“No, I won’t accept it! You can’t be carrying the remote to hide.” I was so pissed off, I felt hot, bitter tears spring to my eyes.
“Isn’t the rule that whoever gets the remote first picks what she wants to watch?” My sister flared at me.
“But I got to the parlour before you.”
“But it’s me that saw it first.”
“That’s because you hid it when NEPA took light and that was three hours ago!” I fired back.
My sister settled majestically in front of the TV, and began to flick through the channels. “That one is your business sha. I still got the remote first.”
I felt my skin go hot with rage. I glared daggers at the back of her head and fought not to go give her a slap. Not cause I couldn’t, but because she’d put up a good fight and could practically disfigure my face. “I’ll tell Daddy for you when he gets back. You’re a wicked sister!” With that last scathing remark, I ran to my room and banged the door shut.
Twenty minutes later, I sneaked behind the glass door and sat down to watch what she was watching without her knowing. I could go back to the parlour, but for a seven year old Tessa, that was a massive reduction of steeze and composure. And I was having none of that.
Bickerings like these were quite common growing up. I grew up being exposed to a lot of TV. We had a TV in my bedroom and my parents almost always had it subscribed to DSTV, so it was really fun. But I think there were different TV eras in my household. This one I just narrated where my big sister and I fought for the remote every day and I, more often than not ended up as the one in tears, was the DSTV era.
Then there was the DVD Cassette era which lasted a couple of years if not more. The family only saw movies, cartoons and music videos solely from our DVD cassettes. I think it was that period that our parents got us introduced to K-drama and we fell in love with it. My memories are quite foggy now so I may be mixing it up. But there was a whole lot of Chinyere Udoma, Akanchawa, Barbie, Tom & Jerry, the whole shebang, going on.
There was also the AIT, AKBC (Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation) or something like that and NTA era. I’m not even sure what was going on but we suddenly stopped watching any fun stuff. There was no more DSTV or even cassettes. Just the local broadcasting stations morning, afternoon and night. I already knew I loved to read but I think it was that era that unfolded my addiction to reading. Cause I read books rather than watch the boring, monotonous, predictable programmes being aired.
Then the final era which was the longest and which we still low-key are in, is the Ghanaian satellite era. One day I got back from school to see several men in the house fixing a new satellite dish and doing things with wires and cables. And then my Dad announced that we’ll be plugged into this new satellite where we could watch a bunch of interesting stuff. And he has paid the initial bulk sum and wouldn’t have to subscribe every month like we did with DSTV.
I was genuinely happy to leave that life behind so I was beyond elated. That’s how we became half Nigerian, half Ghanaian cause unknown to my Dad, the satellite mostly featured only Ghanaian stations. During that period, we were more abreast with what was happening in Ghana than even Nigeria. It was hilarious and even till now, I still know at the top of my head at least 15 regions (states) in Ghana.
Anyway, I don’t watch TV at all currently and for a long while now. But at home, we’re back to DSTV and still winging it with the Ghanaian satellite occasionally. Plus DVD cassettes as well. Just mixing everything. I hope I haven’t deviated from the prompt topic. There you have it guys. My Childhood TV dispensations, lol.
Shout-out to Digital Lifestyle for this amazing prompt. Do check it out if you’re yet to.
Jhymi🖤
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