GROWING UP

Growing Up.

Ha! That was the craziest shit ever, starting from the time I began to get sense. All the whipping, daddy please, mummy please help me and beg him.

 On God, it wasn't easy. I was an out going person, friendly, jovial. I don't know how I transformed to this quiet, introverted, crazy, crowd hating person, with a lot of psycho issues, not medically oh. 

   Anyways, growing up was one of the toughest thing a man has to do regardless of whether he chooses to or not. I'm sure most of us don't remember at a certain age where certain things happened, we remember them with the class we were in at that time.

Most of the things I remember, when I was still a toddler was when I joined St. Bartholomew Ang. School in primary 2, then and there I met the longest friends in my life. Nzenwa Ifeanyi and Mgbahurike Ebuka, these ones remain my friends till this very day. 13 years of knowing those foolish boys exist.

I grew up with four brothers, believe me that was hell, but now I want to relive those moments we spent together when we were still little, the slats I got from kelechi, the assurance and security that nnamdi gives.

   Nnamdi - the eldest son, doesn't look for trouble but trouble seems to find him everytime, I think it's because of us his brothers.

   Kelechi - The trouble magnet, but affects nnamdi everytime, then there is me the weird son.

  Onyedikachi - The closest to me, hard headed like rock but super soft at heart.

  Okwuchukwu - Nsogbu of the house, mummy and daddy pet, finest boy in the house. These ones I can wipe the entire world for. Abeg no tell them, make their head no dey swell.

  My father, a great disciplinarian, even at his age, he still tells me,

     "Ikechukwu, don't let me get my cane."

I would be looking at him like, oga person no dey grow for your side. My mother, ever soft, even though she knows how to disciple a soul into order. You guys must've known the rule:

"When your mother is shouting and advancing towards you, don't stand one place before slap reaches you."

My dad was hot-tempered, I carried it and amplified the temper, my mom can slap stars into your existence, I took that one too.

I joined the powers and used it on my younger ones that year. They called me SLAPANDO THE GREAT. As funny as it may seem, I've always loved the name.

It was easy and fun till my dad retired, damn, shit from different angles, dimensions, universes even shit from the multiverse was just hovering around our lives. I changed school from private to public, glory to God my eldest brothers were done with school at that time. We lost a lot of things, but for some reason, we never lost ourselves. My parents were strong believers, they still are even much more than all their children combined, they say a family that prays together stays together, I never understood that statement till we all separated.

No matter where we were, we always had each other in mind.

I met people along the way, the ones that showed me the reason why I hate humans, and the ones that gave me reasons to stand on my feet, those moments I would want to ask for money to buy things in school but once I hear them complain about nnamdi in the university, I hold myself. I started playing games to hide from the world, the outside world wasn't fascinating anymore, for I lost my trust and hope in people. Those ones my parents helped, never looked back to help them, just the few that were tight with them. Let me ask this - Are your parents too soft hearted no matter what one does to them they seem to forgive everytime?

This was my mother, God it always annoyed me but then I got to understand that, those ones who stand with you are not always for you, another thing that made me secretive. They say I don't tell them what's going on with me, in my mind I ask, should I scream I'm broke, I need money for a lot of things in my head?

The tears my mother shed, I believe those tears shaped the man I chose to become. I've always hated it when she cried, I was so close to beating up someone that made her cry one time. She always complained of my anger issues, I told her I'm not similar to my dad until I was so close to beating up a girl I realised, I need to work on this. Thankfully, I did, I get angry but hardly unlike before. The main reason for everyone of us children to turnout well, was because of my mother, that woman became everything to me. Forget the times she lied, the unfulfilled promises, the merciless beating, the ones that would make you think (She is not my mother, I'm going to run away.) Damn I was stupid, hopefully I didn't remain stupid. 

Sometimes when I look back, I see we never had it rough unlike some people who had rough with most of their parents and stuffs like that, but all the same we thank God. I guess maybe the reason I choose to study philosophy, was to understand some whys regarding human life. Friends I met in unn taught me, we are not related by blood, but I share your every pain. The Hood, the family, the ones that have my back full time, I remain grateful to God for not getting admission into Michael Okpara university.

I'm still growing, I've got a lot to understand, and things to pen down. Nevertheless, I remain thankful for everything, good or bad, because they taught things they never teach in school.

I remain,

© Tha-Dragon.