Childhood

I became aware that I was a living being about the age of three to four years old, I think.This was in Bokwango,Buea in Cameroon.I was actually born in Besongabang,Mamfe in the South West Province on the 13 of April 1962.My parents then relocated to Buea due to my father's teaching job.He was a grade two teacher then.All I can remember from my time in Bokwango was that there were a lots of cows in the area and I was pretty much at home most of the time.We got transfer to Ndongo Camp in Tiko around 1968 and that was when I was to begin school.My father taught at the same institution and my mother worked as a seamstress in Tiko town.So from Monday through Saturday my mother was gone from the house until about 6pm when she returned.She had a store in the Tiko market where she did most of her sowing of clothes.We lived in the Teacher's campus and our closest family friend then was Mr. Orock.At this time our family was made up of Helen, the first child, Dennis, the second,Agi the third, Eric, the fourth, that was me, Olivia, the fifth, Charles & Ebenezar the twin.Betek, the last child was to be born in 1970.Mr Orock,our family friend had Adolfus, the first child,Felicia, the second,Orock the third,Enow the fourth and Mami Sousi,the firth and last child.The headmaster at the time was Mr Ndumbe.Other members of the teachers compound included Mr. Ngide, Miss Asong,Mr.Orum, the lone grade one teacher in Ndongo School, Mr Mokuri who worked for the CDC, so did Mr Taboko and Mr Medal.I remember doing well in my first year of school and passing to class two.In class two I had some difficulties and I believed I had to repeat the class.After that, I pretty much picked up and it was straight sailing throughout primary school.Our childhood was good.We got along well as a family.We used to love pets, dogs in particular.We had a female dog and we would love it when she gave birth and everybody will be fighting to own a puppy.We use to feed them with powder milk and garri, so that they would grow really fat.My mom would then start given them away and we will be very angry.Throughout my childhood, up to the age to 12 years old; when I finished primary school, life was pretty much structured.Sundays, was for church going(Most of our family is Protestant), our mother made sure that we attended service in the Presbyterian church in Likomba,Tiko. I was very active in church to the point of becoming a member of the Christian youth Fellowship,(YP)as it was popularly called then.Monday through Friday was spend in school.School started at about 7am in the morning and ran until 2pm in the afternoon.The school was just a stone throw from where we lived, so we pretty much walked to school.Our dad loved to go out after school was over.He would come to the house, have his lunch and then leave for Tiko Town.We were very happy, because this gave us the time to go and play.We made sure that we got back home before he returns.This was not usually the case, there were surprise early arrivals by my dad and this will get us into trouble.I spend most of the time playing soccer.There was a handball field that we used and also the Ndongo school soccer field, when there was quite a crowd that needed to play.Ndongo is what you call a CDC camp, so there were a lot of children whose parents worked in the Banana and Oil palm plantation.We could get a pick up game going at anytime in the afternoon and all Saturday and Sunday.None of the teachers liked to see their children playing soccer.At that time, I believe they were afraid of us picking up an injury that will cause the family time and money.The punishment for being caught playing soccer was serious lashing.We had a way of getting information on the arrival of any of our parents.Everybody of playing age had some skills.I was pretty good.I will go out and take my chances and play until sunset.If I get caught, I will take the lashes, but this will not discourage me or any of the other kids to go out and play as soon as our parents were gone.There is something about children that make you think only of the thrill of the game and totally forget about the consequences of being caught.