When Christmas Smelled Like Childhood

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Me: Mummy, good morning, ma. Compliments of the season.
Mum: Good morning, Nkem. How are you and the kids? Your husband, nko? Hope everyone is good.
Me: We are all good, Mummy. I continued ... It's Christmas time again oh, Mum, you haven't bought my Christmas clothes yet. 😀

Mum : laughed and laughed and laughed out loud, then she said, out of smiles and excitement, "Nkem, do you want to return back to being a child again?" No way 😀...you remember those days, I think. lol

Me: Yes, Mummy, I vividly remember those as my favorite days as a child during Christmas when you usually bought material and went to sew a printing gown or skirt and blouse for me. 🤣🤣

Mum: She laughed so loud again and promised to go buy another material and give my old tailor those days, saying the woman is still in the tailoring business...lol.

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It was a very exciting session with my mom this morning as I recalled all the events of the Christmas season with me and Mum as a child and called her right away. To date, my best memory of the Yuletide season remains my childhood days. Adult days are still fun, but there are a lot of unique things as a child that refused to leave my memory, and each time I reflect on some of them, I smile so softly with those butterflies in my belly, hehehe.

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As a child in those days, I was always looking forward to Christmas season. Once the harmattan starts, oh yes, I will start feeling the season through the weather; everywhere will just be smelling of Christmas, there is this unusual joy within, and if wishes were horses those days, I wouldn't like the Christmas season to end at all, lol.

I don't know why my mom loves printing skirts, lol, but she never ceases to buy them and sew for me. So that faithful year, she gave me the privilege of following her to the market to choose a dress of my choice. Trust me, I was overjoyed and prepared so fast and rushed down to her store. Boom, we left to get ready-made wear in the children's plaza. I made sure to pick a very pinkish gown, so attractive. I mean, why printing skirt every year, lol? Mum complained about the price of the pink gown I chose with designs in the front and, most importantly, with a pocket where I will be saving my cheutmas monies, lol, but she managed to still buy it for me, so I will be happy.

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It was the year my classmate invited me to her house, as her two brothers living abroad travelled home for the yuletide celebration. I was so proud to dress smartly with my new pink wear, and off I went. Her brothers liked me and dashed me big, big monies, with plenty of chicken and drinks.

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I never made such an amount of money during Christmas as a child. I was so happy and couldn't wait to break the news of my outing to my mom and siblings. Every one of them was jealous of me, but guess what? Mum took the money to keep for me, and when I started asking her about the money in January, she said, "All that food you have been eating—who bought it?" Your school fees, your writing materials, and the list goes on, who bought all of them? . I couldn't help but cry out loud, but Mum didn't care..lolz

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How can I even forget that year…Lol now, it has backfired; my boys wouldn't let me be. It's all about Christmas this , Christmas that , fireworks, and knockouts billings from them and many more. It's all good. 😍

Image 1 was generated using chatgpt while image 2 was taken from canva