Who runs the world? Moms!’
Media personality Helen Paul had this interesting chat with Punch where she talked about her mum and how close they are. She also shared some hilarious experiences she had while growing up.
See excerpts below:
“As a kid, I was very mischievous,
especially with my caustic tongue. I was always very quick to talk; I
didn’t need to think before saying things. As a result, I ran into
trouble with people but my mother was always quick to rescue me even
though I knew she would punish me later. There was a day a visitor
offered me a drink and I took it. She tried using body language to
communicate with me but it didn’t work. Then I hadn’t mastered her body
language.
especially with my caustic tongue. I was always very quick to talk; I
didn’t need to think before saying things. As a result, I ran into
trouble with people but my mother was always quick to rescue me even
though I knew she would punish me later. There was a day a visitor
offered me a drink and I took it. She tried using body language to
communicate with me but it didn’t work. Then I hadn’t mastered her body
language.
When the visitor left, she put me in the attic in the house
and told me that each time I took anything from visitors, it would be my
new house. It took a lot of begging before she let me down from there.
The next time the visitor showed up, I walked up to her as she was
sipping at her drink and warned her, saying, ‘Never you offer me any
drink in your life again.’ I said it in a babyish but menacing voice.
For a moment, she was stunned and didn’t know what to say. Then she and
my mom burst into laughter. I simply walked into my room to avoid being
asked to take something and only to be punished later…”
and told me that each time I took anything from visitors, it would be my
new house. It took a lot of begging before she let me down from there.
The next time the visitor showed up, I walked up to her as she was
sipping at her drink and warned her, saying, ‘Never you offer me any
drink in your life again.’ I said it in a babyish but menacing voice.
For a moment, she was stunned and didn’t know what to say. Then she and
my mom burst into laughter. I simply walked into my room to avoid being
asked to take something and only to be punished later…”
How close are you to your mother?
She’s my friend. We shared a wonderful
time together when I was a kid and even till now, we still share
experiences and encounters with each other. Of course we don’t see each
other like we did many years ago, we speak regularly on the phone. We
both have a rule – we talk to each other at least once in every three
days. I also endeavour to see her whenever I can. We connect well with
each other and when we see, we play and joke a lot. We can be naughty
and just behave like babies.
time together when I was a kid and even till now, we still share
experiences and encounters with each other. Of course we don’t see each
other like we did many years ago, we speak regularly on the phone. We
both have a rule – we talk to each other at least once in every three
days. I also endeavour to see her whenever I can. We connect well with
each other and when we see, we play and joke a lot. We can be naughty
and just behave like babies.
Share some silly things you did while growing up that made your mother laugh or scold you.
Well, she did both in one memorable event
that stands out amongst many. As a young student back then, my mom and
my grandmother had warned me never to bring home a report card showing
that I scored anything less than the first position in my class. The
first few times after the warning, I brought home really poor results. I
thought they were joking and never took my studies seriously. I
received the beating of my life. Then one day as I was going home with
another poor result, I recalled the last beating that I got and started
crying. I took the 11th position.
that stands out amongst many. As a young student back then, my mom and
my grandmother had warned me never to bring home a report card showing
that I scored anything less than the first position in my class. The
first few times after the warning, I brought home really poor results. I
thought they were joking and never took my studies seriously. I
received the beating of my life. Then one day as I was going home with
another poor result, I recalled the last beating that I got and started
crying. I took the 11th position.
Then a tear drop landed on the first
digit and seemed to fade away a bit. I quickly got a naughty idea and
wiped it off entirely, making it appear that my position was 1 (1st)
instead. When I got home, my mom and grandmother were very excited. I
tried this about two other times but got caught later. My mom scolded
and spanked me very well. However, she later saw the humour in it and
laughed. She then pacified me and encouraged me to try and improve on my
performance, not out of the fear that she had instilled in me earlier.
