Yo when I was 12, I came for holidays in Nigeria from Atlanta, Daddy welcomed me with this $400 dinosaur toy gift which had so many exciting features.
With my high energy, I got the gift destroyed in 3 days, you know how hyper-active kids do.
When Dad noticed I destroyed that expensive gift he got me in 3 days, dad was upset, I mean he was really really upset, he looked at me, he tapped my head and said "Oh David, you have not seen life, you don't know poverty and suffering"
He said these words nodding his head in pity for me.
He later promised to take me out the next day with a smile on his face.
I was very excited and happy because my dad is the best in the world.
We got into the next day you know, dad and I got prepared to go out, as a kid I wasn't smart enough to observe my dad's change of looks, like he was trying to disguise or something.
Dad took to the wheels of a Volkswagen Beetle parked in the car park, I got in and we drove out from our home in Banana Island all through the mainland and he made his way into Surulere.
At a point he acted like our car broke down, he had turned the key to the off position and removed it from the ignition.
This made the car unable to start after many tries, so he told me we have to enter a public transport "DANFO" to complete our journey.
I was sad and scared because it would be my first day to share space with total strangers in a ride, but I had no option.
We got on a ride, we were squeezed in between people I don't know, I sat on my Dad's laps, sometimes we would find ourselves at some part of the road with big potholes, as the DANFO drove in and out, I will notice everybody's head nodding in accordance to the movement. That action gave me an instant panic attack that made me scream.
Dad would calm me down, the other two sit neighbours will also tell me "Omo rere, ma binu"
After traveling for a few minutes, we stopped, as we got outta the DANFO, Lincoln Navigator was already parked waiting for us.
We got in and the driver drove us back home.
On our way, Dad told me how I felt today was how the poor feel when they have less. I should never write off less because less is more.
This memory lives with me because my Saddest day changed my whole mindset and heart to love humanity
