Growing up with three brothers, I had an adventurous childhood with a lot of rough and tumble activities than the homely desires often associated with girls. I enjoyed playing football, playing the available card games and board games, some other field events other than football and tree climbing was not left out. This particular anecdote that has made me laugh till this day happened behind our house on a sunny afternoon.
The guava tree behind our house then was one of our multiple playing grounds. On this day, I decided to go climbing with one of my brothers. I scrambled up the tree, reaching for higher branches while my brother held on to one of the branches closer to the ground. The atmosphere was filled with rustling of leaves and our occasional chatter. My brother was watching as I was moving from one branch to the other and kept on telling me to slow down. Of course my brothers are my mentors in these kind of adventures and I was ready to show my skills and progress in the journey.
I was feeling joyful and somewhat inspired, I started singing the chorus of a song. It was a song by a musical legend and it was in our native language. The song was a simple tune, the one we enjoyed singing at the time. It goes like this "My creator, I hold on to you, I mustn't fall". It was a song of trust and faith ironic to our situation at the time.
I felt a surge of confidence as I sang and climbed higher. I reached for a branch that looked sturdy enough to support my weight but as fate would have it, the moment I grasped the branch, it gave a loud crack and left me swinging like a pendulum. Panic surged through me but instead of screaming, I did something rather unexpected - I increased the tempo and volume of my song; ,"My creator, I hold on to you, I mustn't fall!" I sang it repeatedly almost in a chant.
My brother who was only playing with the branches couldn't contain his laughter. He laughed till he got teary. Seeing him laugh and realizing how absurd the situation was, I started to laugh too.
Somehow, the singing and the laughter eroded the seriousness of the dangerous scenario and made me less frightened.
Eventually, I was able to hold on to another branch and steadied myself. I climbed down the tree still giggling about the incident. For days, my brother would mimic my song whenever he saw me. I couldn't go close to the guava tree for days as I had my brother to sing me into remembrance of the incident in my last climbing escapade. It became an inside joke, a symbol our shared childhood adventures and the unique bond we forged through the years in many of our similar escapades.
Looking back, that moment taught me about maintaining composure under pressure. That branch breaking could have led to a tragic fall. My spontaneous song gave me a reassurance, perhaps in an inexplicable way, it worked. It showed me that humor and positive attitude can help navigate through life's toughest moments.
This moment is one I hold dear not only because of the laughter it brings but because it represents the essence of my childhood - full of fun, laughter and adventures. It reminds me of the value of laughing at oneself and finding joy in the face of any challenge.
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