I told my parents about my tattoo — here’s what happened.

“Abimbola, did you get a tattoo?”

I froze mid-action, pressing the phone close to my ear. There was dead silence. I could hear a bird chirping and the trees in the wind. This kind of peace and quiet is one that is accompanied by bomb blasts and canon shooting in war movies. I imagined the inscrutable expression on her face. She waited patiently for an answer.

“No, I did not”, I lied unprovoked.

The plan was to deny my tattoo for as long as possible. So, I continued, “I know in the picture you saw, it looks like a tattoo, but it isn’t.”

Now I am just blaming my brother. The deal was to block my parents on WhatsApp anytime he wants to post a picture of me that revealed my tattoo. But this time, he forgot. And my ever-curious mother saw the picture and zoomed in.

The story doesn’t end here.

How it started…

Three years ago, when I decided it was time to get a tattoo, I was conflicted. First, I loved the idea of having such beautiful art on my body. It has always been a goal. Then, I was certain inking my body would be frowned on by my parents and the entire society. In the Christian home, I was raised in, tattoos are considered taboo, only vagabonds have tattoos. And most people who knew me had conservative values and beliefs — people would always get confused by things they don’t understand. But then again, if I didn’t do everything my parents or society was against, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

Oh, Crap, I got a tattoo…

The moment was surreal, running my fingers through the words on my upper chest region “She believed she could, so she did.” A simple yet powerful statement that encapsulates the essence of my existence. I am simply unstoppable. I have the power to make my dreams a reality, I just have to want it!

It’s a beautiful piece of self-expression, an affirmation permanently etched on my skin …. but for my Nigerian parents and relatives, unfortunately, it’s the markings of a child of the world.

The Confession…

I absolutely didn’t think of the consequences of getting a tattoo before I did. I just went for it without informing a soul other than my then-boyfriend. Because if I did, I wouldn’t travel home to see my parents the next day. All through my 1-week stay in Ilorin, I wore a T-shirt to hide it. However, the holiday season was fast approaching, and I wondered how long I could keep up with my façade. In between, my mother saw my picture, called, and I denied it. But I couldn’t keep hiding it, so I planned the perfect way to reveal my new tattoo.

Tip: Nigerians are emotionally driven in everything, if you want their support, appeal to their emotions.

Step 1, appeal to emotions. I knew my parent would hate it; hence, I took the emotional route. I told them I had a confession, and I was scared I would be disowned (for real though). That my friend is called watering the ground.

Step 2, listen don’t react. Of course, we had the “disappointed” talk. It’s not a good feeling to see your parents’ sad thinking they got it wrong in parenting. I had to remind them of how I am always making them proud by being a straight-A student and a brilliant young lady. Na tattoo I draw, I no kill pesin. Most importantly, I allowed them to voice their hurt without interruption. Oh, lest I forget, I told my dad it’s temporal and it would fade off in 2 years (cos I assumed then that in the next 2 years I should be in my husband’s house and no longer under his supervision, hehe, jokes on me). The man obviously knew I lied but he went with the flow.

Earlier in the year, he reminded me about my 2 years pact with him. I told him I can remove it but I would need money for the laser procedure.

Step 3, respect their space. I understand that my parents’ fear of my tattoo was peoples’ judgment on me, how society would perceive me. So, for every time I am in their space, I cover it up. It’s the least I can do for being a rebel.

The Guilt….

What guilt? Lol, I have no regrets. There are lots of misconceptions about tattoos. In fact, I have had people speak badly of me because of this. We need to understand a tattoo, piercing, dreadlocks, a beard, does not define a person, it adds to their personality.

I have learned that when you don’t fit into people’s expectations of you, you will forever be in their crosshairs.

Tattoos are a form of art and self-expression. They are meant for you and no one else.

What to expect if you want to get one….

Is it painful?

For me, no. I think pain is relative. What I can say is getting inked is like somebody poking you repeatedly with a needle, that’s mildly uncomfortable. Also, the buzzing sound of the needle might scare you (that’s if you are not used to the sound of a clipper)

Must it have a deep meaning?

It depends on you. People get tattoos for different reasons. Just think before you ink. You don’t want to be 70 years-old with an ex-boyfriend’s name on your body.

Also, be prepared for people to gawk or stare at it. Some admire it while some are just judging you, either way, smile and keep it moving.

Will I get more tattoos?

Hehehe, I don’t know. Yes, no, yes, no. My brother might be reading this and would skin me alive if I draw a new one. However, dear reader, you should have suspected one thing about this writer from my previous posts, I am strong-willed and quite adventurous. Let’s see how it goes.

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