Uchey Kama
Jul 20, 2017 · 2 min read

MY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES #1

THE DAY I SAVED A WATER BOTTLE

By God’s grace, I was born with a silver spoon and I had some luxuries but I bless God for my mum who made sure I didn’t become a spoilt brat. When the satellite decoder popularly known as DSTV first came to Nigeria, my dad bought it. Some of my friends then used to follow me home just to watch cartoon network.I always watched American movies and I was really fascinated by the little kids in the movies emerging the heroes. For example the little boy saved a puppy and everybody in the movie will gather around and begin to applaud him then his mom will say 'I am so proud of u’.

One day, I was coming back home from school with my friends. I was in primary 3 and I went to a very expensive “ajebo” private school. There’s a really big gutter in front of the school and a little girl accidentally threw her water bottle in the gutter and started crying. Everybody was staring from afar and I remembered my movies where the kids are the heroes. I braced myself and jumped into the gutter. I got the water bottle out but I couldn’t bring myself out of the gutter. Imagine, supergirl can’t save herself. I got dragged out by two of my friends and I grazed my knees but I was happy that I was a hero. Nobody applauded me; the crowd dispersed like nothing happened but I wasn’t disappointed. I was eager to go home and tell my mum about it. I was longing to hear that 'I am so proud of you’.

I got home and told my mum she looked at my knees then looked me in the eye and slapped me. I was shocked. Then she said 'were you the only one there!? Wait let ur father get home’. She cleaned my wound though but she told me how foolish that action was. That day, two realities dawned on me.

1. There is a difference between Nigeria and America

2. Movies and reality are so not the same thing.I never heard the 'I am so proud of you' neither did I get an applause from the crowd but I was so happy I did something good.

I saved a water bottle!

P.S that’s me, my little brother Emmanuel (he’s not so little now though) and our wonderful mum. I was 4 years old and I am still cute.

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Uchey Kama

Written by

Christain, Realist, A born writer, music lover, smooth talker,Nigerian, voracious reader, wicked sense of humour and a smile that can make a rainy day bright.