Truth or dare is a common game amongst teenagers. It evolved over time to spin the bottle and many others.
This game is most common at birthday parties as it would feel incomplete without it. Though I wasn't able to experience it at the few birthday parties I was able to attend, there are a few times I found myself getting caught up in a dare.
This is because when I was younger, I used to believe what a boy can do, a girl can also do it way better. Climbing trees? I was fully there to represent or was it jumping down from a high fence? Easy peasy. Food competition? That's my main area of specialization. *I played football, I ran around, played hopscotch(suwe) both with male and female children around me.
My mom would have to constantly remind me that I am a girl and I should stop behaving like a boy. Well, it's not my fault that most of our neighbor’s female children don't like tough games 😁.
During a school holiday, one of my neighbour's had visitors. Two of their uncle's children came to stay with them. They were both boys. Ever since they've been around, they have often played outdoor games with my neighbors three boys and most of the time, I do join in as well.
One day, I overheard one of my neighbor's children telling the two boys they would all go to swim at the small lake not too far from our house.
Later in the day, I saw them going and waved at them “Aren't you coming?” one of the new boys asked. “Rukkie doesn't know how to swim”, one of my neighbour's children answered.
“Ohh! I thought what a boy can do, a girl can do it better”, the other new boy teased, while they all bursted into laughter.
“I can swim na, I just don't want to go”, I said, trying to defend myself.
“Prove it then”, they dared me.
I knew I wasn't much of a swimmer but I didn't want to cut my rank. So I decided to join them.
On our way there, I thought of how I was going to pull it off without them knowing I really can't swim.
My eyes sparked as a thought came to me. I figured since the water isn't too deep, all I had to do was to try standing at the shallow part of the water and just splash water around with my hands.” Easy peasy”, I smirked.
When we got there, some of the boys went into the water while the rest sat on the bank. I quickly went in too before my ruse was found out.
We played around in the water for sometime and others also joined in. Some of us came out to sit on the bank as well while others were swimming. I was happy that I was able to pull it off until one of the new boys had a crazy idea.
“Let's see who can hold their breath longer underwater”, he announced excitedly.
“Me I am not there o”, one of my neighbour’s son quickly went against the idea.
“You are not strong before na", he mocked.
“You nko?” He asked the brother and they all went against it.
“Una no get mind at all, na so so mouth una get”, he mocked them further but they paid him no need. I knew he was getting close to asking me and I was already having a dreadful feeling
“Rukkie how far, you go join?”, he asked me and before I could shake my head to say no, my neighbour's son interjected.
”Rukkie will do what? When I cannot do it? Them no born her well to try am” one of them said.
“Hahan, why wouldn't I be able to do it? What's there?” I hissed, trying to prove what I was not even though I knew deep down I should just join those that were at the river bank.
I decided to join the two new boys and we started. One of them went first,while we counted numbers from 1-100. The two of them were able to hold for about 30 to 35 seconds respectively.
When it got to my turn, I thought it would be easy but it didn't take long before I found out it wasn't as easy as I thought.
I dipped my head into the water and tried staying calm, but water kept trying to get into my nose. I used both hands to hold my nose and gallons of water rushed into my mouth.
“... 8, 9, 10”, I quickly raised my head while trying to catch my breath.
“Oya na, you for continue. You think say he easy? One of my neighbour's son mocked me while I was trying too hard to catch my breath.
“Omo! , you no strong at all o, you no even reach 20 seconds”, the boy who suggested the game teased.
“Henn, I tried na, those wey no do nko?” I was still trying to defend myself knowing fully well that was a crazy risk, one my parents mustn't find out.
As we journeyed back home, I wasn't happy at all because the whole point of going with them in the first place was to prove that I could partake in any tough game.
Despite my steez falling drastically, a part of me was glad it was finally over because I knew I couldn't continue to keep up. ”I don't want to die young abeg” 😁