Sunday Rice

The anticipation with which we looked forward to Sunday afternoons!

This tray right here symbolised everything good to us.

You see, back in my growing days as a child, rice was treated as a sacred meal

It was eaten only on special occasions

Sunday afternoons (if the stars aligned in our favour) and of course Christmas day (the oga kpatakpata of them all)

No wonder Sunday is seen as the sacred day

As kids, we were always eager to please our parents on this special day

Any offence could attract the sanction of reduction in the portion of rice that would be allotted to you

So we'd wake up bright and early, do all the chores with maddening speed and be set for church by the break of dawn

Don't ask me if we remembered what we were taught in church

Cos the thought uppermost in our minds was that beautiful stainless tray of rice decorated with stew in form of the cross that we'd all have to eat from

Oh how much joy and fun it was, as well as the survival of the fittest

Today I watched my kids playing with their plate of rice and all I can say is 'Look how the tides have changed'

It's not even a luxury anymore

Today, you even have to beg the kids to eat rice oh, a whole rice!

Chai! Be that as it may, I miss the sweet, good old days

Hope you had your Sunday rice?