Ruth Nwachukwu @bethel

After a fun day out with my friends, we decided to stop by a fancy restaurant. The food was amazing, though a bit pricey. We ate to our satisfaction, laughing and chatting about random things.

Just before we left, one of my friends ordered takeaway. Curious, I asked, “After all this food, you’re still getting extra?” They laughed and said it was for the night. They even tried convincing me to do the same, but I proudly refused. “I won’t be hungry till morning,” I declared confidently.

We left the restaurant, and I went home feeling victorious. The moment I hit my bed, sleep took over. Hours later, I woke up. my stomach growling like an angry lion. Reality hit me. I was starving! I checked my kitchen, even after knowing that there is nothing in the kitchen hoping for a miracle, but there was nothing appealing. At that moment, I regretted my decision deeply.

Today, I finally got paid from a project my good friend had been forcing me to check in on every day. For the past two months, I had been following his advice, even though I didn’t fully understand everything. At some point, I even got angry at him for disturbing me because the whole thing felt too complex. But looking at my payment now, I can’t deny that it was worth the effort.

The funny thing is, my friend never gives up. He no dey hear word at all. Even when I got tired of the project, he mounted more pressure on me, saying there was nothing I could do to avoid it. And true to his words, the payment has come, and it’s not small money. In fact, he was the one who first checked his balance and excitedly told me he had been paid even bigger. That was when I rushed to check mine too.

If I had taken it more seriously, I would have earned even more. But no problem, lesson learned. Next time, I’ll put in more effort and grab the full opportunity. For now, I just thank my stubborn friend for dragging me into something that turned out to be a big win.

I went to buy food, and when I got there, I saw over ten people already in line, waiting for their turn. I joined the queue and stood patiently as the seller attended to each person. When it finally got to my turn, along with two other guys, a young man pulled up in a Keke, sitting alone like a king. From the way he carried himself, I could already tell – one of those yahoo boys who start acting foolish once they touch a few dollars.

Without even looking at us, he walked straight to the food seller and told her to serve him immediately because he had "chartered" the Keke. As if that wasn't enough, the Keke driver had the audacity to back him up, as if paying for a full ride gave him the right to jump the queue. The rest of us just stood there, watching the drama unfold.

When he tried to pressure the food seller again, one of the guys beside me had enough. He shut him down instantly, saying, "And so? Na only you first see 100 dollars? Dey calm down o before men change am for you here." The whole place went quiet.

Unable to handle the embarrassment, he quickly turned around and jumped back into the Keke, signalling the driver to speed off like a thief in the night. The rest of us continued as if nothing had happened, but deep down, it felt good to see him put in his place. Well deserved.

Last night was the hungriest I have ever been. I was deep in sleep when my stomach woke me up, demanding food like it was on strike. With no proper meal ready, I had no choice but to pour garri, mix it with milk, and drink it just to calm my belly. After finishing the cup, I lay back down, hoping to sleep, but the hunger refused to let me rest. It felt like my stomach was laughing at me, saying, "Is this all you’ve got?"

That was when I remembered my bottle of chin chin. I had misplaced it some days ago, and because I was hardly ever at home, I never had time to look for it. But last night, hunger gave me no option. I needed to find that chin chin at all costs. My body was weak, but desperation gave me energy. I turned the whole house upside down, searching every corner, opening every drawer, and checking under every table.

At some point, I started regretting my carelessness. If I had kept the bottle in a safe place, I wouldn't be suffering like this. The hunger was making me dizzy, and I felt like my strength was leaving me. My stomach kept rumbling, reminding me that time was running out. The struggle was real, and I was paying the price for my mistake.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, I found the bottle. I didn’t even wait to sit properly before opening it and stuffing my mouth with chin chin. I don’t think I could have survived much longer without finding something to eat.

For three months, a nice guy had been asking me out. I liked him, but I was already in a relationship that was not good. Even though I felt unhappy, I did not want to hurt my current boyfriend by breaking up with him. I stayed in the relationship, hoping things would get better.

I noticed that I stopped reaching out to my boyfriend. It felt like I was pulling away, but deep down, I knew I was unhappy. My boyfriend was still trying hard to make things work, but we had many differences. I realized I didn’t want to be with someone like him anymore.

