THE WAY WE FASTED

It's fasting period.

Almost every church in Nigeria (I don't know about the world) is involved.

Pastors hammering on the need to get involved.

The benefits and what u stand to lose.

Some threatening their members with "you are not a complete christian if u don't fast and pray", "God will not answer your prayers if u don't fast" ...

Everyone except pregnant women and obviously sick people are admonished to participate.

I really find it interesting and rewarding. Spiritual and physical.

As an adult I participate.

As a child I "participated".

When I was a child, 10ish, my parents will force us to get involved and my younger brother (the screwdriver) and I will wonder why. He would ask me "Ogee okwa anyi bu umuazi, kezi ife anyi ga eji me fasting?". He loved his food.

I didn't like fasting either. I didn't understand it. I always wondered how you can keep a child hungry for twelve hours. Twelve hours ooo. That's insane and I loved my food too.

Why should we fast when we had bags of rice and beans, yam, potatoes and other food in the house waiting to be eaten?

But my parents believed in fasting and they were no jokers so you must fast. Them no born u wel make u no fast. Especially my mother.

6-6. The whole nine yards.

So my brother and I became passive "fasters".

My mother would wake up one morning and declare fast for 3 days. Just like that ooo. We would wonder if we offended her the previous day.

She would make food at 5pm and we would sit by the pot for the rest of the remaining agonizing hour, opening and closing the pot. Taking in the aroma. Sometimes we nibble at the food when she wasn't watching.

An extra half hour after 6pm was spent praying to "break" the fast which most times tilted towards 7pm. My younger brother's cry will always remind my mother that the prayer is causing more harm than good.

We loved the fast declared when school was in session. We would go to school and beg our ways out of hunger. My classmates always knew when we were fasting in my house. No be small begging ooo.

When we got back home not looking "fasted", it will be declared on Saturday when we could be monitored. Ha!

When she comes up with new plan, we device ways to jump and pass. I would feign fever or even faint and my younger brother would feign death. She will give us food sharp sharp.

Growing up was fun especially with my brothers.

Ogechukwu Ikwueme

Nwanne unu Nwanyi