WEEKENDS

Chidiuto Okorie
3 min readJun 19, 2021

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Kids watching TV in the sitting room
Kids watching Cartoons. Image source: google.com

“What are you people even enjoying in this thing”

I immediately stopped what I was typing and looked at my Aunt’s husband with over two decades of aggression waiting to unleash on him. The entire time, I was working, while trying not to pay attention to my little cousin and their friends who sat in the sitting room with me, but with their attention tied to the TV on some cartoon programme I did not recognize. Boy, am I getting old?

I dulled the noise from the cartoon with my own Big Time Rush music playing in my earpiece. Yes, Big Time Rush; the BTR from Nickelodeon. They were my favourite show since I knew what Nickelodeon was and I still love their music. Sue me! By now you can imagine how I felt when Uncle A asked these children what they enjoyed watching cartoons.

My whole childhood and teenage years were spent answering that question to my dad and I came to live with Aunt K and her husband only to discover their 13 and 11-year old first two children don’t watch cartoons or even any Nickelodeon shows because “Those are children shows”.

I was outraged!!! No, I was disgusted… Maybe a little of both.

“For crying out loud, what would you call your sorry little behinds if not children?” Now that I heard this question asked to a bunch of 6-year-olds, I came to imagine how those other little kids grew up too fast.

The adults were outside dancing and partying to adult music in Aunt K’s grand new yoghurt store’s opening, leaving these kids inside to watch TV. What did you expect them to tune in? Sports news? African Magic? Nat Geo Wild or the Discovery Channel? Please!!!

I looked at him as G looked up to protest to daddy and one of her friends made to explain exactly what they enjoy. Lord only knows what she would have said. I quickly cut in…

“They could ask us the same thing whenever we watch Champions League or even that your favourite Mechanic show on the Discovery Channel or so.”

That sounded a bit rude when it came out, so I adjusted my countenance and giggled to make it sound polite. Then I quickly plugged my earpiece back in and returned to my work. I should probably go outside and see the party going on. I could do this work later in the night if I want… But my ambivert nature is more introvert-inclined and I barely know anybody out there. Then again, if I get bored working, I still have a little over 2 seasons of The Big Bang Theory to get through, and someone’s gotta watch these kids (yeah, I’m lying).

Ohh, ohh… Big Time Rush’s “Worldwide” just started playing. I’m totally staying in here; for at least the next 3 minutes or so.

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Chidiuto Okorie
Chidiuto Okorie

Written by Chidiuto Okorie

I can turn anything into a story

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