I can't believe that I have grown up to the stage where I can confidently say that age is just a number, there was a time telling people my age was a big problem. I am from a family of giants and we look older than our age, this has made people treat me with so much respect.
My age was my biggest secret and I will do anything to prevent people from knowing it. Aside from the fact that people treated me with respect because they think I am older, I barely associated with my mates. I played football with seniors and had mostly seniors as friends.
I remembered dating someone who was very much older than me and the day she knew, it was a goodbye thing. I have for many reasons hidden my age from people but one person doesn't see it that way. She loves to know my friends and they get to interact very well but she is terrible at keeping secrets.
She is proud of me for always staying a step ahead of my mates and she has out of excitement revealed my age to people.
After secondary in Nigeria, we usually write an exam known as WAEC (West Africa Examination Council Nigeria). The exam gives you the major secondary leaving certificate.
It was 2008 when we started the registration for this exam, I was the head prefect in school and was well respected by both students and teachers even though I was the youngest in my class and many of my juniors in secondary school were older than me. It is honestly not a big the deal but the fact that I look older with my height makes it an issue.
The registration required writing our age so because of that I didn't fill the form in school as my classmates did. I took it home, filled it, and returned the next day.
I was thirteen but I couldn't write that so I added three years, that doesn't make me older than everyone but it would prevent me from mockery. I submitted the form the next day and everything went well for me.
About two weeks later, the school requested that everyone in my class should invite their parent for a meeting. My mom came around and while leaving, she decided to see the principal.
We didn't see him in his office so we checked the staff room. We met him there, my mom asked about the WAEC form and he said I have filled it.
Being a woman who likes to make sure everything was in perfection, she requested for the form to cross-check and I knew there was a problem immediately she said so.
My classmate passed at that time and the principal sent her to get the forms from his office. Immediately my form was handed over to my mom, she asked who owns the date of birth on it.
I didn't answer and she started talking. You told them that wasn't my age and she revealed it, there were students in the staff, and before I knew the information spread like wildfire.
Mom kept emphasizing the fact that I was a small boy, I was so mad at her and the felt terrible in front of everyone. The next day, I didn't want to go to school and as I thought, I became the hottest gist in school. I got the nickname baby and it frustrated me.
Even my teachers sometimes made jest of me but some of them loved me more and everyone loved me more after I was among the only two who cleared all the papers in the exam.
She didn't stop at that and I had to endure more drama at the church.
After the results were out, she insisted that I did thanksgiving in church like other students will do.
Being a shy type, I refused. It was all settled at home that I wouldn't be doing it and to my greatest surprise, my mom went out for thanksgiving in the church.
I was praying really hard for her not to mention my age out of excitement but the prayer didn't answer.
When it got to her turn, she sang different songs and I knew where the happiness was coming from. She struggled to send me to school and she was happy I didn't let her effort go to waste.
She finally stop singing and said the purpose of her thanksgiving.
Everything went well until she called me her little boy and I could sense trouble.
At the end of her thanksgiving, she said everyone should join her in shouting hallelujah because her fourteen years old son cleared his exam in one sitting.
I was a big boy in church, I barely played with my mate. I interacted mostly with adults and they treated me like one so I understood why most of the congregation came to look at me after she let the cat out of the basket.
That was the turning point, we got home that day and I told her how embarrassed I felt whenever she mentioned my age.
She told me that I was supposed to be proud of my age and I made her realize the height wasn't helping.
Mom made a promise that day and she has broken it in my presence but I can't say she hasn't broken it in my absence.
