The ban tested me but I survived

If I was told that I could never eat meat again not because the world changed, but because I was banned, honestly it would hurt. In fact, here is the twist. I was very sick, and I went to the hospital for tests, and I was told what was wrong with me. I was relieved, but not until the doctor started with the do’s and don'ts of the illness. If I wanted a fast healing, I shouldn't eat spaghetti,egusi soup. I was just nodding my head because those foods weren't my best. Everywhere first blurred when he said no meat, not even pepper meat or pepper soup. I was trying to process what he was saying. He then said, Even chicken.

Haba, doctor, did I offend you in my other world? He smiled and said if I must eat chicken, I should remove the skin. I just breathed out. He continued with no fried plantain, no fries at all. Since that instruction, the kind of pain that shows up when I'm hungry, tired, and surrounded by people enjoying what I can't eat. I sometimes feel cheated or that life is not fair, especially knowing everyone else is free to eat whatever they want and I can't.

The hardest part is not just the food itself but the moments attached to it. Imagine a family meal where meat is the center of the table. The smell of food cooking in the evening, celebrations, street food, casual hangouts where no one thinks about what they are eating. I will now constantly be adjusting, trying to explain, or just quietly opting out because I can't keep explaining; it can feel lonely at times.

I won't lie; at first I was breaking the ban. There were days I felt stressed, mood swings, or nostalgia, and meat felt like the perfect thing that would bring me comfort. In those moments, that rule felt like a heavy load. Sometimes I fall , but gradually I have to accept my reality instead of fighting it forever.

Cooking will become my escape. I love cooking, and it will turn into survival skills since meat is off the table. Then flavor has to come from somewhere else to quench my craving. I will experiment more with vegetables and fish. Vegetables won't be boring anymore; I will lay them with healthy spices, and the texture will be crunchy. I will find ways to enjoy myself without feeling left out.

Currently, the ban has stopped feeling like punishment and started feeling like discipline. I have actually lost some weight in the process. Right now watching others eat meat doesn't bother me that much again. I just realized that everyone lives with different limits, some visible, some hidden; but this is mine.

Will I break the ban? Maybe one day, not sure, because the thought hasn't crossed my mind yet, not even this oblee season. Once I have gone far enough, breaking my rule will feel worse than obeying it. So yes, I believe I could live with it. Well, not perfectly, not without struggle, but honestly. In the end, the ban wouldn't define me by what I eat but by how well I learned to live within my limits.

Images are Ai generated

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