THE UNCLE WHO BECAME MY SECOND DAD & THE AUNTY I WAS SCARED OF...WEEK233(EPISODE 2)

When I saw this week’s topic, I laughed first.
Then I got quiet.

Because "uncles and aunts" for me is not one story. It’s two completely different movies.

Growing up in Awka, my house was always full. But the 2 people who shaped me most weren’t my parents.

The Uncle Who Became My Second Father

Uncle Chinedu. My dad’s younger brother.
He wasn’t rich. He was a teacher. But he showed up.

I remember JSS2. I failed Mathematics. Like, woefully failed. 58%.
I was hiding my result because I knew what was comingg.

Instead of beating me, he sat on the floor with me.
He brought out chalk and wrote on our wall. Yes, the wall 😂
"Math is not about being smart. It’s about not giving up on question 1."

For the next 3 months, every Saturday by 7am he was at our house.
No payment. No "I’m busy". Just chalk, questions, and groundnuts.

When I got 82% next term, he bought me Gala and Coke and said "This is for effort, not the score."

Today I’m in university because that man refused to let me believe I was "dull".
I call him every Sunday now. Sometimes we just gist about football for 20 minutes.
That’s my relationship with an uncle.

The Aunt I Was Scared Of

Now flip the story.

Aunty Ngozi. My mum’s elder sister.
She was strict. Very strict.
As kids we called her "Madam Commandant" behind her back.

She would enter the house and the whole place would get quiet.
"Why is this place dirty?" "Why are your grades like this?" "Stand up straight!"

I avoided her for years. I thought she hated me cause she was to strict.

Until 2020. COVID. When there's no cash policy ...
And one morning I saw bags of rice, beans, and ₦20,000 on our veranda.
No note. Just her driver.

Later my mum told me: "That’s from your Aunty. She said don’t tell anyone."

I called her that night. Cried like a baby.
She said "I’m not wicked. I’m just afraid soft words will spoil you. The world is hard."

We’re close now. She still scolds me. But she also sends me credit and asks "Have you eaten?"

So do I have a good relationship with my uncles and aunts?
Yes. But it wasn’t automatic. It took awkward calls, forgiveness, and showing up.

For many people, extended family is broken. We grow up, move to Lagos/Abuja/Abroad, and WhatsApp becomes the only connection.
Then we pass that same distance to our kids.

I don’t want that for my kids.
I want my children to have an "Uncle Chinedu" who teaches them on the wall.
I want them to have an "Aunty Ngozi" who sends rice in secret.

Because family is not just your mum and dad or your siblings and co....
Family is the people who will scold you, feed you, and still show up when life is messy and helped you out with it.

Question for Hive Learners:
Do you have an uncle or aunty who changed your life, either good or bad?
What’s one memory you’ll never forget with them?

Let’s talk. I want to read your stories.

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