You Are Still Grounded!

Sara Kasim

Two children were discovered messing around at a neighbour’s house and were apprehended.

Then they were grounded, and the punishment for their transgression is still being meted out because their neighbour has yet to obtain quotes for chicken coop repairs.

These were lovely boys who accompanied their parents to Elcin church every Sunday and assisted with cleaning up after the service. But everything changed when they began to associate with the Red Beret.

Members of the gang, who take pride in their extreme statements and mayhem, began making prank calls to the parents’ house, threatening that if their friends are not allowed to come out and play, they will destroy the entire neighbourhood.

I heard that the parents were terrified, but they had to be strong and fight for the right to discipline their children.

Running with the Red Beret gang is all well and good, but the parents are their own gang, and they have the ancestors on their side.

These parents are a rare breed.

They adore their children but will not be told what to do.

Oh, I recall getting a hard whipping for the smallest slip-up.

If I ran to my grandparents’ house, I would get another beating and then some more.

There was nowhere to hide.

I recall my parents’ extensive collection of belts for me to choose from. These belts were clearly purchased specifically for me, as my father never wore them.

They made me choose the belt this one time.

What kind of nonsense is that?

I obviously chose the softest and lightest, and she dashed to their room, laughing as she handed the hardest and roughest to my father. I believe it was made of donkey hide.

They never really loved me.

These are the kind of parents who will hit you with a belt and threaten to hit you harder if you cry. These would be the variety of parents who would hit you harder and for a longer period if they realised you weren’t crying.

With this old school, you simply cannot win.

These are the types who play the ‘eeny meeny miney moe’ hand game to see who gets to whoop your behind while the other takes a video and tags all your friends on social media as you pee in your pants.

The two boys have now been grounded for a month and will remain in their rooms until the Saviour returns.

It is now up to the Red Beret gang to prove whether they are true gangsters or just naughty kids without parental supervision.

Will they slither back to their houses or burn down the entire neighbourhood?

As you can see, I am not mentioning any names. I am scared.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.