Tales From Childhood.

Today, the ice cream man was in the area. 

'jingu beh jingu beh jingu on the way, babangida open mouth efrii-bodi run hey! jingu beh....hmm hmm hmm.....'

The tune coming from the icecream mans radio rhymed with the lyrics in her head as she scattered the dirty clothes sister Bose stuffed and tied up in an old wrapper. She was looking for her brown short knicker.The one she was wearing yesterday to play 'market seller' with Rukewe and Shade when Aunty Corper called her. 

'run and buy 50 naira onions for me'. 

She held the hundred naira tight as she ran all the way to the shop where she bought the onions, 

' take your change'. 

Iya Biliki gave her two crispy 20naira notes and one dull 10 naira note.

 'aunty, take your onions.... and your change', 

the 10naira fell like a careless feather from the back of a rooster, but she sharply picked it up and rubbed the dusty money on her brown short knicker

 ' aunty sorry, take'...

She was in a hurry to go back and sell 2cups of her 'sand garri' to Shade...

'Take' Aunty Corper said, 

the crispy 20naira was so clean and plenty. She beamed at her

 'aunty thank you'. 

later she would buy biscuit and groundnut, but first she must sell her sand garri for three naira stone's. She shoved the crispy note into the pocket of her short knicker and went on her merry way. 

 

  At last! she found it, lying at the bottom of the wrapper, legs turned inside out. She quickly turned it around flapping it like she had seen her mother do before folding her wrappers. She dipped her hand into the left pocket and searched. Nothing there. 

'jingu beh jin hmm hmm jingu on the way... hey!...' 

She stuffed her hand into the right pocket more aptly this time. Nothing there..

The music in her head stopped.

 Hot bile creeped up from her belly through her chest past  her now fast beating heart up to her face and stung the corners of her eyes.

she pulled the pockets out one after the other, the wrap of sweet that feel on the sandy cement floor made her heart race. 'ohhhhh! who come and carry my money from dis place naw?!' 

sitting on the heap of clothes, she swiftly rubbed both feet on the ground in defeated protest. 

She was frustrated. 

 Shade bought the 50 naira own. The type they put in a small foil cup. She stood watching as her friend and playmate licked the frosty mix of color, cheap milk and sugar with a plastic spoon. 

'Shade you did not buy the one with wafers?' 

her 20 naira would have gotten her the one on the cone.

'no oo is this one I like' Shade sniffed, wiping her running nose with the back of her hand, she scooped another tiny helping and licked it off the spoon.

'OK, '

she watched as the other children busily enjoyed their icecream without even looking her way, 

'shade...' , she stood close to her friend and playmate. 

' ehh?' 

'give me small naw, please' she stretched her hand out stylishly. 

Shade scrapped the top of the slowly molten mix with the tip of the spoon and gave it to her. 

'ahhahh! this small tin?' 

'Atink you said I should give you small' Shade snapped back. 

'don't worry I wunt take again' she felt her chest squeeze like a tight fist as shade shoved the spoon into her mouth and turned away. She walked back to the yard with red wattery eyes. 

...........

The next morning. 

  Sister Bose had fetched water in the basin ready to wash clothes. 

'Go and arrange that wrapper you scattered and bring it here nonsense!' 

she reluctantly disengaged herself from the akara and steaming hot pap to avoid an additional breakfast of hot slap on the head. 

kicking the scattered clothes, she bundled them up in the wrapper and lifted the not so heavy mound unto her head. 

'hei!'

she threw the clothes back on the ground as she quickly reached for the crumpled 20naira note.

it must have fallen on the floor when she flapped the short knicker the previous day. Uncontrollable joy creeped up her throat and made her laugh. 

'if I come there ehn?! Mo ma fun e ni ifoti o!' 

Sister Bose threatened from outside. 

'ehh?! ejor ooo Sista mi'

she exclaimed in excitement as she took the clothes outside. 

That afternoon, it was time for 'market seller' play. 

she sat on the floor next to her pile of 'sand garri'. 

'customer!' she beckoned on Shade who had already purchased some 'sand rice' from Rukewe complete with black nylon. She stooped down to buy some 'sand garri' when she noticed the Biscuit and groundnut sitting gallantly next to the pile. 

Shade quietly purchased her 'sand garri' and painstakingly carried the heavy bags of sand to her own side of the yard. 

2minitues later she was making her way back to the 'sand garri' pile. Her oversized slippers raising hazy dust as she waddled closer and bent down right in front of her friend and playmate.

' who has this gra nut and biskiti' 

she asked calmly... 

'iz my' she replied gingerly as she used her hand to replace the 'sand garri' she had sold earlier...

'give me small' 

 The End