This is in response to an initiative of @ericvancewalton, to make us walk down memory lane and relive those moments long gone, keeping them alive for our future generations.
Here's the link
In a year from now you’ll have a legitimate memoir that you can pass along to future generations of your family. But what I really hope is it provides a valuable glimpse into your inner self.
When you were a child, what did you look forward to most?
My answer:
It's really so funny how as a child, one looked forward to growing up, now grown up, one wish they could be a child again. The innocence, the carefree days and the simplicity are the things I miss the most. Lots of beautiful memories I would love to share.... can someone please find me a time machine? Hahaha..... That's how much I miss kidhood and everything about it.
The holidays as soon as they came, were always a welcome relief. When school is in session, there's nothing much that could be done, Grandma would not tell me stories by the moonlight and even when we went to the stream to fetch our water, she wouldn't let me stay behind for a swim.
She sounded so annoying reiterating it over and over again. "You know you would be going to S-u-k-u (school) tomorrow". Hahaha, my grandma never pronounced any English word correctly.
During holidays, especially the long one (the summer holiday which lasted for eight weeks), my parents would come around with my siblings and then my cousins, uncles and aunts would join us, it was always a huge family reunion with fun reloaded.
In the mornings, our laughter would echo through the village as we ran barefoot along the dusty paths, playing games like 'Hide And Seek', 'Oga', 'Ise' And 'Catch-Catch'.
We would go to the stream for a bath and a swim and then return to the hot and sizzling aroma of food prepared by the adults. We would be made to sit around a big tray where our food was served, even our neighbours' children would also join in the feast and the fun. It was very infectious that everyone wanted to be a part of it—Ours was a very large family, you see, and quite a crowd, because Grandma had nine surviving children and many grandchildren.
Living with Grandma had its perks because I would be the one to roll out her mat beneath the twinkling stars and the dazzling Moon, it was a privilege not enjoyed by anyone else, then I would also be the one to mix her 'Otaba' (tobacco) in her smoking pipe and secure it in her mouth as she lights it, the glow from the embers shining in the night.
Every evening was a delight as we would once again gather around the huge clay cooking pot, eagerly waiting for the adults to serve us dinner. I wouldn't know what actually made the meals taste better, if it was in the fact that we shared them together or if it was in the chatter and laughter that accompanied them. I think both turned those meals into sumptuous and royal dining experiences. We didn't practice table manners like 'Dont talk while eating', after all the magic was in the buzz around the feast. But Grandma made sure the water jug was right there by the tray of food, you know just in case the food decides to go the wrong way.
Then came the climax of the evening—The Tales. We would sit at our matriarch's feet, our eyes wide in anticipation and our hearts beating 'tum tum tum' in excitement. I looked forward to Tales by Moonlight the most, where grandma would weave one fantasy story after the other, far into the night, night after night. In these tales that transported us into the world of magic, a world where all animals talked, where evil was recompensed and good diligently rewarded.
Many more questions found their answers in Grandma's grand folktales;
Why was the tortoise so wise?
Why was the hare so foolish?
Why can't our hands reach heaven?
Why does the fly buzz around the ear?
Why does the mosquito suck human blood?
Why does 'Orisa' (The Almighty God) live so far above the Skies?
Unknown to me (us), the moral lessons contained in these stories inculcated values with far reaching influences. The stories were just tales told from one generation to another generation but they sure did leave their mark and guided me as a compass would, the captain of a ship.
Today I live by them.
These memories are cherished treasures and I am so ecstatic that I can revisit them as many times as I want, getting lost in a time when everything seemed 'right' and 'alright'.
Thank you @ericvancewalton for this noble initiative. 😊
I am @edith-4angelseu and thank you for stopping by my neighbourhood.