Its getting closer to the day. Don’t get me wrong I am a very romantic, but this day, is my least favourite holiday of the year. For a singleton like me it reinforces the fact that I’m getting old and getting old alone. Its a day when those that have, rub it in the face to those that don’t with all the chocolates, teddy bears, flowers, balloons and all the other mushy stuff. The day is closing in and its closing in with a vengeance. Of all the saints we celebrate, Patrick, George, David, this is the one saint that is the most celebrated throughout the world. The saint of love, saint Valentines.

Hallmark card shops everywhere have their cards on display, women everywhere have totally misplaced their normal senses and replaced it with a stepford wives persona awaiting their gift of love even though the same guy they are lusting over have placed 3 orders at Jandel, for a bouquet of flowers for each one of his concubines. I was with my cousins at a jewellery store over the holidays and the owner was telling me that this day was more busy than even christmas for her. Grown men would come in and ask her to pick out a gift for his wife and another for his girlfriend, morals aside, this was her business and well 2 gifts are better for her business than 1.

In Ghana, Vals day is a very big deal. I have avoided the mall and Osu, but I know the streets are buzzing with vals day fever. Its not easy for the guys, especially for those with more than one chick. From 1st Feb, the countdown begins and every phone call either begins or ends with “so what are you getting me for vals day?”. The school girls are expecting cakes and candy. The university girls are expecting flowers, jewellery (depending on their partners economic standing) and hopefully a slap up meal (even if it is a pizza or KFC). The wives are expecting jewellery, a meal and their husbands to remain faithful for that one day. The concubines just want something expensive. But vals day must be celebrated with a token of love. But low and behold you come up with something like a poem or something from “the heart” which costs no money, well guys don’t think you will see another vals day with said chick. If you are married and you don’t mark this occasion with a gift of monetary value, well by this time next year, you will have learned by the mistake you have made. You see this is not about the love but the value attached to this love. A card or a token without cash behind it just won’t cut it. You can’t brag to Akosua or Adwoa with a poem.

You would think it was Christmas the way the place is buzzing. Me, I’m just waiting for the day to blow over. I sound bitter, part of me probably is. But really, when I do find that special someone, it would be more meaningful for him to show random acts of love than to wait until the most commercial day of the year to throw me a bone and then for the other 364 days take me for granted. Although if anyone out there has some deep unrequited love for me, I saw a nice pair of Channel sunglasses in Osu, a bargain at 250ghs.

In the meantime, I sit and wait, in exactly a week from now, the day would have come and gone, the ladies would have finished gushing over that new dress, bracelet or flowers and we can look forward to Independence day, a day which is much more worthy of my thoughts.