Little did I know, that life isn't a bed of roses. As a child, I always wanted beautiful, beautiful things. I thought without working hard, I'll get whatever I desire. My father do travel every weekend then, and whenever he calls I'll tell him repeatedly to buy Rug, toys and lots of things while coming. And when he didn't buy those things I wanted, I'll be angry but won't show it. Within me, I'm pissed at father for not buying anything for my brother and I.
I didn't know father didn't have enough then,to buy things for us. A family of six, living in a two bedroom apartment. I didn't understand the ways of the world,then. All I wanted was my own satisfaction.
When my father started building his own house, I remember telling my father that we must have a swimming pool, though I don't know how to swim. My father said okay, we will have swimming pool and I was glad. I'm sure my father will be like " where will a common family like ours get a swimming pool,can we even afford it? We didn't even have water in our house then, we used to fetch water from a house in our street then, before Finally digging a well.
Meanwhile, when we moved to our new house, it was far beyond my expectations. It was a two bedroom apartment,again. At least we have our privacy and won't have to pay house rent, again. It was not a big house and I was disappointed. My father could only afford to complete two bedroom flat, so that we can move in. Some years later, we completed the other flat and we've moved there.
As a child, my imaginations were damn wild. Though my father didn't have much, he enrolled my brother and I in a private school near our home. All I wanted then, was to take school bus like others,though our house is just five minutes walk to the school. I cared less. I just wanted to live a life of ease.
Fast forward to now, a young adult. I was thinking about all this some days ago and realized my parents sacrificed a lot for us just to be happy. But, I didn't realize that as a child. Especially during Christmas, they must get new clothes for us, four children. Even if they won't have a new cloth to wear for Christmas. Parents are the best.
My dreams started with imagining things that won't happen to me as a middle class child. All my childhood, I thought of living a luxurious life like other rich kids and I almost got astray. I started behaving like some spoilt brat I knew,I thought it's a cool way to behave. I wanted to do everything they were doing. When my mum noticed the drastic change in my attitude, you know African Mothers nah....she beat hell out of my body since I've refused to yield to corrections.😅
The beatings resets my whole system. As a child, I wanted a lot of things my parents couldn't afford and I'll start crying if they don't get it for me. My tears won't change anything Sha, they still won't buy it. Today, I asked myself a question I don't really have an answer to. Was I really selfish as a child? Or was I just a child, without knowledge of the world?
Lead Image source: Unsplash
I used to think of this the same way you did back then. Me as the baby of the house will want everything on this world but even sometimes, my dad would restrict us from getting some unnecessary things. We never knew he was teaching us on how to live a moderate life and be contented.