Girl - The Change

Wash the white clothes on Monday and put them for drying in the backyard. Wash the colored clothes on Tuesday and put them on the cloth line after rinsing them with clean water. Dust the droplets off the clothes before you put them up for drying. Don’t walk barefoot in the blazing sun! Don’t wash your head on Tuesday! Don’t clip your nails either!! Don’t eat chocolate – you don’t want the world to know how ugly you are by showing your acne, do you? Wash your face regularly; you ought to look pretty all the time. DON’T TALK BACK TO ME!! Look me in the eyes when you speak to me. DARE you mumble something under your breath? Don’t cry!! People must think I am a cruel mother. Put the fruits in the fridge after washing them. If you don’t, you might forget later. Don’t leave the food uncovered. You should know these basic things now. Don’t walk like a man!! Walk like a lady! Walk gracefully - glide on the floor. Eat in a way that doesn’t make other people lose their appetite. Don’t slurp. Sit straight in your chair. Don’t slump. Don’t put your elbows on the table. What did I tell you about not talking while eating and chewing with your mouth closed? You are useless. You don’t know how to eat with etiquette or how to serve the guest!! You don’t iron clothes properly; you can’t cut the grass neatly, and you can’t polish a table smoothly. You are a disgrace to the family!! Braid your hair nicely, don’t laugh like a maniac, and is it true you go to dancing classes on Sunday? Don’t go to dancing classes as there are boys who attend them. Don’t talk to boys; they are not good company. Don’t even say a word to them – even if they ask you for direction. But I don’t even go outside of the house. This is how you polish your shoes. This is how you take the clothes off the hook. This is how you fold the clothes so they don’t get creased. This is how to weave a thread through a needle!! This is how you sew a button. This is how you fix a dress when it starts to slip down!! This is how you make food. Clean the utensil with a tissue before you pour oil into it. Don’t put bananas upside down; they will get ruined. Don’t pour too much milk into the batter, it will turn dense. Don’t enter the kitchen with your shoes on. How many times will I need to punish you for touching the sacred plant on your period? Don’t you just get it?! Stop pestering me!! What do you mean you want toys? You have so much work to do. Did you even finish polishing your father’s shoes? Or Cleaning your brother’s wardrobe. You haven’t even dusted the house. Stop asking for so much stuff!! We don’t have enough money to buy you your doll. Go make breakfast for your grandfather. Don’t go to other people’s houses; you might catch a disease. Don’t talk to strangers. Don’t follow your brother around. Stop trying to talk to your brother – let him play with his friends. Don’t pick flowers. Don’t pick fruits either. Don’t collect anything in your wardrobe. How dare you take that coin from my room? Oh, stop crying, your eyes will get puffy. What are you even crying for?! And what do you mean you want to go visit your friends? NO! You can’t just go visit anyone. Is it a he or a she? Do they live nearby? This is how you make medicines for colds. This is how you treat diarrhea. This is how you treat a wound. This is how you get rid of mosquitoes. This is how you make your bed. This is how you talk to people. This is how you laugh. Cover your mouth when you want to smile. Don’t show your teeth to others - nobody wants to know what they look like. Don’t snort. Act like the lady I hope you will become. Don’t roll your eyes at me. Don’t take vast sips of water. Take a break before you drink again. Don’t keep your hands idle. Don’t bend too low. Don’t stand too stiff. Don’t relax around unknown people. Don’t make me say it twice. You know I hate it when you don’t respond to my first call. You have no right to question my decision. This is how you love a man. And this is how a man loves you. But don’t lose heart if that doesn’t work. There is another way, I will teach you later. This is how you respect others. This is how you make everyone happy. This is how you satisfy everyone. This is how you stop living. This is how you put everyone else before yourself. This is how you lose your identity. This is how you become someone you don’t know; this is how you become a girl. This is how you become an ideal daughter, sister, and wife. This is what the world wants. But this is not what the world NEEDS. The only thing that the world needs is CHANGE. A change of perspective. A change in thinking. A change of ideology. And lastly, a change of actions.