Instead, she challenged me to be the best and surprisingly, I took up
the challenge and my results greatly improved.
digit and seemed to fade away a bit. I quickly got a naughty idea and
wiped it off entirely, making it appear that my position was 1 (1st)
instead. When I got home, my mom and grandmother were very excited. I
tried this about two other times but got caught later. My mom scolded
and spanked me very well. However, she later saw the humour in it and
laughed. She then pacified me and encouraged me to try and improve on my
performance, not out of the fear that she had instilled in me earlier.
Instead, she challenged me to be the best and surprisingly, I took up
the challenge and my results greatly improved.
Can you remember other humorous experiences?
I got wind of a secret Valentine party
that my friends were organising. They kept it a secret because, of
course, they didn’t want our teachers to know. In the process, they
ended up keeping me and some of our other friends out of the loop, me
particularly, due to my tale bearing trait. I was surprised when I saw
some of my friends in school with party clothes in their bags. When I
asked them what was happening, they told me they were having a Valentine
party somewhere in the Ebutte Meta part of Lagos. I didn’t even know
what Valentine was all about and when I asked, they told me it was a
period when people celebrate love. I asked them to be kind enough to
give me something to wear but I was told that I was too tiny to wear
any. That irked me so much and I went to the principal to report them.
The principal nominated some teachers to follow me to the venue. We got
there and with the teachers waiting outside, I went in and began to
deceive my colleagues into following me outside one after the other,
telling them that I wanted them to see my shoes.
that my friends were organising. They kept it a secret because, of
course, they didn’t want our teachers to know. In the process, they
ended up keeping me and some of our other friends out of the loop, me
particularly, due to my tale bearing trait. I was surprised when I saw
some of my friends in school with party clothes in their bags. When I
asked them what was happening, they told me they were having a Valentine
party somewhere in the Ebutte Meta part of Lagos. I didn’t even know
what Valentine was all about and when I asked, they told me it was a
period when people celebrate love. I asked them to be kind enough to
give me something to wear but I was told that I was too tiny to wear
any. That irked me so much and I went to the principal to report them.
The principal nominated some teachers to follow me to the venue. We got
there and with the teachers waiting outside, I went in and began to
deceive my colleagues into following me outside one after the other,
telling them that I wanted them to see my shoes.
So it happened that
they were all caught by the teachers. The following day at the assembly
ground, the principal called out the names of the culprits and handed
them two-week suspension letters. Surprisingly, my name was also called
and I was given a letter. I opened it and saw that I was also suspended
but when my colleagues asked me what the content of the letter was, I
told them it was a letter of commendation. I later went to the
Principal’s office to complain and was told that my offence was that for
me to know the venue of the party, I must have been involved too.
they were all caught by the teachers. The following day at the assembly
ground, the principal called out the names of the culprits and handed
them two-week suspension letters. Surprisingly, my name was also called
and I was given a letter. I opened it and saw that I was also suspended
but when my colleagues asked me what the content of the letter was, I
told them it was a letter of commendation. I later went to the
Principal’s office to complain and was told that my offence was that for
me to know the venue of the party, I must have been involved too.
Well,
we proceeded on the suspension but I advised my colleagues never to let
our parents know. We decided to take turns to go and play at our
parents’ houses once they had gone to work. After two weeks, we resumed
only to be told to bring either our mothers or fathers to sign letters
of undertaking on our behalf. Again, I advised that we should hire fake
parents.
we proceeded on the suspension but I advised my colleagues never to let
our parents know. We decided to take turns to go and play at our
parents’ houses once they had gone to work. After two weeks, we resumed
only to be told to bring either our mothers or fathers to sign letters
of undertaking on our behalf. Again, I advised that we should hire fake
parents.
