.
She canceled her celebratory moment with a scowl. One look at my outfit bore similarities, and she slowly arrived (unfashionably late) at the conclusion that we would not share in her excitement—the same way I didn’t want to share “my man.”
I looked at her up and down, smiling stiffly, though I thought….Betch!
I turned away. Hissed under my breath… Mchewwww and smacked my lips.
In an attempt to nurture (at this point resurrect) my bruised (most likely buried) ego, I whispered to myself: “I’m much cuter by farrrrr anyway.”
In fact, I look better than an angel. I look like heaven. God knows. I looked up as the bus came to a halting stop at the red light. I suddenly realized I had missed my stop while mentally toying with this imaginary beauty pageantry.
Lord knows I need help.
Adiree Company is a media, marketing, and marketplace group reaching multicultural consumers. Every month, readers turn to content by Adiree — for impactful conversation, our marketing and it’s marketplace to engage with meaningful products. Focusing on everything from culture, lifestyle to careers, Adiree Company leverages the power of diversity and heritage to engage and empower. Adiree Company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Lagos Nigeria.