Age is more than just a number; it may seem like a mere number to some people. Consequently, the significance of age has diminished, leading to a lack of respect from younger individuals towards their elders, as they perceive age as merely a numerical value. Age traditionally commands respect for the elderly and establishes a distinction between older and younger individuals.
However, the younger generation often fails to acknowledge this, particularly in my case with my two siblings. It's challenging for them to address me as their brother.This issue primarily stems from the fact that modern-day parents neither encourage nor enforce the practice of addressing older siblings with the appropriate respect. They often claim that the younger ones will eventually address their older siblings as 'brother' or 'sister' once they grow up.
To me, this reasoning doesn't justify the erosion of respect towards older siblings. Even the younger children follow suit by addressing older siblings by their names because they observe their peers doing so.
The day my younger brother and sister started calling me 'brother' was when I was fifteen years old. Since that day, they have always shown respect and regard for me. This action was initiated by one of my aunts, Mrs. Funke, who is the younger sister of my dad. She is a teacher at the school where I graduated.
One day, she came to our house to visit my parents. I was amazed and a bit anxious when I saw her coming towards our house. She asked me if my father was around, to which I quickly replied 'yes' She entered my dad's room majestically, unaware that she was my father's sister. I thought she wanted to talk about my brother's behavior in school.
As she reached the door, she knocked three times and said, 'Open the door. Upon entering the room, she exclaimed, 'Ha ha, Funke,' greeting my father. I glanced around, wondering if my father knew her beforehand. They warmly exchanged greetings, and then I heard my father calling my younger siblings, Odunayo and Saheed, asking one of them to bring me outside the compound. 'Did you mean Mustapha?' my younger brother Saheed confirmed, and my father replied 'Yes.' My aunt overheard this and decided to wait for our arrival.
Saheed dashed outside, loudly calling my name, 'Mustapha!!! Where are you? I've been calling you. My dad instructed me to call you, and we both entered the room. Suddenly, my aunt, Mrs. Funke, asked my younger sister, 'What is your elder brother's name?' She confidently replied, 'Mustapha.' My aunt then instructed her to kneel down and asked my younger brother the same question, receiving the same answer. She told him to kneel down as well and said, 'From today, you must start calling him "Brother Mustapha." Do you understand me?' Although my siblings were afraid, they had no choice but to obey her. Since then, they have been calling me 'brother.'
Our neighbors in the community were surprised that my siblings could easily call me 'brother.' Consequently, my favorite age became when I was fifteen years old, as that was the year my siblings started addressing me as 'brother.'"
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