Small Victories 1 by Ada Thelma Iyke

I hadn't felt this good in ages. I felt as proud as the hunter in Mother's stories. My siblings were drunk with fury. This was the greatest gratification. Their eyes looked at me in disgust as my eyes closed in euphoria. Their hearts pounded fiercely shaming Mother's mortar and pestle. My masticating jaw silently declared me the winner. It was on days like these that I began to change my mind on how difficult life could be. "Who ate the big stockfish I put for you all?" Mother asked. Four pairs of eyes turned toward me. Their eyes hoisted my hands up as winner of the secret battle between us. There were not many conquests to my name, not many great feats. I wasn't like my elder sister who got a scholarship to study in Ghana. I wasn't like my elder brother who became a business guru even in the University. Thus, the few medals I had were important to me. This night, I ate the biggest stockfish Mother put for us. My siblings and I usually ate from one plate. Last week, I helped Aunty RoseMary get to the hospital when she was due for childbirth. Three days ago, I solely removed the weeds in Baba's farm. That night, grandma gave me two pieces of dried meat from the basket above the fireplace in the kitchen. Usually I would feel bad when Father would congratulate my siblings on how good they were in school. Well, I wasn't good in school. I refused to continue since my classmates started calling me Mr. Down. They said I was not normal but who has the right to declare one thing normal and another abnormal? Baba allowed me to be home schooled. Often, my siblings would laugh at me when I tried to speak and the words slurred out of my mouth. They never wanted to sleep on the same bed with me except our youngest sister who was my best friend. It wasn't my fault that I drooled a lot while sleeping. What about my sister who snored worse than the pigs in our neighbour's pig farm? One of my arms was a bit too rigid. It assumed an awkward position in front of my chest. There were many things I could not do. This made me content with the little I was giving back to life. These feats were small victories but I didn't mind. Because they were victories all the same. Because small victories matter the most.

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