That Time I Ate Dry Pepper

Two days ago, I remembered the time I unknowingly ate hot pepper. 

Yes, I’m remembering a lot of things lately.😄

Back to my story. When I was younger, we had a house help (live-in maid for my non-Nigerian readers). Let’s call her Aunty B. 

Aunty B was not the nicest person.

At the time, there was a popular beverage called Pronto. It was a chocolate powder drink that you mixed with hot or cold water, and it came in a brown container. My mother kept it on one of the kitchen shelves. One day, I was in the kitchen with Aunty B (my mother was not home), and my eyes went to this beverage container. I asked Aunty B if I could have some, and she said yes.

I should have known better because, as I said, this aunty was not of the kind variety. She fished out a spoon and stuffed a spoonful into my mouth. To my horror, I realized that what she had happily stuffed into my mouth was dry, ground pepper and not Pronto. My mother had used an empty Pronto container as a canister for ground pepper. Aunty B burst out laughing as I spat out the pepper and tried to quench the fire in my mouth. I was so nauseous afterwards.

I must have been about eight at this time.

This event taught me to examine things closely. I learned the hard way that things are usually not as they seem, especially when they come wrapped up in the packaging we desire. So before I say yes to something, I’ll check again, and I’ll ask questions.

It also taught me to believe people when they show me who they are. Granted, I was a gullible eight-year-old, but people don’t suddenly change. If they’ve been persistently unkind/resentful/selfish/greedy/violent/hot-tempered, they haven’t changed. I’ve learned to believe the track record until proven wrong.

I resented Aunty B for a long time, but I eventually forgave her. I now feel no animosity toward her. My heart is healed, and I’m restored.

Aunty B left our house suddenly. I’ll tell you how she left and how I forgave her in another post.