First, let me talk about the nicknames I have acquired over time. My nicknames are precious and they have specific meanings to me
I'll start with my favourite:
Sisi - It means 'young lady' in Yoruba. Reason I love it the most is that, it is a term of endearment given to me by my father and mother, don't know who started using it first, my mum or my dad but I suspect it's my mum. When I hear it, it just sounds like they are calling my very own name and it just sounds like 'love'. They called me sisi more than they used my original name when I was younger. My mum would tell me stories of how I was a primadona when I was a child. Lol. I would sit pretty at the back of the car with my head held high, legs crossed, staring straight ahead, then maybe in traffic, someone shouts out 'sisi' on the road, which is quite common in nigeria, I would look around in annoyance and fuss 'who is that calling my name?' My mum said she used to have fits of laughter just watching me do that.
When I started going to pre-school, my dad dropped me off and in the process of petting me and promising he would check on me as often as possible while i was sobbing, he forgot to tell the teachers my first name as they only had Miss XXXX (insert surname). The teachers came to me and asked me what my name was and I told them with much confidence 'Sisi'.
They asked me if I was sure and I said yes, so they assumed I had a lisp and was trying to say 'Titi'. Hence I became Titi for a few days till my doting father overheard them in one of his visits. There's even a song that goes with the nickname...
I still love it when my dad, mum or brother call me that, which they do when they have missed me much or we haven't seen each other in a long while...it's such an intimate thing! I might call my first daughter Sisi too...
My second favorite nickname would be Elenu O. It isn't so much about the nickname but rather the person who gave it to me. She was a friend of my mother's who was one of the most motherly women I have ever known. They were part of a ladies' society together and all the women in the society doted on me. She however was a favorite so she nicknamed me, after my tiniest mouth that she said was permanently shaped like a little cute o (my mouth was pretty much a tiny pink o on my face)..then she got the nickname 'Mummy Elenu O'. It sounds long but people got used to it so quickly that it was not that long anymore. Everytime she saw me, which was at least twice a week, she would spoil me with loads of junk that my mum never allowed me between meals; chocolates, ribena and loads of assorted sweets!! I took a great liking to her. I still saw her two years ago and I spoke to her this year and yup, she still calls me 'Elenu O'
Cinderella, Barbie, Redskin, Indian: Were all given to me by 4 different guys in high school. Each obviously needs not much explanation, the redskin and indian ones, well...lol.
Oh and there's Irish that my darling 100%lighty gave me. I don't know how she came about that because she couldn't even come up with an explanation herself, but somehow, it stuck, that's what she stored my name as on her phone and that's what my username on my laptop is. Lol. I liked it cos it was very original and no, I am not irish.
Speaking of names, choosing one's children's names must be a very daunting task, just thinking about it hurts my head. Wow, there are so many decisions to be made in life, and some of them, would affect your life and other people's life for the rest of your life. I think of those who name their kids 'Fellowship' and I think, how unfair!
Anyway, I'm off to eat a very late lunch.
Have a fab week!~Mimi~
