Kingsley Okeke @kingsleychi

As I looked at the air conditioner and the big fan in our living room, I remembered when I was a kid. I was about 5 to 10 years old. My mom would ask me to fan her with a small hand fan. We didn′t have fans like we do now. We lived in a traditional house with a black and white TV. We were happy then, and we′re still happy now. The only thing that′s changed is where we live.

When I was little, my mom would talk to me at night when I couldn′t sleep. She′d say, “If you fan me this many times, I′ll give you some money tomorrow.“ I′d fan her and count how many times I did it. When I went to school the next day, she′d give me some money. I liked getting money because I worked hard for it. My mom would tell me stories while I fanned her, and I liked listening.

The thought of this made me happy. We don′t need to use hand fans now because we have air conditioners and big fans. But we′re still happy, and I like remembering those times with my mom.

I had already received directions to the location I was heading to, which gave me some confidence in finding my way. First, I took the first bus, which dropped me off at Mayor Street. Then, I boarded the second bus, just as my close friend had described, which took me to Garike. However, that′s when I got lost. My friend had told me to walk down a bit before reaching the terminal that would take me to the clinical center.

The problem was that I wasn′t sure which direction to walk. It was a four-way junction, and I didn′t know which road to take. On my first instinct, I took the road to the right. As I walked a little further, I saw a woman selling school accessories and decided to ask her for directions to the terminal and the bus that would take me to the clinical center in Ituku.

To my surprise, she seemed uninterested and dismissive. When she realized I wasn′t looking to patronize her business, she lost interest and barely acknowledged me. I repeated my question, and she waved her hand, pointing in the same direction I was already heading, without much enthusiasm.

I walked on, unsure if I was going in the right direction. To confirm, I approached another person who was friendlier and more helpful. He told me that I was actually walking in the opposite direction. I was shocked and retraced my steps. As I passed the woman′s shop again, I felt disappointed and frustrated by her attitude, but I chose not to let it affect me.

I refocused on finding the terminal and eventually made my way to the clinical center. Despite expecting the process to be challenging, it turned out to be surprisingly straightforward. It felt like God had paved the way for me, making everything easier than anticipated.

My mother had warned me severally that I was disciplining my younger brother too much and I should let him be for some time and not furnish him for any slightest mistakes that he makes.
But today during the evening, there was this big giant bowel that we used to fetch water. It took us a lot of time, me and my other brother, to fill it up.
When we filled it up, we left it at the front of our compound, waiting for our mother to use it for whatever she wanted to use it for, since she had sent us on the action of filling it up. But then the younger brother, the annoying younger brother, started playing around the water.

I warned him, but I couldn′t even make two attempts to discourage him from going closer to the water before he continued. Him knowing that my mother had warned me not to always judge or discipline his slightest misbehavior, he was confident messing with the water. All of a sudden, he dived into the water, breaking the basin, the giant basin which held the water.

I looked at him, and I wanted to let my outburst get the best of him. But after I gave it a second thought, I decided to retreat and allow my mother to come back. Before that, I had told him to come to the sitting room and stay close to my eyesight until my mother returned.

When my mother returned and saw the water splashed all over the floor and her basin broken, she was aggravated. We could hear her voice from the outside as she angrily came inside, inquiring to know what had happened to her basin. Immediately, I let her know what happened.

She saw that the culprit was still comfortable, and she couldn′t hold her hand anymore. She went out and broke off a well-heavy cane from the plants outside and then rushed inside with it. She dealt with the annoying brother.

After that, she spoke to me again concerning disciplining my younger brother. She told me that when it was required, I should discipline, but she only told me to reduce the disciplining actions because she was just annoyed that day, or maybe her mother had influenced it. Ever since then, my junior brother never tries to misbehave around me, or he will smell it.

Just last week, I started noticing a change on my skin. I couldn′t understand what was happening. First, it was rashes around my neck and my hairline, and then all of a sudden, they vanished. After that, my skin color began to change wildly. I wouldn′t say it was due to the change of environment, as I hadn′t been exposing myself much to climate changes.

I hardly went outside during the day, staying indoors most of the time since all the chores were done inside the house. My younger siblings handled all the errands, so I didn′t have much reason to go out. This skin change kind of traumatized me, so I decided to book a session with a dermatologist.

When the day finally arrived, I met the dermatologist, and he examined me closely. He told me that the symptoms were likely due to environmental changes and advised me to exercise patience. He also asked about the type of cream I used and prescribed a particular skin solution for me to apply if I wasn′t convinced enough that the patches would fade.

