The first time I saw a penis was when Chidioke presented it to me when we were in primary 2. It was a normal Chidioke thing to do, he was weird, at least that was what everyone said but I didn't think he was. He was just too open, too literal, than this world is used to.

About the penis business? It started with an argument he and the “boys” were having. They said “you can never be friends with a girl if she sees your penis” and he told them it was a lie, to prove them wrong he came to my corner of the classroom and dragged me to the toilet.

“The boys said if you see my penis we won't be friends again and I told them that's a lie.” Chidioke was saying as he was pulling down his uniform short, after came his Spiderman panties and then…yep, the penis.

I stood there confused, not at what he just did but at the fact that he had a penis. I was muddling over this as he put himself right again.

“We are still friends, yes?” He asked as he tucked his shirt back into his short.

“Why do you have a penis?” Came my question as we leave the bathroom.

“Because I'm a boy.”

“But only men have a penis, mum said so.”

“No, all boys have a penis, then they grow into a man.”

“But how do you know what you have is a penis?”

Oh, did I forget to tell you I was weird too? Yes, I was, very much so. We argued on and on about the penis until we got to our class.

“So, are we still friends?” Chidioke asked me again. I gave a non-commital nod and a shrug because I never thought our friendship was in the equation before.

The first thing I said when my mum picked us up from school that day was, “Mum, Chidioke has a penis.”

“Yes, I do, Aunty. I showed Morire in the bathroom.” Chidioke echoed as I groan inwardly. I wish he hadn't said, I wouldn't have included that, I just wanted to know why Chidioke has a penis. Like I said —too literal.

I watched for my mum's reaction from the corner of my eyes as she paused to open the backseat of her car for us, and I could see her looking heavenward, probably wondering what to do with us.

“You know what, I don't want to know how you two got into that but Chidioke, you don't go about showing people your private part, its—” my mum started saying.

“But I didn't show people, I only showed Morire. The boys said she won't be my friend again and I told them it was a lie.” Chidioke said gently as if trying to pass on an important piece of information.

Mum bent down to Chidioke’s height, rested a hand on his shoulder and said, “Chidi, you know how your mum and I told you there are some things you don't do because they are not acceptable?”

“Yes ma'am.”

“Well, this is also part of the unacceptable things you are not meant to do. You are not meant to be showing off your private part to anyone just because you wanted to prove a point, you use your words and if they are not enough you let it go. Okay?”

“Okay, Aunty. I'm sorry.” He said looking down at his feet.

“No, that's fine. You didn't know better and now you do. Now, get into the car. And you Morire.” She swirled back at me.

“But I didn't do anything, mum.” I protested.

“I’m not saying you do anything, just…” She sighed. “You know what, just get into the car both of you. I can't deal with this today.”

Chidioke and I entered the car and after we fastened our seatbelts and mum got on the road, I asked my question again.

“But mum why does Chidioke has a penis, you said only men does.”

Mum hit on the brake suddenly muttering something that sounded like “You this child of mine!”

She looked back at me from the driver's seat and said, “Morire, you asked me if Dewy can get any cat pregnant and I said no because she's a female cat and only the male cat can do that.”

“Yes, and then I asked why and you said because it is the male cat that has the wiggle to impregnate cats with it. And when I asked what wiggle was and if I could have it too, you said it is called penis and only men can have it.”

“No, I said only men AND animals can have it.” She emphasized on the and.

“But Chidioke is neither a man nor an animal.”

“But I will grow up to be a man, so I can have a penis.” Chidioke joined into the conversation.

My mum gave Chidi the well-done look and turned back to driving us out of our school street.

“And you guys, stop calling it the p word, say wiggle. The p word is for adults.

“Okay ma.” I and Chidi chorused.

And just like that we forgot about the pe—wiggle discussion and started talking about what we did in school that day.

Why am I telling you this? I don't know. It's just that I'm a lot older now—28 years old— and I'm married to the boy that showed me his penis a long time ago and we are in the hospital, about to circumcise our little boy, and because I don't want to think about that, my head started spiraling.

Chidi is still a bit weird, we found out when we were teens he's on the spectrum, which I guess made it a lot easier on him. He could finally accept a reason why he was different and he somehow fell in love with that.

You might be wondering if there's a reason for my own weirdness too but somehow we haven't found a reason yet. Chidi said there's no way science can be able to put into one word the magnitude of my thoughts or how I see the world.

Well, I'm not necessarily bothered about that, and maybe I should, because now I'm remembering the first time Chidi saw my breast for the first time. How? Maybe I will tell you next time.

Why am I remembering this now? I'm currently looking at a poster on the hospital's wall of a mother breastfeeding her baby.

