First to finish [COMtest]

Hello good people.
Source: unsplash.com

Over here in Ondo State, every last Saturday of every month is usually set aside for general environmental sanitation.

The ideal way of observing environmental sanitation was to restrict movements of vehicles and people except in their various abodes.

This is necessary to keep the environment clean, as well as the community clean in general.

One particular last Saturday around 2017, my siblings and I decided to play lazy and refused to do any household chores, talk less of cleaning the whole compound at large.

Environmental sanitation period( which is always between the hours of 6 am to 10 am) passed and there was no restriction on movement anymore. My mother didn’t go out at all that day so we were all at home together except my father who went for a meeting.

Later in the evening, I’m sure she must have thought of ways to make us work that day without being so harsh and forceful.

And luckily for her, she came up with something.

"Joycey!"

"Call your brothers and come together."

"Okay ma."
I replied.

Finally we got to her room.

"Have you washed your school uniforms?"

We echoed "no".

"I know that you’re all tired but do you know that there’s something we must do to remove that tiredness?"

We all looked at ourselves hoping to get answers to her rhetorical question.

While we're still in wonderland, she replied to herself..

"Food!"

"I’ll go to the kitchen now and make dinner."

"Ehhhh..wow"
I was taken aback.

"It’s just 4:30 pm"
I reminded her.

"Yes I know"

"Abi you don’t want food?"

"I want o”
my cousin said sharply and immediately.

My brother said yes too.

After a few seconds of silence, they all looked at me for my response.

So as the oldest of the children and a logical one in that situation, I asked..

"If we eat dinner now, won't we all get hungry again soon?"

"Besides, we don't know what’s for dinner."

It could be cane, my mom can be so creative about disciplining us

She could have said we’re in trouble for not doing the house chores in time but instead she came up with a corny way of having us get punished

While I was still thinking about all that, she continued..

“I’ll make Amala and mixed okra with fish and snail.”

Hearing that alone, my taste buds began their manipulations and I began to salivate.

My siblings were rejoicing because back then, we didn't get to eat Amala so often.

She continued again..

"I’ll make excess so that we’ll eat some when you’re done with your chores and then we’ll eat the rest as dinner later in the night."

Aahaahnn, everyday is not Christmas o
It’s like mom is being serious with this thing o

"What are you waiting for?”
She said calmly and she watched us walk out.

When we got to the living room, my siblings and I decided to make a deal.

First to finish will get all the incentive. And the person will decide what others get

We agreed and since each of us knows our respective duties, we went ahead and began.

Over half an hour into it, my siblings were half done with their chores whereas I still have dishes to do on its own apart from the clothes that I was still struggling to wash completely.

Not long after my siblings finished washing their clothes, I finished mine too and proceeded to the kitchen with a flash speed to do the dishes.

I was busy struggling with sponge and soap when my brother said..
"I'll soon be done o"

I wanted to give up but at that time, I was already in the kitchen and I knew that my mother was done preparing the Amala and she had started making the soup, so the aroma steaming from the pot of cooking soup kept me going.

I rushed like I had a big fortune that depended on the dishes, in fact, I almost broke a ceramic plate.

I washed with a pattern.
I began with cups, then cutlery, bowls, other plates then pots.

Just before I rinsed the last pot, my brother came into the kitchen, jamming his palms together to indicate that he’s done and dusted his work.

My cousin too entered after him with his shoulders up like a champion.

So with all my hastiness, I still lost

I hissed in anger and then decided to play emotional blackmail.

"My work sef is more than you guys own"

"I even washed part of the stuff that mom used to prepare this dinner"

"My clothes too were more"

"You guys want to cheat me"

"It’s not fair"

I ranted and ranted until my cousin agreed with me that the dishes were more than the usual ones.

I knew fully well that there were not much differences in our chores but I just couldn’t afford to lose.

At that time, my mother already served the Amala for the three of us in a single bigger bowl and the soup in a separate bowl with two pieces of beef chunks.

Whenever our food is served together like that, I usually take a piece of the beef chunk and divide the other one into two; one half each for my siblings.

But due to the deal we had, wouldn't that mean that I have no say on the meal?

Or am I going to sell my birthright to a mere game?

I disagreed.

My cousin disagreed too.

We needed to hear from the champion’s mouth to proceed with eating the food together so we looked up to him.

He finally opened up and suggested that we play the same game on the food.

We divided the heap of hot Amala into three equal portions in the bowl. One portion for each.

First two to finish their portions will take the beef chunks whereas the last person standing will have no beef chunk at all

We agreed and began.

I stared into the bowl containing the steaming hot Amala, gathered strength and was determined not to lose.

On my first attempt to make a bolus of Amala, as I dipped my hand into the bowl, I knew that I was into some real business.

It was so hot that I had to blow my hand with cool air before making a single bolus.

My siblings’ bolus were out of this world.

One of their bolus is equal to five of my bolus combined.

It was as if they had an inner air conditioner in their palms.

In my attempt to take my sixth bolus, my cousin and I simultaneously dipped hands in the Amala bowl at the same time.

The size of his bolus was so interesting that I forgot about my own food and kept on watching him.

He blew cool air on it twice, dipped it in the soup bowl and swallowed it immediately.

No chewing, no ashfashash before swallowing.
How interesting!

The next glance I gave the Amala bowl, it was almost finished, in fact they’ve eaten part of my portion with theirs.

I quickly grabbed the bowl containing the
Amala and I refused to lay it down again.

You don win already so abeg make I still see my food chop in peace ( you've won already so please let me eat my food in peace).

“Carry your beef o and pass me the innocent soup.”

I said it quietly because I knew that I’d lost again the second time and wanted to save my face.

They took the beef chunks and surprisingly, they both cut their piece into two and gave me half each.

Does that not make a whole piece of beef chunk already?

Well, that’s the lucky life of a big sister on a lazy yet challenging environmental sanitation Saturday.

This marks my third (last) attempt for the present comtest in this great community comedy open mic

Thank you for reading my story and good luck to every participant.