TATTOOS AND LOVE

Dr. Sarah's pain

Dr Sarah is a single mother of 43. A medical doctor, Sarah lives with her only son in Jos, Plateau State. On Sarah's right arm is a tattoo that reads: 'Love u, ma passport.' Now that is the name of her late husband.

'I was crazily in love with my husband,' she began her story. 'He was also a medical doctor. We were not rich, but we were damn comfortable. Harry pampered me so much. He would drive 30 minutes to my office, just to come and give me a kiss because he would be at work when I return home. He would buy the best fast food, plus ice cream or cake and drive down to give them to me because he wanted me to enjoy a good lunch at work. Oh, he was a dream, a dream husband.

'I couldn't appreciate him enough. I adored him. I idolised him. It was because of this ecstatic love, really mad love, that I tattooed on my arm, 'I love you my passport.' It was the craziest thing anyone could do, but I had done it before I gave it a second thought. My sister, that second thought I didn't give it proved a costly mistake.'

Sarah and Harry couldn't have a child for five years and gradually her darling hubby changed. Medical reports showed that Harry had problems and may never father a child. But Sarah loves him so much she was ready for them to adopt kids.

But Harry's attitude was different. He turned to heavy drinking and became more and more aggressive. 'Life is meaningless, God has been unfair to me,' he would say. Before long, he began to beat Sarah and this battering became a daily ritual, as Harry became almost alcoholic.

'My sister, to save my life, I had to move out of the house. But I kept an eye on him because I loved him and I knew he was a victim of wrong reaction to his situation. But one day, while I was preparing for work, behold a man stormed into my lounge. It was Harry. Before I could say Ha… he pounced on me screaming and raining blows on me, asking why I abandoned him.

I cried more out of pain because of what my once dear loving husband was going through. He was smelling and looked tattered.

I was gasping for breath, when he stormed out of the house. And just as I got up again to go and clean up my body, he stormed in again. This time, he stopped at the door; he looked different, almost sober, except his eyes still looked tipsy. Then he said: 'I just want to say I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but you have to stop being stupid, beautiful women are not supposed to be stupid. Are you not a teacher?' Then he left. I didn't know he came in his car. About 15 minutes later, I got a call. Harry had been involved in an accident. He died instantly.'

Harry passed on, mourned by his dear wife, Sarah. But Sarah's tattoo lives on. She did everything too to remove it but in vain.

Harry had died while she was 31. Three years later, she started a new relationship. 'It was a good relationship. The guy was prepared to marry me despite the fact that I had been married before for five years. But the day he saw the tattoo on my arm changed everything. 'Oh, you have this guy's name on your arm,' he asked with surprise on his face. After that, everything changed. He became uncomfortable and finally told me he may never be able to live with the tattoo.

'I met another man. Another good man, yes. This time I told him my full story and showed him the tattoo. He was understanding. He even appreciated how much I loved my husband. But he wished it was his name that I had on my hand. He was a 41-year-old widower and very rich, he was ready to take care of me and everything but because of this tattoo, he suggested we should leave marriage out of our plans.'

After the second experience Dr. Sarah Passport decided she would never marry again and would never drop the name Passport.

'I have a son today and I'm just okay with him. But I must add that this tattoo business is not worth it. You must be careful what you put on your skin. If you must, make sure it is not permanent, whether it's a name or a sign. That little thing can change the whole story of your life.'

Well, thank God I don't have any tattoo on my body and I don't have plans for one. Do you have one? Well, not all tattoos are bad, but if you desire one, please let it not be permanent. You know, change is the only permanent thing in life. The way we feel today may be totally different tomorrow. What you love so much today could seem so horrible or laughable tomorrow. Your attitude towards tattoos may just change in a fleeting second due to one experience. Even age could change your attitude towards tattoos. So, we need to be moderate in everything we do.