One Plus One Is Onety-One

in bouncepad •  7 years ago 

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I was five years old when I knew that I’d make a terrible businesswoman. When I say businesswoman, I mean this in the Nigerian context of buying and selling goods.

You see, I was intrigued by the men and women who sold their wares on the streets and in the markets. I really wanted to be like them, for one reason: giving change.

I don’t know how to explain it; the thrill I felt whenever someone gave money in exchange for an item they were buying and got back money, was indescribable. It tickled me no end and I wanted to be the person handing out change. I often acted the role of a vendor in front of the mirror in my parents’ bedroom. But playacting wasn’t satisfactory. So, I decided to step it up a notch. I went to my mother.

“Mummy,” I said to her after school one warm afternoon. “I want to do business.”

“What kind of business?” she asked, startled. I was quite the spirited child; serious words like ‘business’, were foreign to my vocabulary.

“I want to be selling groundnuts,” I replied. “I will put it on my head and go around saying, ‘Edep mmansang…come and buy groundnuts.’”

My mother chuckled. “Why do you suddenly want to sell groundnuts?”

“I want to be giving people change,” I mumbled, staring down at my feet, dusty from playing outside.

This time, she laughed. “You want to give change, enh? Mfana ibagha…no problem. But I don’t want you to hawk it. You’ll sit at the gate and sell your groundnuts.” Then she got up and went inside the house.
I thought my chest was going to burst with happiness! Just like that, my dream was about to come true.

“Here,” my mother said when she came outside. “Use this to start your business.”

She handed me a ten naira note. Ten whole naira! Back then, that was a huge sum of money for any child. My joy knew no bounds. I gave the money to my nanny, Auntie Enenwan, whom I trusted. In turn she bought, fried, and tied the groundnuts in small, transparent cellophane packs. Then she spread them out on a tray.

“I put twenty-five packs of groundnuts in this tray. Sell each pack for two naira, you hear? When you finish selling, your money will be fifty naira.”

At that, my eyes went wide. I was going to be very rich! I bobbed my head vigorously to show that I understood. She rolled a piece of fabric as a pad and set my wares on my head.

Chai! That was the first of my proudest moments in this life. I wasn’t allowed to hawk, but all the way to the estate’s gate, I called out, “Edep mmansang.... buy groundnuuuts.” Beside me, auntie Enenwan grinned. In her left hand, she held the small stool on which I was to place my tray.

At the gate, I immediately set up shop while Enenwan returned home. A sharp business entrepreneur that I was, I called out to whoever was passing by.

“Eiss! Come and buy groundnuts,” I said to the children.
“Uncle come and buy my sweet groundnuts.”
“Auntie, come and buy my sweet groundnuts.”

I even got to use one of my favourite words. Customer. “Customer, buy my sweet groundnuts.”

Business was moving. In no time, I’d sold all my packs of groundnuts. Correct business girl! I placed the small stool on my tray and asked one of my customers to place it on my head. Then I began my triumphant return home.

My mother was crocheting in the living room when I ran in, flushed with excitement.

“Mummy! Mummy…. Mummy,” I said, jumping on to the sofa where she sat, grinning from ear to ear. “I sold everything.”

“Really? Oh, that’s my girl!” she exclaimed. “How much did you sell?”

“I sold all of it for fifty naira!”

“Wow! This my daughter is smart! So, where’s the money?” she asked.

“Which money?” I asked, confused.

“The fifty naira that you got from selling.”

“Oh,” I said, a bright smile replacing my confusion. “I used it to give all of them change. Mummy, do you know that two aunties and uncles didn’t want to collect their change? They gave me money and didn’t want to take it back. But I told them to take it, that it’s their change.”

A few seconds went by. Then my mother started laughing. She laughed so hard, tears streamed down her cheeks and she had to put down the table cover she was crocheting.

“You mean they gave you money, but you returned it as change?” she asked, pausing to wipe the tears.

“Yes Mummy,” I replied, baffled by her mirth.

She nearly fell to the floor in a fresh bout of laughter. She called to the nanny and between teary giggles, explained what I’d done. That one started laughing too. My gaze went from one to the other. Their glee was so infectious, and happy child that I was, I joined them.

It was a good while later, when Mum sat down and explained the whole concept of giving change to me. It was a while longer before I understood why I had to take a part of someone’s money for goods.

Did I learn my lesson and stay away from selling anything in this life again? Of course not. And the second time was a near disaster. But that’s a story for another day.



This is a guest post submitted by @ketimae. If you like it, let her know in the comments and also follow her in anticipation of her introductory post 😊. Also, you can resteem for others to see 😉.
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  ·  7 years ago (edited)

To have any entrepreneurial spirit at all at the tender age of 5, is to be well ahead of the pack. Even if you did go bankrupt the first time @ketimae ;-)

Business is in your blood lol
At tender age,you already know the value of money

Oh boy! Don't you just love the enthusiasm of children?! I loved this story...twas soo apt! My kids would do similar things, selling hand crafted rubber hairbands...but unlike the lil heroine here, mine are shrewd probably cos they are older...they store theirs up for sweets and chocolates! lol...This was brilliantly written @ketimae, your prose was so fluid. Great job!

Thank you, Mosun.

Hehehehehe...please I'd love to buy some groundnuts or anything you have to sell, provided I'll get change. 😉😉

Haahhahahahahha

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

Nice idea by @ketimae, i really loved the writeup. I was sucked in, in every part of the story.

“Oh,” I said, a bright smile replacing my confusion. “I used it to give all of them change. Mummy, do you know that two aunties and uncles didn’t want to collect their change? They gave me money and didn’t want to take it back. But I told them to take it, that it’s their change.”

A few seconds went by. Then my mother started laughing. She laughed so hard, tears streamed down her cheeks and she had to put down the table cover she was crocheting.

“You mean they gave you money, but you returned it as change?” she asked, pausing to wipe the tears.

At this moment i thought the mum was gonna beat or shout at her but the reverse is the case. Not just was it suspense but every mum can learn from it. A true loving and caring mum.

Thanks, Bco

Hi, I'm here new, I like your blog, I hope for reciprocity.

Nice story line. I enjoyed the flow from the very first sentence to the last.

I hope more larents get to encourage their kids in developing their skills just like your mum did

Childhood; great innocence at play. You sure can write. Thanks for sharing.

great writing skills keep this up post stuff like this

Will do. Thank you.

Very interesting... I'd even forgotten this was guest posting. Fi I wanted to ask if you were efik or calabar😉 but I realised there is a talented writer doing this... well done dear @katimae. Am sure the thing is... you never want to be poor because you are not lazy. Keep it up.

Thank you, Gloglo

Hahahahaha i cant wait for "another day" to read the next story.... Good one tho... Brings back alotta memories

Thank you, sir.

I honestly thought her mum was goin to beat her.. Interesting story indeed. I don laff tire.

Glad you liked it.

This story line is quite captivating @ketimae.

It further reinforces the concept we have always debated all these years - "every child is a clean slate. They learn to do bad or good from the society".

The innocence of the child is so obvious, i am confused about the conscience of the adults that bought the groundnuts and still took change.

I'm confused about it too. Perhaps, they thought that since I was returning their money, I was meant to give the groundnuts away.

I can imagine. and you were doing all that with this same broad smile in your dp.

Great post. Hope you're good sir? T‪hought I should famz you so I can be noticed. I'll be grateful for any sort of assistance you can render on here. I'm gees with enison,trillex,mistakili frm Bodija and they always mention how you've been supportive. Thanks a lot.‬

Impressed with this 😍 😍

I loved reading this. Kids are so cute, they just do things in innocence.