There is one thing I have always loved doing right from when I was a small girl. I had always enjoyed it. One might seem to wonder why this particular act seems to be enjoyable for me. But yes it was and still is very enjoyable. Most people do not like doing this, especially boys or men.
clothes hand washed in the stream
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Since I was six, my mom will always soak my dirty socks and underwear inside a baby bath and ask me to go and wash them out with my hands. Of course we use our hands to wash clothes. Whenever she wanted to do laundry, she would invite me and my siblings over and we would put our hands together and wash our clothes. Most times, my brothers will be the first to remove their hands from washing and go to play football.
My mom will always say they could go because they were male children and do not really need to be bothered with house chores, because they will surely grow up and get married to women who will do chores for them, that it was we girls that must learn how to do house chores so that we will not be sent back from our husband's house. Most times I did not really feel it, until I found myself washing my siblings clothes, especially that of my brothers.
I even started growing fond of washing clothes. I do it most times to get myself busy. I started loving it so much especially during my early teens. I would wash all my brothers’ clothes, wash my parents’ and mine and sundry them all. I always found pleasure in washing them. It is not as if I will not like using the washing machine later in life, when I have the money, it is just that we cannot afford it yet over here yet.
clothes being sundried
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One day, I visited my elder sister who lived in a small village far from where we stayed. When I got to her house, I saw lots of dirty clothes, both hers, her husband's and children's. I asked her why she kept the clothes till it became that much, and she said, she was always tired and thanks her stars that I am at her house because she was pretty sure I will help with the washing of the clothes since I washed clothes as a hobby. We later took the clothes to the stream together and washed them all.
Washing clothes at the stream was actually exciting and more fun to do because people were many at the stream and we could see others either washing their clothes or taking their baths. The stream was not for regular visits. The village had specific days of the month for visiting the stream. No one dared to visit the stream on normal days. It was my first time at the stream though. As at the time we visited the stream, I did not have a mobile phone yet, so I only enjoyed the memories in my head. The only thing I did not enjoy was the journey back from the stream. The stream was far and the sun was very hot. We came back and sundried the clothes at home. It was a fun experience.
Thanks for reading. Writing is mine.
Images used in this publication are gotten HERE