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.
UnsplashIt 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 answered. 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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