MY GRANDPA AND I (MEMORIES)

CHAPTER ONE

        One fateful morning, I packed my laundry and decided to go and do them at my grandpa's place. His house is only a walking distance from my house , I got there, did my laundry and decided to stay there.
        The story all began when i started living with my grandpa. My grandpa and i were both food lovers, we both had a lot in common. I started going to school from his house and mum didn't seem to mind. It was really cool staying with grandpa.
         He always made breakfast for both of us. He would come to my room to wake me up and we will both eat together at the dinning table. My grandpa and I got along really well because he is a very tolerant person.
         Grandpa never for once got mad at me for any reason whatsoever. But he always complained about me being to smart,clever cunning and intelligent. Because I always wanted to outsmart him. He would always say 'I know you are very clever but you can never trick me, where is my change?' Whenever grandpa sends me on an errands I like keeping the change but he always wanted ti collect it. I stopped keeping his change and we started getting along even more.
        Living with my grandpa was one of the best things that has ever happened to me in my entire life. My grandpa and I enjoyed each other's company. We watched .TV. together most evenings. My grandpa and I love to watch shows such as Bisi Latilo on NTA International every Wednesday evening we also love to watch red carpet .TV. every Sunday evening by 7:30pm on MTV.
            My grandpa's favorite TV station were AIT channels and NTA Grandpa enjoys listening to Radio too. He is a bearer of glad tidings. He listens to AIT  news every evening by 8:00pm. Although I personally don't like listening to news but I just had to be there with him in case he needed anything.
     My grandpa and I were both tea lovers. He taught ne how to drink tea. He never missed a cup in the morning, afternoon, evening and finally before he goes to bed. Grandpa loves cleanliness. He takes his bath at least four times a day. Coupled with the fact that the Nigerian weather is very hot.
     Grandpa's favorite good was Amala with either okro,ewedu or vegetable with dried fish. Grandpa doesn't like stake food. He eats all that is fresh. He is also a fruit lover. Hw could finish a dozen of orange st a sitting, and he could finish a bunch of bananas at a go.
      Staying with grandpa taught me a lot about life. Grandpa was an epitome of a very impeccable character  snd greatness. He always made peace with everyone. He taught me almost everything I know. I never lacked anything when u was with grandpa. He always gives me anything I wanted. My grand father was a very rich man. And the most humble of all.
     Life was so easy staying with him. He never get cross with you for no valid reason. Grandpa would always say ' it is good to be good'. He doesn't  like messy or dirty kitchen. He wants everything to be spike and span
        Grandpa normally eat twice a day. Hes favourite breakfast was bread and egg with baked beans. Grandpa loves eating pounded yam, grandef rice flour, wheat and most especially yam flour. Hus favorite fish was cat fish. He also loves to eat frozen chicken and turkey. I used to go to the market at least thrice in a week because I and some of my other siblings are always there to ear with grandpa.
        Grandpa was a really lucky man. He was lucky to eat with his great grand son MUSTAPHA Grandpa would sit the little boy by his side and they would eat whatever he was eating together in the same plate. Mustapha was very fond of his great grand father. He would always behave himself whenever grandpa was around.
      My grandpa was a no- nonsense person. He loves self discipline and he is always proud of anyone who gets his/her priorities right. Grandpa has his own wat of encouraging us and I in particular to be focused and value my education. Whenever I get my school report card and I got good grades because I always get good grades, grandpa gives me extra cash for whatever I wanted.
       Middle school and ma senior year were the best part of my secondary education. I was always at the top of my class with the highest grades ans percentage in the whole if my class of about a hundred plus students. Grandpa was always very proud of me. He boast among his friends and tell them how very intelligent I am. He once said something that really boosted my ego one Sunday afternoon when one of his bosom friend  lawyer Yomi Oloja came over . Grandpa said ' My grand daughter is very intelligent she can compete with any genius and I can assure you that she would outsmart them all'. I was so so elated. Then the lawyer said ' what, course would u study in the university? And I said 'Law" and he smiled and said ' Hello to you my learned friend I smiled and said ' Hello to you too sir.
        Grandpa was a lover of peace. He lived in his little bungalow till he took his last breadth. He didn't gather too much wealth or properties. The old man just wanted to live  a happy and peaceful life and he wanted the people around him ti always be happy. He is for ever conscious about his health. He takes all sort of herbal medicines and western drugs due to his love for health maintenance. Grandpa loved to take pap and bean cakes in the morning especially during weekends. He would say My daughter make sure there are ingredients in the house we will be eating bean cakes tomorrow morning'. He always plans for the next meal immediately after finishing one.
       He would call my mum in the evening and say ' get me some tomatoes and onions and eggs  I already have a fresh bread here I would like to eat some fried eggs with baked beans? The best part of staying with grandpa was the Ramadan period. The fasting period which is very  compulsory for every Muslim.
       The old man would go to his favorite super market in town. Glory to glory supermarket. One of the best in Ile-ife. He would make sure the house idms stocked with enough food stuff. Everything was normally in abundance. The fasting entails eating in the early hours of the morning around 4 to 5am.and breaking the fast by sunset.
        Grandpa made me to become the beautiful young woman I have grown to become. He taught me how to cook , clean dress and take care of the house. He was more of a father figure to me. I could remember on several occasions when I was still in junior high,grandpa will take me to the kitchen with him and show to me and explain how yam flour(Amala)semovita and a host of other swallows were been made.
          One cool Ramadan morning grandpa instructed me to make semovita for both of us to eat. I went into the kitchen reluctantly, still feeling tired and sleepy. I made the worst semovita anyone can ever make. It was as hard as a Stone we both couldn't eat it. Time wasn't on our side and we had to eat as soon as possible because it was obligatory. He grandpa had to make a quick EBA for both of us to eat. Ever since that day, grandpa always took his time to monitor me in the kitchen and instruct me on how snd what things must be done in the kitchen, and how it is done well. Grandpa would always say 'Anything worth doing at all is worth doing well' and he would also say do the right thing at the right time in the right place'.
       My grandpa and I were more than bestie. Grandpa would tell me how his day was sometimes whenever my mum wasn't around and I was the only one with him. He was a customary court judge in a small court at the centre of Ile-Ife. Grandpa as always wanted to be a lawyer but he said that his dad said to him 'my boy you cant be a lawyer,not in this present life but some of ur offsprings would be and you will have no reason ti regret it'. Grandpa actually had no reason to regret because he had all he wanted and he was contented with whatever was given to him. I also learnt something from grandpa he always build up himself with whatever stones life through at him. He never gives up and he is as a go getter. These all brings me to the story of the life well lived by my wonderful grandfather..