Ride or die, through thick and thin

ENTERTAINER Rihanna’s support of her partner A$AP Rocky in his recent assault trial, and his immediate gesture to seek comfort in her arms when he was acquitted, shows what it means to be a “ride or die”, and to support your other half through thick and thin, even when the going gets tough.

It’s not something that’s practised by many people today; indeed, many women insist that their men will be riding alone when trouble hits, because, they say, gone are the days when devotion runs that deep.

But there are still women like Rihanna, and men, who will stick it out to the end, often just out of sheer regard and love for their partners. And below they share the instances when they rode at dawn for their better halves, and the outcome.

Mekaelia, 35:

My fiancé was trying to sell his car, and gave it to a car mart owner to sell for him. The agreement was for the owner to take a percentage of the sale, but when it sold, he took much more than was agreed. My fiancé is very non-confrontational, so when he approached the man and the man brushed him off, he just backed off. I, on the other hand, am no pushover. I hounded that man, day and night, and even helped my fiancé take him to civil court. When my fiancé won the case, and the man still wouldn’t pay over, I stalked him relentlessly and stood up in front of his business with placards, until he paid what was owed.

Kamaria, 30:

I took food for him in jail, because I knew he was innocent. Of course he got off, and rightly so. It was embarrassing though, to have to deal with the police who looked down on women like me, because they thought I was a “kerosene” supporting criminality. But I believed him, and believed in him, enough to put aside the discomfort to make sure he was comfortable.

Janice, 40:

He committed a minor crime and I knew he did it, but I acted as his alibi, because I know it was probably a moment of weakness. Nothing like it ever happened again, and we have never spoken about it.

Zaria, 22:

His baby’s mom was finding every excuse for him not to see their child, even after a court granted him access. He was miserable over the whole situation, so, without him knowing, I just went to her, woman to woman, and spoke to her. I gave her respect, and understanding, and she finally stopped the back and forth. I don’t know if our relationship will last forever, but for now, he can always depend on me to be there for him.

Lennox, 47:

She took in her cousin’s children when her relative passed, and for years raised them as her own, even dropping out of college to do it. They were all thriving, but when teen years hit, one of the kids in particular started to rebel pretty badly. Well, the child went to school and told the guidance counsellor that my partner was always physically punishing her, and even showed “scars” that she said were from belt marks. It got really bad, with her having many legal problems. I supported her throughout, and paid for the lawyers that eventually helped her. Though it was eventually proved to be a lie, it hurt her deeply, and damaged her psychologically. But I had her back the whole time.

Karl, 34:

Maybe this doesn’t really qualify, because it’s something I believe a man is supposed to do, but many men I know wouldn’t do it. As soon as my wife told me she was pregnant, I went into full daddy mode. I was the one who washed all the baby’s clothes, and when she came from the hospital, I did all the laundry, cooking, cleaning and night feedings for weeks, until she was back on her feet.