The institution of extra-marital affairs is as old as mankind.

The old testament is astride with the noctural and sunplashed escapades of the kings of old-King David, King Solomom, you name them.

And in more recent times, names on the mistress tabloid have included prominent men. But despite the traditionality of the practice and the historical nexus of the practice of mistress keeping has been dogged with judgmental criticism and contempt.

What is it with men that compels them to keep mistress?

What is it in married women that energises them to fight this emotional cankerworm in men? What is it about mistresses that keep them fiery favoured daring and very much alluring that is despite the negative vicissitudes play relationships from their very start.

A British trained sociologist told some of us during a conversation that the prohibitive aura of the relationship and the caring cross necklaced on vulnerable married men is what has kept the institution robust, even in austere times.

But is it just that?

There are indications that the mistress of old Queen of Sheba style is still very much around but with a classy and intellectural slant.

Observers say that whilst any girl could be tempted to undertake a lustful flitatious experience with a sweet talking classy and successful man, it takes a special quality to survive as a permanent mistress.

“It is a tough terrain” says Gold, a thirty-four year-old female accountant with a bank in Port Harcourt, who was once a mistress to a wealthy politician, but who is now married.

“You do not go hunting crocodiles with bare fists. A mistress is usually hinted, hounded, abused, used and misunderstood so it takes a woman with gusto to, self confidence and almost self traits and ambition to survive the terrain.

She further points out that people judge mistresses wrongly, “they do not go hunting for men” she says men hunt for them.

And Joan, a forty-five year old woman in private business adds that not every mistress goes into a relationship to hunt the lawful wife.

It is usually fun first, attachment second, possessiveness third.

But every man determines the pace of the movement from one stage to another.

However, survey has revealed that the most common reasons for having mistresses are disappointments with existing relationship or marriages, loneliness, uncontrollable admiration of an apposite sex, party economic needs and macho chiche or the follow the peer syndrome.

Flat slippers can be fashionable as shown in this photograph with a good dress to go with.