The first time I saw a penis was when Chidioke presented it to me when we were in primary 2. It was a normal Chidioke thing to do, he was weird, at least that was what everyone said but I didn't think he was. He was just too open, too literal, than this world is used to.

About the penis business? It started with an argument he and the “boys” were having. They said “you can never be friends with a girl if she sees your penis” and he told them it was a lie, to prove them wrong he came to my corner of the classroom and dragged me to the toilet.

“The boys said if you see my penis we won't be friends again and I told them that's a lie.” Chidioke was saying as he was pulling down his uniform short, after came his Spiderman panties and then…yep, the penis.

I stood there confused, not at what he just did but at the fact that he had a penis. I was muddling over this as he put himself right again.

“We are still friends, yes?” He asked as he tucked his shirt back into his short.

“Why do you have a penis?” Came my question as we leave the bathroom.

“Because I'm a boy.”

“But only men have a penis, mum said so.”

“No, all boys have a penis, then they grow into a man.”

“But how do you know what you have is a penis?”

Oh, did I forget to tell you I was weird too? Yes, I was, very much so. We argued on and on about the penis until we got to our class.

“So, are we still friends?” Chidioke asked me again. I gave a non-commital nod and a shrug because I never thought our friendship was in the equation before.

The first thing I said when my mum picked us up from school that day was, “Mum, Chidioke has a penis.”

“Yes, I do, Aunty. I showed Morire in the bathroom.” Chidioke echoed as I groan inwardly. I wish he hadn't said, I wouldn't have included that, I just wanted to know why Chidioke has a penis. Like I said —too literal.

I watched for my mum's reaction from the corner of my eyes as she paused to open the backseat of her car for us, and I could see her looking heavenward, probably wondering what to do with us.

“You know what, I don't want to know how you two got into that but Chidioke, you don't go about showing people your private part, its—” my mum started saying.

“But I didn't show people, I only showed Morire. The boys said she won't be my friend again and I told them it was a lie.” Chidioke said gently as if trying to pass on an important piece of information.

Mum bent down to Chidioke’s height, rested a hand on his shoulder and said, “Chidi, you know how your mum and I told you there are some things you don't do because they are not acceptable?”

“Yes ma'am.”

“Well, this is also part of the unacceptable things you are not meant to do. You are not meant to be showing off your private part to anyone just because you wanted to prove a point, you use your words and if they are not enough you let it go. Okay?”

“Okay, Aunty. I'm sorry.” He said looking down at his feet.

“No, that's fine. You didn't know better and now you do. Now, get into the car. And you Morire.” She swirled back at me.

“But I didn't do anything, mum.” I protested.

“I’m not saying you do anything, just…” She sighed. “You know what, just get into the car both of you. I can't deal with this today.”

Chidioke and I entered the car and after we fastened our seatbelts and mum got on the road, I asked my question again.

“But mum why does Chidioke has a penis, you said only men does.”

Mum hit on the brake suddenly muttering something that sounded like “You this child of mine!”

She looked back at me from the driver's seat and said, “Morire, you asked me if Dewy can get any cat pregnant and I said no because she's a female cat and only the male cat can do that.”

“Yes, and then I asked why and you said because it is the male cat that has the wiggle to impregnate cats with it. And when I asked what wiggle was and if I could have it too, you said it is called penis and only men can have it.”

“No, I said only men AND animals can have it.” She emphasized on the and.

“But Chidioke is neither a man nor an animal.”

“But I will grow up to be a man, so I can have a penis.” Chidioke joined into the conversation.

My mum gave Chidi the well-done look and turned back to driving us out of our school street.

“And you guys, stop calling it the p word, say wiggle. The p word is for adults.

“Okay ma.” I and Chidi chorused.

And just like that we forgot about the pe—wiggle discussion and started talking about what we did in school that day.

Why am I telling you this? I don't know. It's just that I'm a lot older now—28 years old— and I'm married to the boy that showed me his penis a long time ago and we are in the hospital, about to circumcise our little boy, and because I don't want to think about that, my head started spiraling.

Chidi is still a bit weird, we found out when we were teens he's on the spectrum, which I guess made it a lot easier on him. He could finally accept a reason why he was different and he somehow fell in love with that.

You might be wondering if there's a reason for my own weirdness too but somehow we haven't found a reason yet. Chidi said there's no way science can be able to put into one word the magnitude of my thoughts or how I see the world.

Well, I'm not necessarily bothered about that, and maybe I should, because now I'm remembering the first time Chidi saw my breast for the first time. How? Maybe I will tell you next time.

Why am I remembering this now? I'm currently looking at a poster on the hospital's wall of a mother breastfeeding her baby.