As kids, we were given many rules to follow but the rule we felt was the most absurd was "never carry anything especially a bucket on your head". We didn't know why our dad would make such a rule. This was the time my siblings and I used to watch Nigerian movies. A scene where; a beautiful damsel would go to the stream to fetch water. On her way back, she'd be singing and an undercover prince would be attracted to her and from there she becomes the princess.
Maybe our dad didn't want us to become princesses. Heck we didn't even have to fetch water for any reason.
One of those days, we were discussing and my elder sister was forming red power ranger. She said she was so powerful and fearless, even more powerful than my brothers,siuuuuu. In our stealth mode we made a plan. Since she's so powerful and fearless, we told her to prove it by carrying a bucket of water on her head.
Disclaimer: Need I mention that when others tried carrying even an empty bucket on their head, they got seriously reprimanded.
My sister was daddy's pet. She never really got punished when it involved daddy so she was like " 'odeshi' nothing is going to happen".
The aim wasn't to get caught. In our stealth mode we went to my dad's room, carried his bucket and went downstairs to fetch water that were weren't sent to fetch, hehehehe
We didn't use our bucket because my sister said that was a piece of cake. Okayyyy
Our plan was going well. The water was fetched and with the help of our brothers, it was dropped on my sister's head. I was just a pawn in this game, just observing 😅
The journey began. We were all hyping my sister. Things like "tough girl. Hard girl. After you is you". She was so pumped with adrenaline and wanted to prove to us that she was indeed tough.
We reached the stairs and things started getting slow. She was struggling to climb the stairs but still didn't want anyone's help.
PS: she was about nine years old by this time.
She successfully reached the last stair of the house and the next thing we saw our dads bucket in shambles. She broke the freaking bucket. Why? Because she wanted to give her victory a finishing touch. The type of touch where celebrities drop their mic after making the crowd go wild. Yes, that type of touch. Hehehe
At that point, we told her that it wasn't in our agreement to add finishing touch. Who would mop the water on the floor? And who would explain to my dad that his new bucket is in shambles?
The sound obviously alerted my father. As he came out, I don't know how she did it but she told my dad that she has a headache, he touched her neck to confirm and he said she was right. Someone that was just arguing a few seconds ago has a headache? Forget it, many African kids are superheroes 😅
Along the line,our dad told us something like "if you keep carrying buckets you'd have stunted growth. You won't be tall". If his words were true, then I see the reason why I'm still 5'8. I'm still finding it hard to believe, because other people that we saw actively carrying water on their heads are still very tall.
When my dad finally realised it, my sister alongside the rest of us got seriously reprimanded. My dad was so angry. But what do do? We had just successfully proven to him that his first daughter was a red power ranger. He was supposed to be happy 😅. After that day, we never tried it again because we were given the final warning and believe me when I say final really meant final.
With love, wongi ✨