A lie has no leg; only layers of more lies to cover up

While growing up, I was exposed to many lies and tails. These tales were just said as a means to shape our character and also make us better. Some of these lies were said to make us scared, while some were said as a means of passing the generation's lies from one generation to the other. An example of a generational lie was a story we were told as kids about a football match between Nigeria and India in which Nigeria lost 99-1. We were told that Indias played barefooted, and they used jazz (African magic) on us. India players turned into different animals in the face of the Nigerian players, and the ball was hard as a rock. The only goal Nigeria scored resulted in the death of the player who scored the goal, and he was buried right in that stadium. That led to FIFA banning India from ever competing in a football competition ever again.

These tales made sense to me as a child, even till I became a teenager and adult. I believed every inch of this lie because there were no dates attached to it, and the players' names were not disclosed. The stadium where the games were played was unknown, and the game was also not captured on camera. When I became older, I realised the whole story was all a lie and the event or match never happened. However, I have decided to carry on with the tradition and tell the tale of the football match that never happened to my kids and my siblings, lol. Also, the lie told made me see India in a different light as a country with so many charms and voodoo, and their movies didn't help matters then, too, lol.

The lie that shaped my life up to this moment is what my parent told me about what happens to people who lie. So here is what my parent said, "If you lie, you will steal, and if you steal, police will catch and kill you, then you will go to hell fire once you are dead". This lie shaped my entire existence, and even though my parent lied to me, I believed it was necessary because, as a stubborn kid while growing up, I would have turned out differently if not for the fear of going to hell fire being instilled in me, also being caught by the police was a no-no for me as a kid and even as an adult.

So this lie told to me by my parent made me always speak the truth regardless of the consequences as a kid. It also makes me detest lying, and up to date, I can not stand people who lie, especially when the person lying is an adult. As an adult, why should you lie to another human? I know better now that everyone lies once in a while, but doing it constantly on things that are now even worth it makes me stay far away from such a person. You will be surprised at how many people lie for no reason; some lie for social validation, and it's so worrisome.

They are times when the urge and need for a lie might present itself, applying wisdom to this situation is key. So they have been times when a question or inquiry requires me to lie, so instead of lying about it, I would rather stay silent on the topic rather than give false answers, which I know is wrong in the first place.

I discovered the whole tale of what happens to lairs as false when I was much younger, around 15 to 16 years old. It happened while in church on a Sunday morning when the pastor was preaching, and he made mention of Jesus dying for our sins and giving us a clean slate regardless of our sins. He specifically mentioned that even if you are fond of lying, there is salvation for you in the end; it was that moment I realised the tale my parent told me about lying is all a sham. Telling lies won't even make you a thief, lol. However, you can not come in contact with an honest thief too. The whole twist of the story was that my parents told a lie in order to prevent me from telling lies too.