CONDENSED MILK

The other day I was debating within myself whether I should go and buy a tin of evaporated milk since I felt like taking some then I recalled another version of it that was called Condensed Milk. I don't know if they  still sell it but it used to come in this cute little tin and was very sweet plus was it milk so I liked it. I can't remember how I got to take it for the first time or whether I really got to ever enjoy one to myself, (I don't think I ever did though) but I remember I got close to it once, real close! However, thanks to my big, all knowing, 'over sabi' sisters, they spoilt that chance.
There was this aunty staying in our house, she was a youth corp member and somehow she and my sisters had become quite good friends while we were still living in the semidetached two-storey building somewhere along the road further down this street. She had probably just come to spend sometime with us cos I think she was done with her service year by then (or maybe not), but she was around anyways and a lot of fun!  Even though she had some clashes with my parents, especially my dad (I can recall hearing him one day complaining about how much water she used to bathe when she didn't fetch it and somehow implying her laziness). Kemi was her name, a typical Yoruba lady (please don't ask me what I mean by typical) with those curves so pronounced there was this guy who looked at her and mentioned a relationship with the "pajero jeep", I don't know the relationship but trust my siblings we gave him the nickname 'pajero' after that. Well, I must have fascinated her with my good behaviour or impressed her with my intellectual prowess (like coming first in class) or something. Whichever way, I did something to deserve a reward and she asked me what I would love to buy, it was condensed milk of course! I don't know what influenced that decision but I believe I must have tasted it once and the creamy sweet taste had fastened itself in my memory and won't let go except I had another taste so here was the opportunity to satisfy my craving to its fullest with the little tin of condensed milk all to my self! I was given some money to do just that then the sharks swooped in! I can't recall the amount that was given  but my big sisters transferred the ownership of the little sum without little waste of time and began deliberations on what to do with it. I wonder why we had to deliberate when they where in control already (my suggestions would be countered and 're-countered'). I was certain I wanted condensed milk but they knew better, that money could be invested in a lot of things and condensed milk was just like a whiff of smoke, it would fade away in no time. I knew what I wanted right? And I still think I would have gotten it if I was let to have my way, but my sisters were (and sometimes now still are) forces I couldn't fight, somehow they would take the upper hand so I had to succumb sooner or later. A substitute for condensed milk was suggested, this would be as sweet, not as creamy but with some cream of cos, it would also be more in quantity (if we were measuring it by counting the number of items) and would also be available to everyone(joy in sharing!). I wouldn't have been entirely possessive of my condensed milk if I had gotten it but it would have been harder to share anyway and...well, I just had to nod along and say yes, it was okay to buy 'MILKOSE' sweet (we still see it around a lot). One condensed milk wouldn't have satisfied me, the milkose wasn't satisfactory when it was bought either, but the fulfillment of taking what I wanted would have filled my stomach or satiated my desire in a way though...what one does for siblings!(sisters especially). What was done with the remainder of the money is a vague thought...maybe it was put into my special trust fund for future use(and was used for my benefit later on but I didn't know), maybe it was added up to buy those socks I needed (this sounds sweeter and my heart wants to go with it), or maybe it disappeared with into thin air (thin air could be a variety of things which I'll leave to your creative imagination).