"And about Wongi, she was the most outstanding of all my kids, '' my mom said. At this point, my eyes widened and my ears were at alert.
My mom was narrating the stories of each and everyone of her kids during their childhood to her friend. She went on and on from her first child and the next till she got to my turn.
There I was, curled up at the corner of my mom's bed, trying not to listen to the ongoing "adult discussion" but the adults discussing weren't exactly whispering.
"By outstanding, I mean different," my mom continued.
"Different? Was she born with a disability?" Her friend inquired.
"No!" My mom said sharply. "All my kids came out looking very healthy".
"Okay. So how was Wongi different?"
"She was the reverse of her siblings. Sometimes I got worried and other times I was grateful."
"You're not exactly making any sense. You're speaking in parables my friend."
"Okay, let me give you an instance. Wongi never liked taking sweets and the like. So, when her siblings were crying for candies, she was crying for unsweetened things".
"And you say that she came out healthy?"
"Yes. I was extremely worried and so I had to meet my doctor. He said that she was okay and that I had nothing to worry about".
"That is a very strange behaviour for a kid. Little wonder why her teeth are still complete. Many of her age mates have lost three to five tooths already, thanks to candies" she chuckled.
"My dear. One day, we went ahead to test her. My husband held a glass of unsweetened freshly squeezed vegetable drink and I held a cup of soda.."
My mom's friend paid keen attention at this point. Her facial expression was blank. She looked like she was receiving a lecture. Her glare was fixed on my mom's face as she kept narrating.
"She drank a handsome amount of the vegetable drink but once she tasted the soda, she began crying so hard. A passerby would have thought I had beaten her up mercilessly but I did nothing".
"So what was she crying about? The soda?"
"Yes my friend! I asked her what the problem was and she said I had given her a very bitter drink. At this point, I was puzzled"
"Just the same way I'm puzzled. How would she think it was bitter? Did she even know the difference between bitter and sweet?"
"Surprisingly, she did. But she chose her truth from a young age and I couldn't be more proud".
"That's one very special kid you got. This way, you wouldn't spend so much money on candy and you would also worry less about the stomach aches that come as a result of too much candy, " my mom's friend said.
"That's right," my mom responded as she turned to look at me. My eyes shone brightly from the corner I laid. I bet I was looking so harmless. She smiled at me before speaking.
"Wongi dear, could you check if there are any more dirty dishes in the kitchen? My mom requested.
Source
That was my cue to leave. My mom wasn't the type to send you out of her room directly. She only sent you on errands that were either impossible or errands that had been done already. Like in the case of the dishes, I had already done the dishes and she knew this.
"Yes mummy" I said as I walked out of her room.
As I trudged to my room, I kept reflecting on the story I had just heard. This was the very first time my mom told the story and at that moment, it was extremely clear that I wasn't a sweet tooth. I only consumed a moderate amount of candies and I always balanced it out with either water or something with a bland taste. It was an innate behaviour and this innate behaviour has saved me thus far.
Love, Wongi 馃尲
