Madam the Madam!

I am sure you have all been wondering where I've been, well, I've been quite sick. I think it was my snow scooter adventure that caused it and I sure say na all you jealousy people cause am! tufiakwa!
I witnessed something a while ago that made me really appreciate my upbringing and my mother, but first, I want to write about something my mother instilled in me a long time ago. I want to talk about it because the older I get, the more I realise that all those little things she taught me, stayed with me. They actually did. My mum has five kids. She was such a hard working woman! She has always had more than one job, two jobs and at one time,three.She has always cooked, cleaned, sewed our clothes, helped us with our homework. Too many things.When we were only three kids and really young, we had a house maid that took care of us untill my mum came home. As the children increased, the time the house maid spent with us decreased. I remember it went from everyday to three times a week and then just weekends and then.......no one. I am sure you all don't understand, how could that be? Well, my dear, in my house, we were all expected to do the house work!By the time I was 12, we had no one. The house work was shared accordingly. This is how I remembered it

Rooms:The person in charge was expected to make all the beds, pick up all the toys, and sweep and mop, including my parents room.

Living Room: Sweep, mop, fluff pillows(sounds easy right? hahahahahahah Not!)

Kitchen: Wash all dirty dishes, sweep and mop

Food: Go to Effhurun market, buy food and cook(this duty was implemented at a later stage, 14 or 15yrs)

Clothes: Wash(everybody's)clothes, hang them, iron when dry(same as above)

Dogs: Clean and take them for their walks(3 dogs, at one time, 4)

So that was it. My mum did not care who did what, but it was expected to be done!By the way, you know that year, after SSCE, waiting for jamb results? yes, you were the official house girl that yr. We were all house girls or house boys/drivers for that year. If you were not going to school, in waffarian's family, that was equal to house girl.Believe me, these things were not done without protests!

"OHHHHHHHHH! mummy why now? why can't we get a house girl! look at them aunty rose, they have only three children and she has two housegirls and one cousin helping them! ohhhhhh! I am going to tell daddy! ah ah!

The only reply we got was that "why would you want people touching your things?" and also, when she was younger, her parents did not have any housegirl and all the kids helped out with the house work plus farm work! and by the way who did we think we were? special! that is nonsense! what are we doing with our time that we can not help out? ehn? oh sorry! i forgot! you are a princess! should i serve you? oh queen waffarian, how do you do? maybe i should fan you also! is it too hot? shuo!!!!!!madam waffarian! After that kind of ranting, we just went on with the housework, slowly, but surely, we all got used to it, and in the end, we did not even need a "timetable" to do things. Everyone just did things automatically, if i saw my sister cleaning, then i started the cooking, and so on, we did not even need to designate duties anymore! Even my brother, the "driver" took his job seriously,(albeit a lot of disappearing acts!)
Also, the older ones were always expected to babysit the younger ones, we were all "supernannys", including my brother. I can "make" baby food, check for symptoms, know all the vaccinations, development, weight, etc and you know why? cos we all went along for such appointments in the hospital.

Anyway, those days, I just thought my mum was nuts and now.....heheheheheh my people, wetin make me remember all this kain thing? Well, I went to visit a friend of mine (another London visit), she has two kids and in her early thirties. She lives in a very cute house, typical london house,comes from a wealthy family, educated in England, the husband as well. When I first get into the house, I am shocked. The kids are running amock, the living room looks like a bomb has exploded, but she.....she is looking.....so well put together. Ah ah! New hair style, one of those expensive "Beyonce" weave-ons, her clothes......shuo!so stylish! her nails, french manicure. I am shocked. How can your home look like ......anyway, we go to the kitchen where......Holy shit! something terrible has happened here.....pots, pans, plates, food everywhere........the doors of the cupboards are hanging loose.....I could fix that..I just need a screw driver...oh sorry, I digress, anywhere, traces of palmoil here and there......In the midst of all this, she is calmly serving food, for us, the guests.....I can't take it anymore, I begin to attack the dishes

Friend:Waffarian, ah ah! you have not changed at all oh! abeg leave it now.....lets go and eat first

Waffy:Lets wash some now, cos later, it will be too much......wait oh! I think I hear your son crying...

Friend: aunty! aunty! Chigozie is crying! go and check what happened!(in Igbo)

Lo and behold, an elderly woman materialised from no where, dragging her feet across the floor
Waffarian: Who is that?
Friend:Ehhhn, she's helping me now, mumsy sent her
Waffarian: From Naija?
Friend: Ah! Without her, I would not be able to manage oh! After mumsy left, she sent her! abeg, waffarian, leave those plates now, aunty will do them later! come and gist me jare! long time!
Waffarian: Your son is still crying oh!
Friend: Don't worry, aunty is there now!

Na so I begin wonder, for jand, person fit get plenty help,vacuum cleaner dey, dish washer dey, washing machine dey, you get light constantly......why now?

The end
(Singing)Thank you, thank you Lord, thank you Lord for everything you have done, for my mother, thank you thank you...........