Don't bring that snail close to me!
My mom warned picking the long stick she had beside her all the while. The same stick she had broken off the big Neem tree and had used part of it for a chewing stick. If the big Neem tree at the back of our house was human, a pretty young lady to be precise, she would run each time she sees my mom because if she's not plucking off its leaves to make her usual herbal concortion, she's definitely cutting off a stalk for chewing stick.
Grandma its just a snail, it doesn't bite!
my 4year old daughter, Sharon, replied sharply with such a high pitched tone that my ears hurt from her shout. She has been amazed all evening by this small snail she found crawling up an old cement block in the garden.
You little potato with such a loud voice!
Grandma retorted while dramatically covering her ear with her chewing stick as though it really would block anything. If my girl mean to shout not even a deaf man would miss it.
My baby girl has been doing and saying a lot of things to my mom ever since we came home. Things I dared not say or do while I was growing up as an African child and I must confess, I'm enjoying the show so far. I literally can see myself in her, she's just as outspoken as I am. I can't believe how my mom has been so tolerant with her so far or did this come with age? I mean, I would have gotten some strokes of the cane if it was me way back when I was little. This Neem tree at the back of my father's house would bear witness as It always provided the cane. It didn't matter if I was being childish, no body counted it as being childish. And now each time I try to correct my daughter, my mother would jump in the way and say she's just being a baby. Thank goodness we are only home for a short while before we return to Canada because my mom is not doing fine as a grandma. She's spoiling Sharon.
The day went fast with my mom and i just doing some catching up. It was time to prepare dinner and i was tending to it. There is a birthday party this evening at our neighbor's house and I'm not comfortable with the idea of my baby girl attending our neighbor's birthday party. I mean, we were not even given an invitation! Fine nobody gives invitation to a child's birthday party around here. Everybody just dress up and attend the party. Everybody knows everyone around here. In fact, its considered an offence to not attend.
This was how I grew up and it was beautiful. I can't explain why I'm protective of my baby girl attending all of a sudden. Come on let it be! my
Subconscious mind argued.
fine!
I thought out loud.
Mommy, can I use your pearl please?
Sharon said catching me off guard.
sorry?
I asked to be sure I heard her right.
I want to wear your pearl to the party. Grand ma gave me her beads and she said rich people often wear this beads with pearls to parties
What? Grandma told you to take my pearls?
I asked her putting the plate in my hand away as I stood arm akimbo.
Am sure there is a crease on my brows right now as I frowned at the sight of my $300 pearls on her hand.
"No"
she replied in a weak and fragile voice.
"Alright then, return it"
I told her and turned my back to her as I continued doing the dishes. She stood there without bulging and I can sense she intends to throw tantrums as she gently tugged on my dress for me to face her and I did. She now has a fisted hand placed on her left eyes which is usually followed by a cry.
"Return the pearl or no going to birthday party for you"
I insisted giving her my best scowl.
That was all she needed to hear before letting out a loud shriek. And because I knew what was next, I stretched my hand took my pearls from her before she crashed her self to the floor and started throwing both hands and legs in all direction.
Her loud cry attracted her grandma who dashed to the kitchen where we were and started attempting to pick her from the floor.
"What is happening here?"
Her disciplinarian uncle, Jerry, asked and just that moment she halted, everywhere became blissfully quite as she started staring at her uncle with puppy eyes.
Uncle Jerry commanded her to stand up from the floor upon hearing the reason for her cry and she comply immediately. He always had that control over her.
"listen to me.."
He said with a serious tone
"You have to listen to your mom at all times. We don't tolerate disobedience in this house, okay?"
She nodded a yes and let out what would be her last fits of cry.
"Now clean your tears and dress up. The party has long started."
As if she didn't just cry, she picked her shoes and jumped out gleefully out of the kitchen.
"that was totally unnecessary"
Her father commented. He had walked in while the drama was on and had been entertaining himself since he knew how much I valued those pearls.
"Excuse me?"
I said curtly with a piercing gaze.
He threw his hands up in surrender.
" Spare me ma'am, I was only joking!"
I rolled my eyes and took a few steps towards the door to exit the kitchen before I remembered I was still wearing an apron. Removing my apron and hanging at its usual
"It wasn't funny"
I replied with a tint of irritation in my voice as I walked out of the kitchen dodging his embrace.
THE END