•What's the worst Christmas you've ever spent and why?
When I read the above writing suggestion my mind was drawn quickly to years back in my Junior Secondary Class 3.
We had just finished our First Terminal Examination which was on the first week of December, when my family set to embark on a journey to the village the next week.
We normally do not go to the village that early but , we had to, because my aunty was to be taken down the aisle by her choice man. She happened to be my favorite aunty so I was among her flower girls. My beautiful dress had reach me two weeks to the marriage day and I was eager to complement the dress with my shiny children heels 👠😋.
The traditional marriage and wedding ceremony was slated for 16th and 18th December, respectively. As such, we went to the village on the 12th: four days to the D-Day.
There was a lot to do in preparation for the event.
On the days of the events, the weather was so clement. The bride was so beautiful, likewise the flower girl-- myself 🙈🙈. There were enough food to eat and even leftovers. Poor child-- its only the food I could quickly account for 😂
After the wedding, we chose to stay since it was just few days to Christmas -- which happened to be on a Saturday. Did I tell you I had prepare to sing a song on the Christmas night? I had put in too much effort to perfect the dramatic steps that accompanied the song, that whenever I rehearsed it in the village everyone at home always applaud me.
Now, my village is renowned for preparing the best local gin in my community ; this is what my uncle had gone to buy on his arrival on the 25th morning-- a Saturday morning, from one of the best sellers. Local gin never misses from our compound in any festive period #it's sacrosanct till date.
The drink is always placed in the central parlour where most of the visitors and villagers sit when they come to our compound -- which they use to on regular basis because my grandfather was the family head.
On that Christmas night, while preparing to go to church, my older cousin, sister and I went into the parlor to stay. On seeing the drink, my older cousin poured small into the cup and drank it 🤣. My sister asked to have a sip ; my cousin told her to use her hand and pour the amount she feels she'd be able to take. Standing there, I longed to have a taste of it as well 😫(terrible right? 😔). so when they stepped out, I poured mine and took a sip-- it tasted nice, so I gulped the rest in the cup down my throat 😱.
Few moments from that time, we had a visitor so, my mum sent my sister and cousin on an errand and I, the tagging along girl wished to joined. All this well, I had a different feeling of myself but I couldn't utter a word.
On the way, my sister and cousin chose that we should run so that we'd come back fast. We agreed and started running only for me to summersault and fall. I was running behind them, so they did not notice my fall immediately but when they did not hear my footsteps again, they paused and came back to see me on the ground. 🤦🤦
They took me home and mum, who was already sobbing at the sight of this, asked them what happened and they explained it. I could not utter a word as I subconsciously sat down on my mother's laps.
Nobody knew what happened to me until I threw up 🤮. It was then that the smell of local gin took over the whole place and immediately water was poured on me ; chilled water was gulped down my throat. I was also given peak milk to take.
After some minutes, I began gaining consciousness but I was still weak. We didn't stay back from church anyways, my dad wouldn't let the Satan that passed through me to conquer 😂. We left for church and I slept all through the night. I missed every variety that took place that night. I was indeed pained the next morning. I cried and people really say that I had bulgy eyeballs.
My dad could not flog me because missing out in the presentation I had so put in effort to master was enough flogging on its own though he cautioned me He also said that *' it would be an example to other children'. He warned against keeping the drink in the central parlour where anyone could assess.
It was the worst Christmas holiday I had ever experienced. I learnt my lesson and from that day onward, I held local gin and any other alcoholic drink in high respect.
Thanks for reading 💖.