The
Stream
The stream was too open! There were some
people doing it (answering the call of nature) in the open. Women were beautifully
taking their bathes and others doing laundry. It was all beautiful but I could not
join in. Not that I was bothered about hygiene. I was too shy to pull down my
shorts. I could not fathom people looking at me while I let it out. The forest
was the other option. My privacy was sure to be guaranteed there. Escorted by a
cousin who is familiar with the terrain, I went to the forest armed with a paper
and a cutlass. He chose a good spot for me to do it. After digging a hole with
the cutlass, I emptied my full bowels. It was bliss! Fresh air gently soothing
my bare buttocks, and a big fly buzzing around trying to perch on the goldmine.
The paper came in handy. I swerve it around to swat the fly without success. I
was not an expert in using paper to wipe - it is not as tender compared to
tissue. I did not wipe well enough, I thought. I called on my cousin somewhere
in the thicket also doing his thing. He told me the unimaginable, “use a leaf”.
Oh! God! The cave men must have suffered. I felt worse and messier after using
a leaf. I had also smeared my shirt in the process of getting the leaf. I felt
like shit! All through my way home, my palms came up my nose a number of times.
I could smell feaces.
The
Food
Garden eggs! My cousin even told me how valuable
it was in the household. Little wonder that it is cooked with the soup and
serves as meat on our garri during week days. We tasted beef or chicken only on
weekends and special days. I felt their parents are wicked – how can one eat
carbohydrates with the assumption that garden egg is the protein supplement for
the balanced meal. So, i knew it must be a great day when Uncle told us all to
take a garden egg each from the basket for a nibble. You could see the joy in
my cousins’ faces. That was my first time eating garden egg outside the soup.
It tasted kind of sour. My cousin told me watch out for maggots. He joked that
the maggots are very good for the body. I think he saw the odd look on my face
when I took a bite. He grabbed it from me immediately. I had mistakenly picked
up unripe tomato from the basket rather than garden egg.
Others
There were some other good experiences, we
stoned down bats at nights; roasted cocoa yam in the wild - nothing beats the
taste of cocoa yam and palm oil. I saw how garri was made – it tastes best when
freshly made. I tasted some fruits which till today i do not know their names.
I saw strangely colored birds. And yes, I killed my first snake; a tiny little
creature probably a few days old. A great achievement that is compared to
people who only have seen snakes only on TV.
So, when my mom came for a visit, she asked
if i was going back home with her. My cousins were there, so I boldly said I
was not, like a big boy. When I was alone with her, I confided in her; I could not
hide my feelings. I wanted to go home badly. I missed the mattress. I wanted
the water closet. I was tired of staying awake all night being scared of
different insects flying around the only light bulb in the room.
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