Bethrand Chibuike @betty

As I sat late at night, buried in chores and studying for an upcoming MCQ test, I suddenly heard a loud explosion nearby. It was the transformer close to the street, and within seconds, the entire area was thrown into darkness. I couldn't help but hope that the transformer had just blown due to some minor glitch and that it would be fixed soon.

The next day, when I woke up, the entire street was still blanketed in blackout. It seemed that the issue with the transformer was more severe than I had initially thought. I had wished that I ironed my shirts earlier but I didn't.

After what seemed like an eternity, the electricity came back, but to my surprise, it was of low current, and the appliances struggled to work properly. Despite this, I found it amusing that I could still iron my clothes even though the pressing iron heated slowly and that my phone was still adding a charge after charge from the low current.

At that moment, it struck me that perhaps the brightness was unnecessary. In that dim glow, I found what I needed. The low current allowed me to meet my basic necessities, and I started to think that maybe I didn't need full brightness to carry on with basic life needs and you all must agree with me.

Today was a really tough day in school. We started classes around 8 a.m., and things seemed normal at first. But then everything got all mixed up. Our first class was supposed to end at around 2 p.m., giving us a nice, long break before the next one. But that's not how it went. Two other teachers made them go on and on, and we didn't finish until around 7 p.m. It felt like the day would never end.

I was so drained and tired when I finally got home. Throughout the day, I had only managed to snack on a few things, and they didn't fill me up at all. When I got home, I was so tired that I couldn't even muster up the energy to cook, even though I had bought some groceries. My legs were aching from sitting on a hard chair for the whole day.

I just sunk into the sofa, and I couldn't decide what to eat for dinner. That's when I suddenly remembered I had some bread. It was like a lightbulb went off in my head – a surge of relief and gratefulness washed over me. Finding that bread was a small victory in a long, tiring day. It may seem like a simple thing, but it made a huge difference in my evening. After struggling through such a difficult day, just having the bread was enough to soothe my tired soul.

You might be wondering why I am awake by this time, well...
...Its my ALARM.
Good night.

It was one of those rushy mornings when everyone seemed to be caught off guard.
The evening before, our class representative dropped the bombshell that we were scheduled for a presentation the following day, we were all in panic because no one had prepared, nor had anyone done so much as glanced at the prescribed material before time.

To add to the whole matter, the announcement came far too late, at bedtime past the late hours at 10 pm. By then, most of us were already drifting into a world of dreams. The news greeted us at daybreak on our class WhatsApp group, urging us to muster whatever fragmented knowledge we could and to be punctual for the class presentation.

Amidst the tension, I made the decision to tackle the reading head-on. While many lamented on the tiring task of absorbing the unfamiliar content, I was up for the challenge, silently picturing through pages to not just fulfill the presentation requirement but to deliver it with the kind of mastery capable of silencing the whole skeptical countenance by fellow mates.

The first group had presented, the second and the third and it was finally our turn to present. I laid low awaiting someone to come forth to present but none did. And when the man was about to pick from amongst us randomly, I stood to my feet and climbed the stage with 100% composure.

My expressions, articulations and logical explanation on the topic we were given to handle were undoubtedly gracious. I could see the course coordinator smiling uncontrollably.
None of the early groups was able to impress this man, but I surprised him.

The students were helpful too as they paid very close attention, they were baffled at my courage and how eloquent I was vocalizing the topic.
I couldn't be sure of my performance until after my conclusion, the whole class stood to clap.
The man asked for my name again and nodded in contentment.

When I was little, playing under the rain was something I yearned for but was constantly denied. My parents forbid us from stepping out into the downpour, cautioning us about the dangers of catching a cold or getting sick. At the time, I thought they were just being overly strict, prohibiting us from having the natural, carefree fun of running in the rain. I couldn't understand why they were so determined to keep us sheltered from this simple pleasure.

One day, when both of our parents were away at work, my siblings and I made a secret pact to finally experience the joy of playing under the rain. As soon as they left, we dashed outside, laughing and giddy with excitement. The sensation of raindrops drenching us was exhilarating beyond words. We frolicked, danced, dove, and even turned the rain into our own little swimming pool. It was an absolutely remarkable, unforgettable experience.

For a couple of days, we celebrated our escapade, reliving the excitement and joy of that rainy adventure. However, the euphoria soon came to an abrupt end. Suddenly, one by one, my siblings and I fell ill. Our feverish bodies and weary spirits were at war with a malicious sickness.

When we finally sought medical help, the doctor diagnosed us with an illness caused by waterborne pathogens. We were questioned about any exposure to dirty water or unsanitary conditions, and we had to confess our secret escapade under the rain. It was a difficult moment; we realized that our parents had been trying to shield us from exactly this kind of danger.