Nigerian parents? They are a legendary breed. If emotional expression were a sport, they’d be the undisputed champions of tough love and silent softness. Apologies? Not really in their vocabulary. In fact, hearing “I’m sorry” from a typical African parent feels like spotting a unicorn riding a BRT bus, it just doesn’t happen. But don’t get it twisted, they have their own coded ways of saying “I’m sorry,” without ever using those actual words.
Let’s decode the subtle (and sometimes chaotic) ways these iconic humans express love, apology, and everything in between without breaking character.
“DO YOU WANT FANTA??”
As how nau??
You just finished crying from a hot round of koboko for something you didn’t even do, yet 5 minutes later, your mum appears with a smile and a cold bottle of Fanta like nothing just happened. That’s her version of peace offering.
No apology. Just orange sugar, and an unspoken apology.
“HAVE YOU EATEN?”
This one is a classic.
You’re fuming inside, still holding back tears or forming silent protest, and mummy suddenly enters the room asking, “Have you eaten?”
There’s no “I’m sorry.” No “let’s talk.” Just rice and stew with boiled egg materializing from the kitchen. Food = love. Argument over.
“BRING PLATE LET ME PUT MEAT FOR YOU”
All sins are forgiven when they say this one.
You might still be angry, but once they offer meat from the pot, abeg just collect your apology in protein form.
Because if you miss it, the next person in the house will collect your share.
“COME AND MASSAGE MY BACK”
LMAO.
This is the olive branch in disguise.
After vexing for the whole day and giving you silent treatment, they suddenly call you like: “Come and stand on my back.”
You’ll be marching on their backs, but that’s really their way of saying, “I still love you, you this stubborn child.”
“GO AND GET ME SOMETHING FROM MY ROOM”
This is a post-war peace ritual.
They’ll send you on a mission to go and get their phone/charger/ankara wrapper from the room. No more yelling, sometimes there’s a treat on the bed for you.
If they call you by your full name (without any insult attached), congrats, forgiveness is in the air.
And there you have it, Nigerian parents may not say the words, but they definitely show it.
Now go check if there’s food in the cooler, you just might find an “I’m sorry” hiding in there.
Read more interesting writeups here!
0 Comments