Before writing this prompt, I picked up my phone to call my uncle, who rescued me from a particular lifestyle I started living capable of ruining my personality. I told him that this is a call of gratitude to appreciate his word impact in my life so many years ago. Obviously, he has forgotten all about what I was saying, but I had to take his mind back to that faithful evening many years ago. I was around 14 years old or thereabout then, but his words are still so fresh in me to date. He said, and I quote, "If you continue with this lie in the name of tricking people, soon, people will not know when you are saying the truth and may never regard your words anytime."
How it started
I am this kind of human that is so sociable. I love having fun with people. I love just being free with those around me and creating fun moments to spice up our day. As a child, or should I call it a teenager then, I would use any little things to trick people intentionally, and the idea is just to make you laugh. I created and furnished all manner of lies and made people fall for my trick, and I will laugh out loud. It just makes me happy to see people laughing when they fall for my trick. I never saw that such a lifestyle isn't so healthy in the name of fun. Everyday was an April Fools Day for me. I kept playing different tricks to people to the point that everyone started taking me as an unserious being.
Truth be told, when I told them the real information, no one acts or believes me, and it hurts me whereas I caused it myself. All effort I made to get people to believe my truth once proved abortive. That lifestyle became a stigma; I was known for the girl who always told lies for fun.
On that faithful evening, my uncle Val returned home from the city. He is my favorite uncle, and I love being with him, sitting on his laps for varieties of gist that transpired when he was away. He lived in my father's house, and from childhood till date, I have been so close to him. After the warm welcome session, he asked for my elder sister, and I told him that she was in the neighboring house with a friend. He said I should go and call her and tell her to return home. To my greatest chargrin, my elder sister shouted at me and said I should go away with my lies all the time and allow her to take fresh air. Can you imagine that? All effort to convince her that this time around, I am not tricking her proved abortive. I exhausted my energy talking to her to return home, and I had to go back to Uncle Val and explain my ordeal to him.
Later in the night, my elder sister returned home and was shocked to see Uncle Val. She embraced him, giving him a warm welcome and apologizing for not returning home on time because she assumed that it's my usual lies vs. trick. My uncle wasn't pleased with what my sister narrated to him as she delved deeper into my everyday lies. That was when my uncle dragged me to his room, sat me down, and made this statement: "If you continue with this lie in the name of tricking people, soon, people will not know when you are saying the truth and may never regard your words anytime".
He gave me instances about life and why I should be intentional with the kind of lifestyle I adopt. The truth is indeed bitter. That night, I knew no peace in my heart. I cried deeply over my life and promised myself to never engage in such kinds of lies.
That day became a turning point for me. Maybe if my uncle didn't tell me the truth about such a lifestyle, I may have grown with it and perhaps ruined my personality for life. The truth most times has a way of reshaping our lives for good, even though it can be bitter to accept.
This post was inspired by the #hivenaijaweekly prompt. Hop in if you are interested. The link is here!