I have been a victim of the Beer Army. Was dead broke and hungry, got an impromptu invitation to hangout with friends. Jumped at the opportunity of a merciful dinner only to be swamped by free beer.
Gently turned down the offer to drink the “free beer” because the sight and smell of good food at the rendezvous was making me feel faint with hunger. I was contemplating my excuses to leave them and trek the four kilometres home and hope that I don’t die of hunger in my sleep when one of my friends noticed the faraway look on my face and my unusual silence.
He quietly ordered for a double portion of Ofada rice, laced with some juicy sauce dripping kpomo for me which the waiter dropped in front of me to the shock of other friends who were on their third round of ” good beer”.
While some of the insensitive beer bibbers loudly grumbled about my plate of food tainting the “presence of good beer”, my compassionate friend nodded quietly at me, assuring and encouraging me to ignore the taunts and enjoy my meal. As we left the rendezvous, the beer bibbers kept taunting me for eating food when “men were drinking good beer”, I ignored their taunts and made a mental note to sever our association.
My compassionate friend gave me a lift home and pressed N15,000 into my hand as I exited his car. I thanked him profusely for being sensitive.
Don’t give your friend a beer first, offer him food then ask if he wants a beer. You never know.
