There are some moments that might look really serious but turns out to a moment that anytime we remember it, we cannot help but laugh.
My phone rang and I picked it up. I heard Mum's voice,she was on the other end of the call. Apparently she was using a pay phone to call. I asked her what had happened, she said she just wanted to use a pay phone. That was a first for me. She asked that I should come over to the house. That she wanted to discuss something with me.
Two hours later I was home. She was watching Television and I asked her what the problem was that she sounded so worried over the phone. She answered "help get some groceries". I was shocked, because I was thinking it was something more serious.
She handed a paper to me and I opened it. It was the list of items I was to get. I didn't know most of the items on the list. I told my Mum "I don't know most of the items here", she replied "you will know them, my friend go and get me those items".
That's African parents for you, they expect you to have an idea of everything under the sun, after all why did they send you to school. I told her that I might buy the brands she doesn't normally use. She replied "your mates are the ones cooking for their parents". I laughed because I knew she was just trying to make go to the grocery store.
I got to the grocery store and I was confused 🤔.
I didn't know where to start from or what to buy first.
I just went through the list, took a cart and just picked the items on the list without even paying attention to the brands. I never really looked at the brands when using those items. I got all the items on the list. I got to the counter and paid for the groceries. I then saw one of my classmates, I said hi to him and carried the groceries bag and off I went.
My Mum was happy when she saw me entering the kitchen with the bag of groceries. I dropped it on the kitchen table and off I went to the living room.
My Mum screamed my name and I rushed into the kitchen. The items I saw on the table were not groceries but rather plumbing tools. My eye balls became bigger and my throat became dry. I couldn't say a word. My Dad came to the kitchen to see what was going on. When he saw the plumbing tools he started laughing and my Mum joined him. I felt embarrassed but looking at it from their angle it was funny how groceries turned to plumbing tools.
My Dad started calling me a magician and My Mum teased me. She said I should turn some pieces of paper to money. I couldn't hold back myself, I started laughing. It was really funny what had just happened.
I went back to the grocery store. I explained everything to be attendant and he couldn't stop laughing. He told me the other customer is on his way with my bag of groceries. Apparently the man picked my bag of groceries and it had the same weight as his bag of plumbing tools. When he arrived, he just started laughing and told me how his wife had teased him and calling him a magician. I told him my own story and he said "Maybe we are real magicians, I think we can start a circus". I replied "I will be the accountant". We all laughed and took our real shopping bags and left.
I got home and my Mum opened the door and shouted the magician is back and we all laughed.
This is one incident that makes me smile anytime I to remember it. Anytime we gather for family dinner. This incident is always on the menu.
