‘Growing up, I was called Boy-boy at home, and some people still call me Boy to date, so I wrote a note to my young self’
Hey boy, how’re you doing? You’re probably still in town with Mummy, waiting for her to take you home. How’s Lira Central, though? You’re still being bullied by that Emma kid. Tell you what? Hang on, because you’ll be bigger than him in a few years. Enjoy nursery school; the pressure gets much worse as you go up. How is that baby you said was picked from a rubbish pit? Yes-Margie. She’s your little sister, dude. She will go on to become your best friend and then dump you when she gets into high school hehe. Love and protect her with all you have. She is your support system, and she loves you very much.
How is Daddy doing? Has he introduced you to Manchester United yet? I doubt it, but please ignore him; a better team is coming up in a few years. As you grow older, please tell that man that you love him because things happened later on, but never mind. How is Mummy? That woman! I love her. Does she still buy you Yo-Jus and popcorn every evening? And toys? She’s one of the strongest people you’ll ever know. Her resilience and consistency should never be questioned. She will give you a few more siblings who will mean the world to you. I will take great care of her. I promise you. For now, be a good boy and do what she tells you.
Our childhood friends? I hope they’re alright. I didn’t want to tell you this, but one day you’ll leave that place abruptly. So, kick that ball like it’s your last every single day. That laughter? Enjoy them, for when that day comes, you won’t know it will be our last with them. You’ll move to a new place and make a bunch of new friends, but it will never be the same again. But it gets better; you’ll meet beautiful people later on, and you’ll call them your best friends because they’ll love you. Don’t doubt them; they actually care for you.
We did mess up though; we could’ve exercised a little more, bro. We didn’t turn out great, but yeah, I’m working on it. Oh, the low self-esteem? Phew! It gets much worse. I wish I could give you a few tips, but up to now we still struggle with it. Of course, we will miss out on many opportunities and people due to it, but don’t worry. Some things were meant to be ours. The girls? Hmmm, a few will come and go. Some will break you, and you’ll break some; just don’t lose yourself. And yes, we grew a beard—better than that for Theo Walcott.
And yes, you’re still a genius, by the way. You’ll go on to top a lot of classes. Win a number of prizes. PLE, dude, you got a 5. Your written English is still trash, I can assure you. You won’t pay any fees or tuition from that point on until you complete your studies. You’ll head to one of the best schools in the country for your high school. Puberty will hit you hard, and it will leave you questioning very many things like life, love, friendship, and all that, but it’s only a phase you’ll cruise through. Don’t give up. Just Believe. You’ll ace UCE with an 8 in 8. They’ll take you back for A-level, and yes, this stage will crush you. Dad called it quit along the way. You’ll almost give up at some point, but don’t lose it; you’ll have to do it for Mum, Margie, Aron, Liza, and Emmy.
My bad, Aron, Liza, and Emmy are your kids now. Mum and dad did have twins’ years on. You’ll get to meet them. A bunch of stubborn beings. You’ll love them, I promise you. Live for them. As I was saying, you’ll ace UACE as well. Did I tell you that we failed to become an Engineer? We are a Land Surveyor now. At first, it was a hard pill to take, but we later fell in love with the profession, and so far, so good, it’s going great. We did struggle in the first year, but with the help of a few friends we made in that class, we concurred it. They’re our best friends now. You’ll meet them—really amazing humans.
Anyway, I did say dad is no more, right? Yes, and you’re the big man now; it’s going to get tough on some days. Some nights, you’ll cry on your pillow, even in the shower, and that’s okay. It’s all part of healing. It will get better eventually. Appreciate that man every day, and tell him that I said thank you and that we miss and love him. Look into his face more often because, I won’t lie to you, right now I don’t recall the man we once called our father; his voice barely echoes now. At some point, you’ll have to hate him to move on faster so that you can be there for everyone else, and that’s alright. It won’t last. You got to do what you got to do; just make sure no one sees you crying. But you’ll forgive him eventually because he is not a deserter. He is our fighter; he is our hero; and he is our dad.
Another thing is that you won’t have to be the big man on your own; you’ll meet someone who will nurture you into the man that I am today. He will teach you the dos and don'ts of life. He will guide you and advise you on everything on this journey. He will ease your pain. I appreciate and love him. And by the way, you’re called Doroo now. It’s a long story, but high school was wild. Actually, many people think it’s one of your names and not a nickname. The whole family actually calls you Doroo or Don, as your uncle prefers. You will reach a point and feel like you’ve outgrown it. You’ll try your best to drop it, but that won’t happen. Take it in. It's part of us now.
You are a strong kid, probably even stronger than me. You overcame the worst of bullies and literally everything life will throw at you. You’re a brilliant chap, and Garb Stores will be a testimony. We have failed to beat perfectionism, but I won’t stop fighting it for our sake. We have a lot of plans, but first things first, we have to move out of home this year, even though mom is hesitant. She believes ladies will snatch me or something. We are still learning financial discipline, man! I really wish we had done it earlier. But rest assured, the stars are starting to align, and soon enough, we will be there, where we have always dreamt of being. I love you, and please, you got to love you some more too. You deserve it. Be strong and hold on to that little glimpse of hope when the dark days arrive, for light will emerge slowly. HAPPY SILVER JUBILEE to us!
~ The Imperfect Adult
A great dedication to oneself 👍