The Amazing Properties of the Citron

We have eight citron (lime) trees on our property in Bendale.  Both Athens and I have begun to put lime in lots of our foods from curry, pancakes to popcorn. The Chadian people eat the limes like oranges but I have no desire to destroy the enamel on my teeth so I do not eat limes like the Chadians.

With eight trees we have more than enough citron, so one day I brought a bag of citron with me to work to give to the other nurses.  I was working with Hamadu that week in Urgence and when I offered him some citron he took only one.  I tried to convince him that I had plenty and to take more but he only wanted one.  I asked him if he didn’t like citron and he replied that he did but he only could have one a week. Por que? (why) I asked him.  And he told me that he could only have one citron a week because citron killed sperm.  Do you know how hard it is to keep a straight face when someone tells you something like that!! Holding in laughter hurts!!  He seemed oblivious to the fact that I was about one second away from laughing in his face and he continued to explain to me why he could only take one citron.  He told me when he was young and he didn’t love a woman he could eat many citron.  But now that he is married and loves a woman he must only eat one citron a week. 

Well I didn’t want to prevent him from having the 12 kids he wanted so I didn’t force another citron on him.  I didn’t want to be labeled as a sperm killer either.  After this very education talk from Hamadu of the dangers of eating too many citron I had to step outside.  I am proud to say that I made all the way to the dentist office where some of the SMs were hanging out before I dissolved into laughter.  It took me a few minutes to get my laugher under control so that I tell the SMs why I was laughing so hard.  Where did Hamadu get his information from!!??  I could have stayed there and tried to tell him the truth, but decided against it.  He probably wouldn’t believe me anyway.  And I don’t think I could get through telling him he was wrong about citron killing sperm without laughing.  If the Chadians are using citron as birth control it’s no surprise that they have so many kids.  It’s obvious that the birth control method is not working, or maybe the men are not eating enough citron per week!!