30/03/2024
Excerpt from my story in the book, We Rise!
How I Met Dad for the First Time at Age Seven
I was dressed in a beautiful flowing gown, several inches too long, with shoes way bigger than my feet. Mummy aka ‗Sister‘ (I called her Sister as everyone else did. Grandma was the Mama that I knew) always had to pad my shoes with cotton wool (she had loads of them, being a nurse) with an explanation that I would grow into them. I am not surprised that my feet have truly grown—size 43.
The date was 25th December 1975! We were ‗well‘ dressed … some not-so-privileged children wore school uniforms, their best clothes ever. We had delicious jollof rice and chicken for breakfast. People served rice on special occasions in those days. We served our neighbours and family, and in return, we received plates of rice from them. It was Christmas Day! The most memorable one I have ever had.
It was the tradition in our time for ‗gangs‘ of children from a compound to visit family members from street to street on Christmas Day. The unspoken mission was to eat more rice and receive monetary gifts. My gang set out with a bang, and after consuming all manner of rice-based delicacies (jollof, fried, coconut, banga rice, name it!) and Fanta, my favourite soda at the time, we headed home. You needed to see us—gleeful little dears with protruding tummies like cartoon characters belching stupidly and trekking home barefoot with shoes in our hands.
It's my true life story.
Get your copy on this link: https://selar.co/6q2x71
