Childhood is an amazing time in our lives when we are carefree and do whatever we like. We do silly things, some we are proud of and some we are not. I did one of the dumbest things as a child that I can never forget and whenever I think about it, it makes me cringe to this day.
I can still remember when I was six years old, that day is still very fresh in my memory. My parents always take me and my siblings to spend holidays with our grandparents. We are always so excited, because we get to spend the holidays with our cousins we rarely get to see. I wasn't feeling too well that day and my mum wanted me to stay back home, but I insisted on going to my grandmother's place so she stopped by the pharmacy to get some drugs which we took to our grandparents' place.
My grandmother was very strict when it came to the health of her grandchildren. She didn't even let a minute pass after we had dinner before telling me to come and take my drugs. After taking the drugs, there was one particular one I tasted that was very sweet. With a child's mentality, I went back to the room when my grandmother wasn't there and I took more of the drugs.
I and my cousins decided to play games that evening, as we were playing I started feeling weird and I noticed my left hand was stretching and I couldn't fold my hands anymore. I started screaming and my cousins started screaming when they noticed what was happening. I quickly tried to hide my hands because my mind was telling me it was the extra drugs I drank in her room that were the cause of my predicament.
My grandmother came in and was confused. My cousins pointed at my hand. When she saw the hand she started screaming with tears in her eyes. At that moment, I knew I had gotten myself into trouble. She carried me on her back crying while rushing me to the hospital. I was given injections to calm my hand down and they ran some tests and the doctor told my mum I overdosed on drugs. My grandmother started asking me questions and she knew I drank more of the drugs she kept on her table. When my mum came the next day, trust Nigerian mum she beat the hell out of me not minding if I was feeling better or not.
As I grew older, I understood the gravity of my dumb act. The act would have cost me my life at a tender age. I learned that every action has a consequence even the stupid and innocent ones.
Childhood is indeed a beautiful part of everyone's life. But we must learn from our mistakes and cherish the moments that make us proud and happy. And now, anytime I enter a pharmacy or see drugs, I am reminded of the dumbest thing I did as a child.
