Beautiful Hearts

October 28th 1966

It was the night my mum, my 13 year old brother, my 4 year old younger sister and I, went out shopping in the mall, for Halloween outfits and decorations, so that we could be the first black family in the neighbor hood, to receive that price. I was not really into it, Halloween was never a big deal to me. I felt it was just another one of those holiday, added to the calendar so adults don't have to go to work and kids didn't have to go to school, it was just like April fools day. Well my parent were really into it, so I had to act as if I was too. My little sister decided to pick a pink fairy costume while my brother chose a magician outfit but I on the other hand, only chose a dark blue wig and that was it. My mum didn't care at all about what costume we picked, she was just into it to win.

We left the mall around 8pm because my mum when to every Halloween store in the mall, not once but five times. It was annoying. We all got home tired and sleepy, except my mum. She made sure she put all the Halloween decorations every where, at the front of the house, at the back of the house, by the sides of the house, inside the house, she even put some on her car. She really wanted to win. By the time she was done, it was 11pm and my dad had came back from work. She quickly wormed up pepper soup ( a Nigerian traditional soup) and some sweet Abuja bread. My dad came into the house the way he all ways dose. He opened the door then slammed it behind him with his left foot then, he shouts 'BABA IS HOME' then, my brother and I pushed him into his soft brown chair and then, my sister jumps on his lap while my mum brings his dinner to him.

After my mum served dinner to my dad, we all went to the kitchen to get our food and we than all sat on the floor, around him while my mum sat on her grey chair beside him, as we all listened to his childhood stories. That was how we lived as a family, we were not very rich but we sure had something most rich families around did not have, we had love. When he was done with the story, my sister had to clear the plates while i wash and my brother dried. It was a normal routine. After we were done my parents stayed down stairs watching West side story and my siblings and I went to bed. My sister and I had to share a room because my parents did not think she will be okay sleeping on her own or even old enough to have her own room and plus, there where no more spare rooms. It was frustrating sometime but fun at the same time.