namnso-ukpanah
Growing up in an African home, especially in Nigerian home we were told a lot of lies, a lot of lies that we believed until we were of age to understand that they were lies.
I grew up in the suburban part of Lagos oshodi to be precise. And I can tell you a lot of these lies were so convincing that I didn’t have the guts to try them.
it's 6 am and I was awake doing some chores before preparing for school. I have 2 siblings joy and David, we have 1 year in-between us with joy being the first me the second, and David the third. My parents were already out of the house for work, they always leave early to avoid traffic and come back late because of traffic. We always make things easier for our parents by doing everything around the house before they ask. My siblings and I went to the community school around the area so it was pretty much easy for us.
“Joy I’m done cleaning the house you and David should go and prepare the food we will take to school,” I said out loud to joy and David.
“Already on it,” David said.
That's when I saw joy helping David out in the kitchen. With Joy being our only sister, we loved to pamper her and are overprotective of her. Her being older wasn’t an issue it even made it fun.
“You boys don’t let me do anything in this house,” joy said.
“You are our baby so you shouldn’t do anything,” I said.
“Whatever” she replied.
Soon we were done, we took our bath and it was time for school. We made our way to our different classes as soon as we got to school, when I got to my class, there was a little commotion and I went to find out what was happening.
“If you drink coke and eat mango you will die” seun a student in my class said.
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Jonathan Borba
“Yes, it's true my aunty told me if you do it you will die” another boy agreed with seun.
The argument continued and I thought to myself is it really true? Will drinking coke and eating mango really kill you? I couldn’t place an answer to it and I was definitely not going to try it out.
They were not done with that when someone said another one.
“That one is even small if you swallow an orange seed, an orange tree will grow in your stomach,” a female student said.
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“It's a lie. I have swallowed a lot of orange seeds before and nothing happened” seun countered her.
“Ahh better go to the hospital orange will grow in your stomach
It happened to somebody I know” the female student said to seun.
I could see the fear in seun’s eyes but it vanished almost immediately as he continued arguing I continued thinking about the whole thing that I was being said but my thoughts were cut short by the teacher entering the class.
“Why are you students making noise” the teacher screamed at the class.
Nobody said anything as the teacher got ready and taught the lesson for the day. Towards the end of the teacher period
We heard a student screaming at another student.
“Why did you cross over my leg? Cross back fast, do you want to steal my luck?” Seun said to a fellow student.
“Cross back for what see seun leave me and your superstitious nonsense “ the student whose name happens to be bolu said.
“If you don’t cross back now I will slap you,” Seun said.
“Slap me and see if I won’t slap you back” bolu replied.
Before the teacher could do anything, a fight had started already. When the teacher finally separated them they were sent to the principal’s office for extensive disciplinary action .
School was soon over, and after a stressful day, I was finally going home with my siblings. On the way home I asked my siblings a question about these superstitious beliefs to know their opinions since we haven’t really spoken about it before.
“It’s a lie how will an orange tree grow in your stomach,” David said.
“It’s true it has happened to someone before my classmate said she knows someone it has happened to,” I said to David.
“And you are believing nonsense, better stop believing things like that before you will dull your brain” joy said to me.
We continued arguing till we got home.
When we got home we did our assignments and when it was evening we cooked night food with our mom who was home already.
“Mummy I want to ask you a question,” I said to my mum.
“What is it my dear” she replied.
“Are superstitious beliefs real or fake?” I said.
“How do you mean” she replied.
“In school today, someone said if you eat mango and drink come you will die is it true? I asked my mother.
“Die? It's not true don’t listen to things like that” my mum said.
“We told him already he did not want to believe,” joy said to my mum.
They made fun of me for believing in superstition beliefs until we were done cooking.
“So how was school, I hope you children listened attentively to your teachers?” My mom asked us.
“Yes, ma we did” we replied unanimously.
“Remember you have to study well now so you will be able to enjoy yourself when you are done with secondary school,” she said again.
THAT WAS A BIG LIE. I found that out when I was done with secondary school. The struggle never ends. I guess that is a superstitious belief my mother made us believe.
