The struggles of a Nigerian girl

The Early Days

      My childhood was awesome. Being the last born (for awhile), I got pampered a lot and my sister and I were really close. We were always asked if we were twins (I like to think we are twins 2 years apart).

     Now to understand a Nigerian's childhood you have to understand that in Nigeria, discipline is key in raising your children, and when I say discipline am not talking about being grounded and shii. In Nigeria, discipline involves spanking and harsh punishments but it's all good, it's all discipline.

       Having enjoyed being at home always just watching cartoons, I was really annoyed when I found out that I had to go to school to get an education which is really important in a Nigerian home. So I started going to the place that soon became the place I hated the most, SCHOOL. That place was just torture. Even at my young Age of three I knew school wasn't a place of fun like the teachers kept telling us. I didn't like school at all and most of all I hated my teachers. The highlight of my day was coming back from school to find my food ready and sitting in front of the TV watching cartoons. Yes, even as a child I was quite lazy.

      Now as a very stubborn and lazy child, I got into trouble a lot. My mom and dad were hardly around so we were always with nannies. Now I hated all my nannies and my sis and I made sure they all got fired (we were such evil children). I remember when my sis and I took my mom jewelries and kept it in the nanny's bag to make her look like a thief, now I know what you are thinking, I guess it was a really mean thing to do but I like to think we did the right thing because that nanny was a thief that was never caught in the act so I guess me and my sis saved our parents from the nanny's evil doings. Yes we were awesome like that.

      At age 5, my mom announced she was pregnant. My sister and I were always partners in crime until my Lil brother was born. Now I wasn't so thrilled about his birth because to me he took my shine and became the one they always pampered because he was now the last born and the only boy. He even took my sister from me, I was no longer her favorite sibling. But I guess it's alright since she was no longer my favorite sibling too. I remember when my parents had to go out and they left us with our nanny but she was very irresponsible and left us alone, my sis and I wanted to play dress up with my Lil brother who was like 11 months, so my sis lifted him from his cot and put him on the couch, my sis sat on the couch too and my brother rolled down the couch and fell on the floor and immediately started crying, me thinking he broke his head started crying too and my sis not knowing what to do started crying  too ( for the fact that she was the eldest at age 7, she wasn't really smart). So basically we all just sat on the floor bawling our eyes out (imagining it right now, it was a funny sight). So anyways that's how my parents found us on the floor bawling our eyes out  (thinking about it now our nanny was really irresponsible leaving us like that). So I guess it was no surprise when my parents sent the nanny packing.

So they got us another nanny, now I liked this nanny she was alright until she brought her ugly and smelly (he always smelt like fish) boyfriend to our house and took him to my room locking me out of my room (I can't even imagine the nasty things they did in there ) so obviously she had to go too, so my sis and I made her life a living hell and the next time she brought her boyfriend we put itching powder on the bed , that was payback for locking me out of my room. My sis and I made sure she was fired too. I guess my mom got tired of nannies cos we stopped having nannies from then on and she was home more.

     Having my mom home more was good at first but then it got annoying, she was always giving us chores to do. One day my sis and I decided we had enough and we didn't do our chores, we got our first serious beating and lemme tell you we got the beating of our lives that day and even as we were crying and everything my mum still made us do the chores. I was so angry with her that day that I vowed to never talk to her again but it was as if my mom knew what I was thinking because she came to my room with cookies and milk (my favorite) and a big smile on her face, I don't know why she had a smile after beating me but I was really annoyed. Then she said "Do you want some milk and cookies?". I was so annoyed like did she just forget that she beat me like 10 minutes ago but you see that's the thing about Nigerian parents they will finish spanking you and act like nothing happened afterwards. So when my mom did this I was really angry but I really wanted milk and cookies so I obviously did what every normal 8 years old child will do, I forgot about my vow of silence and happily ate my milk and cookies (smart right).

      Soon I got use to the harsh punishments that occurred anytime i misbehaved, it became a normal thing, but sadly that didn't stop me from misbehaving any chance I got (I was such a stubborn child).

     Apart from the occasional beating when I misbehave, I like to think my childhood was pretty awesome. It was when I became a teenager the problems started.