1st January

All the kids were told the same thing. Ha gwara anyị that anything you do on new year is what you'll do for the rest of the year. Ndị a ji uche ụmụaka gbaa okoso. It was a strong and generally accepted belief in my house and a lot of houses na neighbourhood anyị. It was like the Santa case ndị ọcha nwe. The older kids knew it was a lie. Ha figure ya out sometime along the way mana ha agwaghọ anyị. Instead ọ dị ha bụ ihe mere ya exploit the most.

The struggle to be of the best behaviour actually na-adị ebido on the 31st. Ọ na-ebido with making sure na-iriri nni, ṅụọ mmiri within guage bụ òkè afọ gị, maka ị nyuo mamịrị na bed on January 1st, just jiri na aka na ị ga anyụ mamịrị the rest of the year. It went down to every other thing. Favourite Chinenye be anyị bụ "a kupuru gị n'ọnụ on the 1st of January, then mara na-aga akpugi n'ọnụ throughout the year". In reality our fear of this lie and all that carefulness came because apia gị ụtarị on the 1st, then mara na-a ga apia gị ụtarị for the rest of the year - and the adults around us were very up to that task.

Don't laugh at our gullibility, ask these adults "why all the lies?"