Let me not lie, this one still dey pain me small anytime I remember it.
You see, one time, I made a decision purely out of emotion—anger, to be specific. And the way everything played out taught me a big lesson I’ll never forget.
It was a normal Saturday morning. You know how it is in Nigerian homes—Saturday means chores. Sweep here, mop there, wash that bucket of clothes,sweep the compound, all join. Everybody in the house had their own part to play.
That morning, my younger brother was supposed to handle some of the chores—cleaning the sitting room and washing the plates. I was already tired from mine, but I just told myself, "Let me finish and rest small, at least he will handle the rest."
Next thing I knew, I didn't hear plate sounds or broom scratching the tiles again. I checked the sitting room—untouched. I stepped outside, and boom! I saw him, carefree like breeze, playing ball with the other boys on the street.
Omo, I vex. I don’t even know when I walked up to him, dragged him inside, and in the heat of the moment, I beat him. Not the normal “elder brother warning slap.” This one was fueled by all the anger and stress I had bottled up. I was fuming.
He just looked at me—with those watery eyes. That look ehn... it humbled me immediately. The kind of look that says, "I wasn’t trying to be wicked, I just forgot… I was being a child."
After that, guilt started to choke me slowly. The house became too quiet. I couldn’t focus. I kept thinking, Did I overdo it? The truth? I did.
Later that evening,I apologized. I even gave him my pc to use for the night (which, if you know me well, you’ll know that means I was seriously sorry).
That moment taught me something big: never let emotions control your actions, especially when it involves someone you care about. Anger, if not handled well, can make you act in ways you’ll regret. And unfortunately, you can’t rewind time.
Since then, I’ve tried to be more patient. Whenever I feel that fire building up, I just pause. I ask myself, "Is this worth it? Will I feel proud of my reaction after this?" Most times, the answer is no. And that pause helps.
So if you're reading this, and you’ve ever reacted emotionally and regretted it, you’re not alone. But next time, try to breathe first. Think. Calm down. Because sometimes, that small space between emotion and reaction can save you from hurting someone you love—or even yourself.
Na small small we dey learn. And me, I still dey learn.