These improvised parents followed us to school after we had
paid them and as they were signing the said letters, one of the teachers
pointed at me and accused me of being the naughtiest of the bunch,
despite my small size. In a bid to impress the teachers that she was my
real mother, the woman that was acting as my mom slapped me and I got
angry. I exclaimed in Yoruba ‘Ha, you slapped me? Are you my real
mother? Didn’t I pay you to act as my mother?’ I exposed her as not
being my real mother and exposed everyone else in the process. I even
asked her to refund my money. To cut the long story short, we proceeded
on another two weeks suspension for bringing fake parents and thereafter
returned with our real parents. It was embarrassing to me and though my
mom scolded me real hard, I remember the encounter with a smile.
paid them and as they were signing the said letters, one of the teachers
pointed at me and accused me of being the naughtiest of the bunch,
despite my small size. In a bid to impress the teachers that she was my
real mother, the woman that was acting as my mom slapped me and I got
angry. I exclaimed in Yoruba ‘Ha, you slapped me? Are you my real
mother? Didn’t I pay you to act as my mother?’ I exposed her as not
being my real mother and exposed everyone else in the process. I even
asked her to refund my money. To cut the long story short, we proceeded
on another two weeks suspension for bringing fake parents and thereafter
returned with our real parents. It was embarrassing to me and though my
mom scolded me real hard, I remember the encounter with a smile.
Could you remember your mother making sacrifices for you?
The one that easily comes to mind is when
I took ill and I seemed not to be responding to any treatment. I was so
ill that the doctors were surprised because I wasn’t born with a sickle
cell. However, the doctors told my mom that my immunity was too low to
fight illness at that time. We had to act fast and my mom literally
wiped her account clean to ensure I get well. It was an eye-opening
occurrence because all the people that we practically looked up to
deserted us, including family, friends, and even church people.
I took ill and I seemed not to be responding to any treatment. I was so
ill that the doctors were surprised because I wasn’t born with a sickle
cell. However, the doctors told my mom that my immunity was too low to
fight illness at that time. We had to act fast and my mom literally
wiped her account clean to ensure I get well. It was an eye-opening
occurrence because all the people that we practically looked up to
deserted us, including family, friends, and even church people.
Share some annoying things your mother has done to you…
An incident happened during a beach party
that I had planned for a long time with my friends also in secondary
school. My mom used to warn me then never to pile dirty underwear and
leave them unwashed for long. I disobeyed on many occasions and she
decided to teach me a lesson. I informed my mom of the planned beach
party and she tagged along, even showing interest in the event and
planning with me. On the day of the event, she welcomed all my friends
and we all got into a car that was hired for that purpose. Just as we
were about to leave, she came outside with the dirty underwear and told
me in a calm soft voice that it appeared I had forgotten to wash them.
Smiling, she asked me to go inside and wash them so I could join my
friends later at the beach. I washed with her scrutinising each piece.
Of course I missed the party. Since that day, the lesson sank in. Also,
when she decides to talk, my mom knows how to repeat something so many
times that it sinks in, whether one likes it or not! She would say it
seriously or joke about it but one would eventually get the message.
Initially, this also annoyed me but over time, I simply got used to it.
that I had planned for a long time with my friends also in secondary
school. My mom used to warn me then never to pile dirty underwear and
leave them unwashed for long. I disobeyed on many occasions and she
decided to teach me a lesson. I informed my mom of the planned beach
party and she tagged along, even showing interest in the event and
planning with me. On the day of the event, she welcomed all my friends
and we all got into a car that was hired for that purpose. Just as we
were about to leave, she came outside with the dirty underwear and told
me in a calm soft voice that it appeared I had forgotten to wash them.
Smiling, she asked me to go inside and wash them so I could join my
friends later at the beach. I washed with her scrutinising each piece.
Of course I missed the party. Since that day, the lesson sank in. Also,
when she decides to talk, my mom knows how to repeat something so many
times that it sinks in, whether one likes it or not! She would say it
seriously or joke about it but one would eventually get the message.
Initially, this also annoyed me but over time, I simply got used to it.