My friend would always tease me by saying that the children of this generation have been to this world before, judging by how they speak and act. He can't imagine what the children of the next generation will be like. It was a statement I also thought twice about after my seven-year-old cousin used a word I felt was way too big for someone her age, something I would expect from an adult old enough to be her parent.
This cousin of mine has a strong sense of confidence and a tongue we call a “razor.” Everyone sees her as bold and fearless, but no one expected she could be that gutsy.
We all returned home for a Christmas family gathering. The house was big, and friends kept coming around to greet us and wish us a merry Christmas in advance. That was when Nelly spotted this particular guest.
We were all gathered under the big family tree, eating corn with pear, when one of our uncle's friends walked in. Everyone greeted him, and he joined us. Nelly, on the other hand, had been eyeing him strangely, but we all pretended not to notice,until she said:
"Uncle, this shirt don dey cry o. This your see-me-know-me signature needs So Klin and Hypo! I mean, it’s nice if it’s your signature, but do you have to keep it looking rough? Even Oga Sabinus’ blue shirt is always clean!"
We were all shocked. The man, our "victim" burst into laughter, and that was yet another surprise. I had expected him to be angry. Instead, he was impressed by the little girl’s confidence. According to him, some kids would have talked about his shirt behind his back, but she had the courage to say it directly.
"Thank you very much," he said. "I will definitely consider buying more shirts but you know what they say, there is always one which is the favorite in a wardrobe filled up with clothes. I guess you will see me in a new form the next time we meet."
"You know, you can always wear shirts if you love them," Nelly replied, "but it becomes bad when you keep repeating the same one. It turns into a signature, but not the kind you do with a pen."
“Nice one, I never knew we had a fashionista among us,” her mom said to ease the tension.
"Mooom, you aree not left out oo. You should try to do away with this scarf on your head. Everyone knows Mummy Nelly with this scarf. That’s the secret buried in my school you never knew. Once school closes, my friends keep checking every mother's head to see who’s wearing a rainbow-colored scarf and once spotted they should, your mummy is here!"
"Nelly is on fire today, hahaha. We surrender, you have won," our guest said. "Thanks for making my day. At least you didn’t shock me alone. Your mum too collected, Hahaha."
Although she made her point brutally without minding the emotions her words might stir, she was just being an honest, confident little girl. We were all left stunned at how much exposure kids like her now get, both inside and outside home.