I am not the type who's comfortable with lying, but there are times when telling the truth just feels to heavy for one.
Sometimes ago, it was during my final year in school, and my school is where you can't go a day without spending, there will always be something, an assignment, a project or whatever to pay for, and because of that, I rarely ask them for money, reason being that they would think I am just exploiting them, so when I want to ask them for money, I add a little bit to it, I increase the price of the handouts, assignment and whatever it is by some naira. Well, that's a lie, but I have my reasons, if I should call for money today, do same tomorrow and the next, it would start looking somehow to them.
Well, this time around, some money was sent to me, it was meant school fees and some other essentials, well, I paid my school fee and spent the part meant for other stuffs, not that I bought clothes or stuffs, no I bought books, paid the outstanding fee for my cafeman and the likes.
When the time to get those essentials came, I couldn't get another money from them, I had to look for a way to, then we were told in school we would be going on a trip, thosep wouldn't be going would be joining the various lectures online, there is a certain amount those who are going would pay, and those who would be joining online too would be paying a different amount, most importantly, we would be paying for certificate as well only that those who will be there physically would get maybe some more gifts or honorarium.
But since going isn't compulsory, I called them at home and told them about it, at least I needed money in school again, and I have to tell them what its for, and I knew that explaining the truth would cause more stress than relief. I am not stealing or squandering their hard earned money, but I just have to do it this way, I had to tell an half lie, half truth, well its a lie though, I told them I was going on the school trip, that I needed money for feeding, transport and the certificate, I even send them the flier for it, so they could confirm the genuineness and see that it was important even though I wasn’t really going, I would just pay for the certificate. Telling them the truth was inconvenient.
I know it was wrong of me to do such, but it was necessary, as at that time, that lie was much more better than telling them the truth, I had to lie so I wouldn't break their trust completely, and make them worry unnecessarily, if I had tell them the truth, I know my parents so well, it would have felt somehow and truth be told, I would be able to get the certificate or be able to get what I needed.
Well, I know there will be a lot of argument about if there's a good reason to lie or not, but there are times when the real truth could destroy, spoil or even break and damage., but what if the lie is a way to keep love and trust intact in cases where honesty might cause pain. Not as if I am proud of the lie I told, it was just a choice I had to make, it was meant to protect.
Both(truth and lie) carries weight, the best thing atimes is to choose the best way to care for those we love, even if it means bending/shifting the reality just a little. People are complicated and so is life, so there are time's we tell lies for a reason, not just as an excuse. For me, honesty was a luxury I couldn't afford as at the time, they've tried their best, and telling them what really happens will definitely break something in them, that which I settled for, that which I did at that moment was the most honest thing I could do.
All pictures are mine.
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