Although he reassured me that my skin would return to normal in no time, I was worried. The patches of different skin colors bothered me, and my self-confidence was depleted. I needed a solution as soon as possible, not just a reassurance that it would pass with time.

I had these patches for two to three days, and I was contemplating what to do. But two days after the diagnosis, my skin started becoming smoother, even smoother than before. I started glowing, and before I knew it, I was back to normal.

I think the doctor′s advice and prescription helped, even though he wasn′t present with me throughout the process. I was grateful for his help, and I′m glad I didn′t change my cream to something that could have damaged my skin further.

My father and I traveled a long distance to our old house to collect doors and frames, which we planned to relocate to our new construction site. He suggested I bring a barrel, but I didn′t think it was necessary, so I went empty-handed. We assessed the materials, separating the damaged ones from the strong ones.

I proposed hiring a vehicle to transport the materials, but my father was hesitant due to the cost. His expression showed disappointment, as if he wanted me to handle it myself. I was confused but decided to give it a try. I hurried back home to get a wheelbarrow and returned to load the materials.

However, we realized the shortcut we took coming wouldn′t work for the return journey due to a concrete slab on the narrow road. We took the longer route, which was quite stressful. I sweated profusely, but eventually made it home with a heavy load.

Looking at my dad′s face, I could tell he was impressed. After unloading the materials, he rewarded me with a bottle of drink. I was impressed not just with myself but with the fact that I had fulfilled his desire to test my strength. It seemed he would have been happier if I handled it myself rather than hiring help.

When most people that I am in touch with talk about going to the village and spending time with their grandmothers, I am often shocked. They shocked me because I, too, traveled to the village this time aroun. Perhaps for Easter are usually spent with grandmothers?

So I went to the village during this festive season to celebrate with my grandmother but instead of celebrating, I was turned into a broom maker. You won′t understand this until I explain.
It′s known in my village that the youths, especially the young ones in the village, either make baskets or brooms from palm frond branches.

Any youngster who don′t join them in making these items, they call you lazy and indolent. Whether you′re a visitor or not, it′s expected that you learn.
At first, I found it engaging to learn from my fellow peers in the village how to make baskets from palm fronds. However, it was too hard for me.

When I wanted to retire and tell my grandmother that I didn′t need the proceeds from it, she suggested that I try broom making instead. It puzzled me because broom making is usually set aside for women or those who aren′t skilled enough to make baskets. She showed me how to peel out a palm front and chisel it until it shaped like a single broom stick.

We would repeat this process until we had a bunch of brooms. It could take around seven hours to make just one or two brooms. You can imagine how hard it is, and when you sell it, you get less than 1,000 naira. After some time, I told my grandmother that I′d be going back to school since school was about to resume. Initially, I hadn′t planned to go back early, but I changed my mind.

I′m bursting open with excitement as I prepare to join my uncle in Anambra state for the Easter celebration. His unexpected invitation was a beacon of hope, especially since I hadn′t planned on traveling to my family′s home in Lagos due to financial constraints. As a student, the short festive period wouldn′t justify the expense of a trip home.

But my uncle′s kindness changed everything. Not only did he extend the invitation, but he also sent me transport fare, ensuring I could join him without worrying about the cost. Today, I′ve been busily packing and unpacking, trying to decide on the essentials to bring along. My joy knows no bounds as I think about spending Easter with him.

My uncle′s gesture has lifted a weight off my shoulders. I would have spent the holiday season feeling lonely and perhaps even borrowing to make ends meet. Instead, I′m filled with gratitude and anticipation. I′ve packed the clothes I think I′ll need, but I′m sure I′ll remember other essentials tomorrow morning. Until then, I′ll continue to pack and unpack.

This week has been incredibly stressful for me. The institution where I study has been demanding a lot of payments, and I′ve been running low on cash. Yesterday was my breaking point; I spent my last penny, leaving me wondering how I′d manage today.

My primary concern was how I′d get something to eat for the morning. Feeling uncertain, I walked out of my room and strolled around the compound just to clear my head. That′s when I ran into a friend who had just returned from the village. We were both excited to see each other, and we exchanged warm greetings. He′d been away for a while, and we all had missed him.

As we chatted, he mentioned that he was about to cook lunch.
He jokingly warned me that I should either choose between a small sized bread or a plate of food. His comment, although humorous, lifted my spirits and gave me something to look forward to. I went back to my room, trying to conserve my energy until he finished cooking.

As soon as he was done, he called me over, and I received a generous serving of delicious jollof rice with boiled egg. I′m still enjoying the taste as I speak, feeling grateful for my friend′s kindness and the satisfying meal that meant a lot.