April fools day is a global tradition that lasts for just a day , The first day of April. It is a very popular event ( even though there is no exact story about it's origin) that turns the world into one huge pranknasium with everybody trying to fool anybody gullible enough to fall victim to their shallow trickery. However there are some really good pranks that would even put the god of mischief- Loki out of business if you are patient enough to look under the pile of nonsense people consider works of art. April fools day comes with a lot of distrust and doubt as people tend to be very skeptical about any information they come in contact with as they feel it might just be an elaborate ruse to make them look like the very nature of the day, FOOLS.
The first real memory I have of this social phenomenon would have to be an episode from a kids show on Cartoon Network called Johnny Bravo. The show explained what the essence of the custom was even though the protagonist never really understood it until the next day causing him to mess up his relationships and opportunities that came his way. After that very day I was hooked, I tried to participate in its activities every April 1st and luckily for me i was able to trick a handful of people within my vicinity. This continued for years and my love for it grew exponentially which was partly because it transpired on my favorite month of the year. I continued to enjoy the tenets of April Fools day as I aged but with it came exposure, I started noticing those pranks younger me would have deemed superb for what they truly are extremities and some of them life threatening. People would go as far as wasting the resources and finances of others and even putting their lives in danger just for a good laugh , a taste of false achievement and to feel better about themselves. Don't get me wrong the tradition itself isn't that bad, my problem is with the extremist who overdo it without considerations for what toll it takes on others.
Two years ago I got a call from my childhood friend asking me for money as he urgently needed to go home and was short on cash. Apparently his mom had called him extremely early that morning crying that his dad passed away in his sleep the previous night due to health complications. The way all four of his siblings even reacted in the background wailing like babies made him believe the whole story without a single doubt compelling him to thoughts of going home to grief with his family. I gave it to him together with my condolences and wished him a safe trip on his journey back home.
My friend left school in Enugu as early as pass 7 just so he can get back home to Abuja before 4pm to avoid traffic or any form of trouble as well. He got the pack, boarded a public transit and off he was without even calling his family to tell them he was coming because a lot was already running wild in his head. As fate would have it, he got home by past 3 to meet everybody laughing in the sitting room together with his supposedly late father that was when he realized they had played with his emotions all because of some dumb event. This threw him into a whirlpool of rage as he was supposed to be preparing for a test but here he was over 441 kilometers away from his books. He was truly hurt and so were his grades for that course.
So while April's fool day might seem like a day of fun and a pure- hearted event to let off steam, emphasis is never really placed on how it has become a forum for misinformation, deception and sometimes emotional trauma it has caused on people for unnecessary reasons. I know I keep telling friends and family I want no part in its traditions and should be exempted from their shenanigans, they keep making attempts to get one on me every single year. I just play along so I can get it over with as soon as possible and from year I won't be picking any early morning calls on the first day of April.
PS All pictures are mine
