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This post is an entry for the ProWritersHub contest.

Introduction

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Childhood is usually one of the best times in our lives. During that time we have no problems and as such no worries whatsoever. At this time we get what we want from our parents and uncles at will.

We were given the best that our parents could afford for us, we made to be taken care of, because that was the priority our parents had.

My Childhood Pranks and Memories

I grew up at Ikom with my aunt. I was living with my aunty, and she had a boy who happens to be the only child. Since the boy is the only child, both of us were like brothers and sisters. My aunt took me as her child, she loved and cared for me as her own.

She was a teacher that worked as a teacher at a government school in Ikom.

I schooled at ENZU primary and secondary school with my cousin. When I was in primary 2 he was in primary 1. Everyday we go to and come back from school together.

When we come back from school the first thing we do was to watch our school uniforms together, by then my aunt isn't back from work yet because she come around 3pm. We close from school by 1pm.

There is usually food at home when we get back we eat, after that we take our shower but not together. But on days when there is no food, I will boil yam because that's what I could prepare at the time.

After eating and having our bath we go to our neighbors house as their mom was very close to my aunty and she has kinds of our age. We usually play together as the house was a duplex, running up and down the stairs and also running around the compound.

When my aunt then gets back from work, we then go home. Sometimes she branches to the market to get food stock to prepare from work, so when she comes back she would take her shower then we go into the kitchen to prepare the dinner. I will help her to pound pepper, crayfish, other necessary things that needs to be pounded.

What I hate pounding while growing up is ogbonno because I used to have difficulty in pounding it as it requires a lot of strength and was very stressful. When she's cooking she tells me to stand by the side, while she mixes all the ingredients. Then later in the evening after eating, we have to do our homework. So we show her our homework, then she will begin to ask some questions about the homework and if you can't answer it to the way she expects you to know but don't know, be ready to get slapped, and the slap can land on any part of your body, especially your face.

In my childhood I did mostly going to church, school, and staying at home. At that time, there was no game center, no eateries compared to now, and Ikom wasn't developed yet.

As a child I liked to practice how to cook using the container of tomatoes pastes. I will cut grass, pieces it with my hands, put inside the tomatoes container. Then I will put water and mix with it, then if no one is around, I will go inside the house and put a tiny drop of palm oil into the container, then I will gather sticks set it as firewood, then I will light up the firewood and it start burning with small flame.

I will then put my container on the fire, when I see boiling, it make me happy, plus the funny aroma that comes out from it. Then I will start stirring it, in my mind I'm very happy that I'm 'cooking'. So after cooking, I will just perceive the aroma then look at soup, before I finally throw everything away.

The best thing I enjoyed as a child was anytime I go to visit my parents in Calabar from Ikom, during the time I used to stay with my aunty. I always feel very excited and my mom was always glad to have me around because I missed them.

So when I'm with them, I get lots of snacks. Then I loved eating spaghetti and anytime I get to Calabar, by just looking at the road and the environment, my heart gets filled with joy.

Here in Calabar, we visit many places, like cultural center. There in the cultural center, a lot of activities are always on going. I love ice cream, my dad always gets it for me anytime we go out. Witnessing the Calabar Carnival was the most amazing thing ever.

Conclusion

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I really had wonderful experiences at Ikom while I was staying with my aunty. I had lots of fun especially when I was 'cooking'

It was even better when I had to go meet my parents at Calabar, I was always very excited as I missed them a lot. Then I also had a lot of things that I used to do when we are together.