Ade never liked sweeping. He always said it was something his sisters had to do, he also thought he only had to go to the farm with Papa and so Bisi and Tosin were the ones who were supposed to sweep.
So on Tuesday afternoon, after he arrived from school, Mama yelled his name from the compound and told him to go sweep the backyard.
"But Mama, Bisi isn't doing anything, can't she sweep it? " Ade whined.
" Oh, so you're going to cook abi? Since you want us to switch chores" Bisi would also yell at him.
Ade felt really angry. He really didn't want to sweep the backyard. So even when he took the broom from behind the kitchen door and went to the backyard, he just sat on a stool, Watching the clouds. He started to imagine the clouds as tables and chairs and flasks and cutlasses, while time passed him by.
After about forty minutes, Mama came through the kitchen door and saw Ade, still sitting on the stool, Watching the evening clouds.
"Ade! Is that how to sweep! You're even sitting down! "
Ade was surprised to see her, he didn't know about forty minutes had passed. Mama started to chase Ade around the backyard with the broom he was supposed to use sweep.
She finally caught up with him and used a strand to whip his buttocks, ten good strokes! Till today, Ade doesn't wait to be told before he goes to sweep the backyard.
©Maymunah Kadiri
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