COUNTING MY CHICKS

in The Ink Well2 years ago (edited)

This prompt got me thinking back to some few years back, when I was still in high school. I had this very rich uncle that I usually received gifts from.


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It was the end of the term and I had a good result. I had just emeged as the second best in my entire class. As usual, anytime my result came out and it was good, i would make sure the news got to all my uncles and aunties who had probably promised me one thing or the other.

That fateful day, when I received the term's result, I made sure to call him myself to deliver the news.
I asked my mom if I could use her phone to make the call because by that time, I had not yet gotten a phone, "mom, can I use your phone to call Uncle Dan,"

"here take it, make sure you don't finish my call credit, " my mom said as she handed me the phone.

I called twice but it went unanswered. This uncle of mine was a very busy man and I knew so. If he did not answer the call for whatever reason at that time, I was sure that he'd return it when he could, as was in his character.

I was reading a novel in the comfort of my room when my mum summoned me. When I went to the sitting room where she had called me from to answer her, she handed me her phone, "here, take! Your uncle's on the line."

"Hello uncle, good evening," I said as I sat next to my mom.
"Hello, good evening Chee. How are you?" He asked.
"I am doing well, sir. I actually called you in the afternoon but there was no answer,"

"Yes, I saw the call. I was at work and was not in a position to take it at that time. Your mom already told me why you were calling. She mentioned that your result was out,"

I gave my mom a side eye for not allowing me the pleasure of relaying the news myself, and I thanked God she didn't see me do it.

"Yes it is out," I said excitedly.

"So how is the result?" he asked.

" It is good, I got the second position,"

"Wow, that is good to hear. You know what, I will send something across to you as a reward for your hard work and making us proud."

"Awwn, thank you, uncle." I said as I smiled so hard that I felt the corners of mouth were going to tear.
"And if you emerge first position next term, I'll give you a big surprise," he said.

"I will, I promise," I said quickly almost jumping.

"All right, hand the phone over to your mom,"
"Okay, bye," I greeted him and did as instructed and then skipped jubilantly back to my room.

Later on in the day, my mum would tell me that my uncle had said that he'd send the sum of forty thousand naira through her to me and I would almost break into a dance from the excitement of receiving that huge amount of money. For the first time ever.

All through that week, I was concerned with surfing the net in search for anything fancy that I could get with my money.

I had my eyes on this pretty doll with long hair and had in mind to get it once I lay hold of my money but then, I convinced myself against it. I thought about saving up the money for the future but that thought too, only last for a short time. And like that, I kept picking up and discarding each and every idea I had. I hadn't even received the money but had already begun spending it, in my head. That was a lot of money to me then. Infact, my mind kept spinning around all the things I could get. I never felt my mind spin so much like that.

The next week, on a Tuesday evening, my mom got back home with a sack containing some clothes she had bought for me. I was very happy to be owning new stuff. Well, that joy was cut short when she told me that my uncle had sent the money and she used it to purchase the clothes for me.

I was very sad, I wanted to cry but held back the tears and just pretended I wasn't so angry. She didn't even use some part of the money but all of them. After I had counted all of my chicks before they were laid. Well, I accepted the clothes with gratitude but I never even got to buy one of the many things I had planned to get. She could have at least asked what I wanted.

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Thanks for gracing this post.
Greetings!

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I don't know why I read this, imagining that the forty thousand naira was bigger than you (in a very mountainous margin)
and that's because you were very small then😅.

Your mom did excellently well💯

No no no no no. Don't do this nau!!😩😩
I've always been big. I'm a big girl🙄

'Small Girl Big God' gang
👏👏👏

Tschewwww

Hahaha mothers can be like that. I could imagine you already planning all the things you would buy with the money only for your mum to spoil the show.

I had a good laugh reading this. Thank you for sharing.

She spoilt my plans so bad that it hurt. My millions that I would have used to buy houses and cars😩😂

This was beautiful. Your mum made good use of the money, clothes are more important than dolls. But as a child, you would barely understand that.

I wasn't do much of a child. I was a teenager and she ought to have sought my opinion before spending my own money. Ha!😩😂

There is a saying here that goes: "You don't have to saddle the horse before you have it." It was a big disappointment, but the clothes are also good although they don't beat a toy or something like that.

Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

Good day.

I loved all of the clothes but I wanted to get some other stuff. She had no idea so.

Thanks for reading

Children have a strong sense of fairness, and it must have seemed so terribly unfair for her to go shopping with the money that was yours.

This is just one opinion, but your mother did not provide a good example by taking what did not belong to her, even if she used it to buy things for you.

Thank you for sharing this interesting creative nonfiction story in The Ink Well, and for reading and commenting on the work of other community members. Be sure to check your writing for errors before posting.

I agree that she did wrong by not seeking my opinion or asking what I'd want. I told her so some days after and she apologized.

Be sure to check your writing for errors before posting.

Certainly will.
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