One day, my boyfriend called me. He said he couldn’t keep trying to make the relationship work. I could hear the sadness in his voice. When he decided to end things, I felt as though I'm about to lose something special but on a second that thought this was all I have wanted and as a matter of fact I initiated the process.

Now that I was single, I felt free and hopeful. There was another guy who had been very interested in me. He treated me kindly and seemed ready to do anything for my happiness. I started to think that maybe he could be the right person for me.

I took a deep breath and decided it was time to say yes to a new relationship. I smiled at the thought of starting fresh with someone who truly cared for me. It felt like a new beginning, and I was excited for what was to come.

I got invited to a business seminar and decided to attend because I wanted to meet new people and learn something useful. It seemed like a great opportunity to expand my network and gather some fresh ideas. I arrived early, settled in, and listened attentively as the speakers shared their insights.

During the break, the organizers encouraged us to connect with at least two people. I stood there, scanning the room for someone who seemed approachable. Just as I was about to make a move, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around, and to my surprise, it was Emma, someone I used to know from my old neighborhood.

Emma had been my neighbor back then, and I remembered how he would pray every night while playing his guitar. It was such a calming thing to hear, and I mentioned it to him right away. He laughed, saying he still plays but not as often. Seeing him brought back memories, and we started catching up on life.

From his appearance and the way he spoke, it was clear he was doing much better than when I last saw him. He seemed more confident and at ease. We shared a few more stories, and I couldn’t help but feel happy for his progress. Before the break ended, I asked for his contact, which he gladly shared.

It was a bright Monday morning, and I was excited but nervous. Today was my presentation day. I had worked hard on it for weeks and couldn’t wait to share it. Even though I had wasted extra time maybe to prepare harder and build this core confidence.

When I got to school, I took my seat in the classroom. The first few students presented, and I felt my excitement grow, and I can't wait to share my thoughts

Some part of me was already telling me that I might not present considering the number of students and the the little delay the lectures had, though they tried to catch up with time

He rushed through the presentations, and I waited for my turn. Just when I thought it was almost my time, the lecture said he couldn’t continue. He was too tired and promised we would start with me next week.

I felt frustrated. I had spent the whole day waiting, and now I had to wait even longer. I walked home feeling disappointed.

When I got home, I dropped my bag and lay on my bed. I thought about how I had imagined sharing my work. But then I realized I still had a week to prepare. I decided to use that time to make my presentation even better. Next week, I would be ready.

woke up early, feeling excited and ready for my trip. I had everything planned, and it seemed like the perfect day to travel. But when I got to the bus park, my excitement quickly faded.

The place was packed, and there were hardly any buses in sight. I found out that the holiday season had just ended, and everyone wanted to travel at the same time. The few buses that were there were taken in no time, leaving many people, including me, without a ride.

Before I could even reach the ticket counter, the last bus was fully booked. I stood there in shock as the driver closed the doors and drove away. My plans were ruined, and I had to postpone my trip until tomorrow.

Feeling disappointed, I walked back home, thinking about what the situation could be the next day. As I make my way home the feeling of the unexpected delay was just all over my head. Tomorrow was going to be another day to try again

What happened yesterday still makes me laugh when I think about it. I was on my way home from work when I noticed a woman selling star fruit by the roadside. I decided to stop and buy some. After choosing what I wanted and agreeing on the price, I brought out a 1,000 Naira note to pay. But as soon as I pulled the money out of my bag, a small boy grabbed it from my hand and tried to run away.

Before he could get far, a very muscular man who had been standing nearby stopped him. He grabbed the boy with so much force and even lifted him off the ground. I couldn’t stop laughing at how the situation was playing out. The man seemed ready to teach the boy a serious lesson, but I felt sorry for him. Maybe the boy was just hungry, I thought.

The 1,000 Naira was returned to me, and I quickly paid for my star fruit. I asked the woman to add a few extra pieces so I could give them to the boy. It felt like the right thing to do, and I wanted to let him know I wasn’t angry. The muscular man stood there the entire time, making sure the boy didn’t try anything else. He even gave him a few light knocks on the head to warn him not to misbehave again.

In the end, we all laughed about it, and the situation ended peacefully. The boy got some star fruit, the muscular man seemed satisfied he had done his part, and I left with my money and my fruit.