When I first came across @sankofas Lies My Granny Told Me: Story Telling Task. (Some prize's Inside) post and read through it's entire content I let out a crazy smile.

While growing up I was fed with a lot of ridiculous things most of which I ended up believing as a kid but ended up coding the were lies years after childhood.
I am interested in this contest because it would be fun telling you my experience in the most entertaining and educative way and I am sure this is what Sankofa story telling contest is all about.

You see this truck below let's fill it up with our childhood memories through this contest.

Image by @misterakpan
I made a list of the four thrilling lies I was told as a kid but for this contest I would be selecting my most entertaining experience to unravel the story behind it just to make you happy.

1. Nnenna my daughter on no account must a boy or man touch you or merely hold hands with you, if it happens you're getting pregnant at the spot.
   (Nnenna is my tribal name.)
2. Nnenna nwam do not join other girls chew bubble gum and make the mistake of swallowing it to avoid getting caught because when you swallow that gum it would stay in your stomach for over seven years.
3. You must know that every grain of rice left in your plate is going to bring you a year of bad luck, so you must finish up every meal given to you.
   (Then I used to ensure I keep my plate sparkling clean without washing it.)
4. Nne, if you swallow a watermelon seed an enormous fruit would grow inside your stomach.
   (Who would hear this as a kid and not get so scared).
   This lie carried so much weight and this is my pick for this contest.

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Let's go nostalgic .

The Lie I was told as a kid; Swallowing a watermelon seed, would ignite the growth of an enormous fruit inside my stomach.

Martha is my aunt of life she baby sat me.
Mum called out to Aunt Martha,

"Martha would you get me the items on this list from the market?"

Please also get us watermelon.

Source
My dear make a choice of a large roundish fruit with an attractive green rind on the outside that has a fresh red-pink flesh on the inside when sliced open.
Mum paused for a while and Dad asked

"My dear what is the matter, why did you pause all of a sudden?"

Mums response was "I just wish the edible fruit she selects and purchases has less black seeds in it because of this kids".

You know how sweet and juicy the red-pink pulp of watermelon's could be and most species in the North has many black seeds, this kids may get accustomed to swallowing this seeds mistakenly while we're accustomed to spitting them out as we eat.

Dad said that's not a problem let her rush to the market and get the fruit first.

I and my siblings were overly excited Aunt Martha just stepped out to the market and when she returns we would have our share of dad and mum's favorite fruit.

Aunty Martha walked into the house smiling at everyone, I always her loved her gallant steps and charming smiles especially when there is a package for us, she carefully showed mum the large roundish fruit with a small opening confirming she asked the sellers to check the inside of the watermelon.

She returned from the market with just the perfect specie of mum's succulent fruit from the gourd family Cucurbitaceae.

We all jumped in excitement when mum signalled Aunt Martha to go ahead and slice the fruit open, elder sister shouted it's almost time for the watermelon seed spitting contest.

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The seed spitting contest was so much fun and brought unity amongst us.
To be sincere as a little kid it was fun watching ourselves spit out watermelon seeds from our mouth like bullets to fall within a boundary or even save the seeds up to attack any sibling of ours that provokes us.

But my buccal cavity wasn't fit for this contest, I had to curl my small tongue around the seed and blow it out.

I preferred hiding myself and munching unto the sumptuous fruit most times and I don't just eat the red-pink pulp I consumed even the seeds.

This was my regular habit as I always lost at the game and this faithful day Mum caught me.
Aunty Martha had already walked into the kitchen to slice open the fruit revealing the succulent red-pink pulp.

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I personally couldn't wait to rush my share of it as the satisfaction I got from the fruit was something else, this fruit also had the capacity to quench my thirst with the watery juice in it, yes watermelon is one edible fruit with 92% water and 6% sugar which makes it so sweet when consumed.

Mum watched me as I hurriedly finished my portion of the fruit and was impressed. She noticed my seeds weren't anywhere to be found in the plate or on the ground and so she asked me.

Source

Eunice where are the watermelon seeds?
Didn't you spit them out as you ate the fruit?

Oh I must tell you this in case I haven't. When you swallow a watermelon seed, the seed would ignite the growth of an enormous fruit inside your stomach.

I freaked out immediately and ran to Dad's arm. I asked Dad is it true that when I swallow a watermelon seed the seed germinates into a fruit?
Dad nodded his head in affirmative, he asked hope you've been spitting them out this one you're asking me? I climbed on his shoulder crying all day.

To be sincere I got so scared all through my childhood and always picked out the seeds of the watermelon from the fruit either before eating or from my mouth.

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The story doesn't end here, I got into Pharmacy school, it was time for a Pharmacognosy lecture while the lecture went on this lecturer discussed about the health benefits of watermelon, he mentioned that the fruit itself was a good diuretic and good for growing kids, he dwelled on the watermelon seeds and mentioned it had a good number of nutritional value.

My eyes popped out hearing this for the first time in my life, does it mean we could consume those seed?

This was a yes because this lecturer listed almost 10 benefits of consuming watermelon seeds.

1. He said in a 4g serving of watermelon seed you would get 21mg of magnesium and other mineral's.
   I was taught that I needed 400mg of magnesium as a mineral everyday to build my body's metabolic functions and maintain the nerves, muscles and heart function.

2. This same seed in watermelon contained some quantity of iron, iron is an essential component of hemoglobin in the blood which carries oxygen throughout the body.

3. He went ahead to mention folate or folic acid which is Vitamin B9 which enhances the brain function and prevents folate deficiency in pregnant mother's. This even go ahead to prevent a birth defect known as the neural tube birth defect.

1.Watermelon seeds contains calories, good fats which has been researched to be useful in protecting the heart against attacks, stroke, hypercholesterolnemia.

1. Watermelon seeds could even improve male feritily, etc.
   To read intensively on the health benefits of watermelon seeds check this link up on google https://www.google.com.ng/amp/thenationonlineng.net/health-benefits-of-watermelon-seeds/amp/

I patiently waited for the class to end, my mind kept telling me to call Mum and Dad to inform them on what I just learnt about watermelon seeds.

I was so happy sharing this knowledge with them and pointed the part where the lecturer stressed that to make the most of them, the watermelon seeds need to be sprouted, shelled and dried but to avoid the stress of this, these seeds have a hard outer covering so they should be chewed before swallowing to get their nutritional content as well.......

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Watermelon seeds are a robust snack that is why I now prefer munching them with the fruit.

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Before learning about this seeds, I usually find it difficult to stretch my arms widely because I suffered from chest pains while carrying out this activity but I had no ulcer or any condition as the Doctor told us but I have this deep feeling that consuming this seeds have something to do with the health benefit I experienced when I began munching them with the fruit.

So here ends my story.........

A big shout out to @sankofa for this story telling contest it took me down memory lane, I look forward to other entries.

Thanks.