Nwachuku Deborah @borah

A few years ago, there was a man in my neighborhood who kept pigeons. These birds often flew around, and some of them would come into my compound before heading back. But there was this one particular pigeon that started showing up at my window more often than the rest. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but when I noticed its consistency, I began leaving little things for it like garri, bread crumbs, or sometimes chin chin.

At first, the pigeon was afraid. The moment I came near, it would fly away without a second thought. It clearly wasn’t interested in being touched or making friends. I decided to just let it be and left food for it to enjoy without disturbing it. Over time, though, it became less scared. It started hanging around my window longer, even after eating the food. I knew we were slowly building some sort of trust.

One day, something surprising happened. The pigeon flew into my house. At first, I thought it might have been an accident, but it didn’t seem panicked or rushed. It stayed calm and even let me touch it briefly before flying off again. That moment was special, as if the bird had finally accepted me as a friend.

From then on, it became a routine. The pigeon would come by almost every evening, and it wasn’t just about the food anymore. It seemed to enjoy being around, and I found myself looking forward to its visits.
Unfortunately, the man who owned the pigeons eventually moved out, and my little feathered friend went with him.

There’s this boy in my street who, despite being grown in age, acts a lot like a child. He’s always running around with the younger kids, playing with them everywhere, even in the market.

One day, I was nearby when he accidentally knocked over a bottle of oil from a shop stand. The owner, angry, gave him a harsh slap right there in front of everyone. The boy was shocked and embarrassed, and the market people were murmuring. That same day, he continued playing as usual after the mother settled the oil woman.

But recently, while messing around with his friends on the roadside, a keke driver didn’t see him run out, and he was hit. Thankfully, the injuries weren’t too serious, but he had to go for treatment and was out of area for about three weeks.
Now that he’s recovered, it’s like he’s a different person. I haven’t seen him in his usual spots, and he doesn’t run around like before. People are saying his mom must have really talked to him, and maybe, after all that, he’s finally realized the need to act his age.

I got on the bus, paid my fare, and soon enough, the bus filled up with other passengers. We all settled in, and after a few minutes, we were on our way. The driver stopped three times along the route to drop people off. Things seemed smooth and normal, until, out of nowhere, a guy from the back suddenly shouted that he’d missed his stop. Apparently, he had fallen asleep and only woke up after we’d passed it. Trying to be reasonable, the driver said he’d charge him a bit less for the inconvenience.

The man went into his pocket and pulled out a torn note to pay. Seeing this, the driver lost his patience. Before any of us could react, he slapped the guy right there. We all stepped in to separate them and calm things down, and a few of us asked the man why he didn’t have better money to pay with. He explained that he’d gotten the torn note earlier from an okpa seller. It was a bit hard to believe, but there wasn’t much we could do about it.

Someone suggested he withdraw some fresh cash from the nearest ATM or POS, but he bluntly refused. At that point, it seemed like he was just being stubborn. The driver, fed up and unwilling to argue any further, told us all to get back on the bus. He gave the guy one last look, and we drove off, leaving him behind. None of us said much as we drove away, still processing what had just happened.
As we left, the driver muttered something about the man reaping what he’d sown.

As a fashion designer, I have a straightforward policy: pay an advance before I start, then complete payment once the work is done. But this one customer decided to test my patience. She wanted to make Ankara dresses for herself and her two daughters, but instead of paying the agreed advance, she paid less. Since it was her first time, I decided to let it slide, hoping to build trust.

After putting in the work and finishing the dresses, she completed only the advance payment and asked to take them home, promising she’d settle the rest within a week. I let her take them, trusting she’d keep her word. But two weeks passed, and I didn’t hear anything. I messaged her politely about the balance, and she just ignored me. Eventually, I called, and she simply said, “I’ll pay soon.”

Months went by, two to be exact, and I hadn’t received a thing. Then, on Sunday, I saw her with her husband at an event. We didn’t exchange greetings, I just kept my distance and didn’t bring it up.

Surprisingly, when I got home that evening, I received a payment alert from her husband. Maybe she got worried when I didn’t acknowledge her at the event, or perhaps her husband took things into his own hands. Either way, thank God the payment finally came through.

Back in my first year of university, there was this guy who started showing interest in me. I could tell right away that he liked me, but I wasn’t really ready to reciprocate those feelings. One big reason was that I knew I was almost two years older than him, and that just made me feel like we were on different levels. Still, he didn’t give up easily.

He even went as far as telling two of my friends that he liked me. Of course, they came to me, trying to play matchmaker and pushing me to give him a chance. But I wasn’t having any of it. I told them to stop bothering me about him, and that was that. But this guy wasn’t backing down. He’d bring me food during night classes, and on Valentine’s Day, he surprised me with a watch.

I decided to be plain with him. I told him I knew he liked me and wanted to get closer, but I was two years older than him. I thought that would make him back off because, in my mind, it was the only way to send him away. Surprisingly, he said it didn’t matter to him. But I could tell he was nervous, like he didn’t know how to respond to the age thing.

After that conversation, things changed quickly. The next day, he started acting different, no more teasing or calling me those sweet names he used to throw around. He started keeping his distance and eventually stopped talking to me altogether. It was like he’d decided that was the end of the road.

Yesterday, I decided to treat myself to a nice Sunday meal, something I rarely do. I headed to the market to gather all the ingredients I needed. However, my experience was not so good when I encountered a market seller who really tested my patience. I wanted to transfer 200 naira for my purchase and collect cash to buy some fufu, but she insisted that I send 250 naira. Apparently, the extra 50 naira was for her charge fee. I couldn’t believe it, especially since I had already spent over 4,000 naira there.

Despite my annoyance, I decided to overlook the situation and paid the 50 naira charge. It was frustrating, but I didn’t want to ruin my mood over it. After all, I was looking forward to enjoying my meal. Once I got home, I started preparing the ingredients. I sliced the okra, cooked the fish and beef, and in just a few minutes, my soup was ready.

Finally, I sat down to enjoy my meal, and let me tell you, it was worth all the effort. Each swallow was sweet, and the combination of the okra, fish, and beef was just perfect.
What made it even better was knowing that this meal would last for a few days. I could enjoy the leftovers and remind myself of the satisfying experience of making something delicious from scratch.

Back in my university days, there was one chaotic day I’ll never forget. A seminar class was announced early in the morning around 6am, but I was still fast asleep. When I woke up around 9:30, I realized the class was scheduled for 8:30. Instead of checking with anyone if the lecturer was there, I just started preparing desperately.

As I hurried out, my shirt got caught on the door and tore badly. I was frustrated, but I quickly threw on another shirt and rushed out. On my way, while trying to run, I hit my foot on a tree root. My big toe started bleeding, but I couldn’t stop, I just had to make it to class.

I finally arrived, only to find that the lecturer hadn’t even shown up. I waited an hour in pain and frustration. Then, our class rep called, saying the class was canceled.

Everyone was overjoyed by the news, but I was sitting there, feeling completely drained and annoyed by all the unnecessary stress.

Last week, I had some extra cash and decided to try hiking for the first time. The company in charge offered a reasonable price, and they even provided us with protective gear and a guide to show us the way. Our transport was fully covered both ways, and they gave us some snacks to keep us going.

At first, everything was going great. The weather was nice, and the journey was manageable. But then, I lost my stamina and slipped, breaking my ankle before we had even made it halfway up the mountain. It was painful, but I thought maybe I could push through and keep going with the group.

Unfortunately, the pain was too much, and I realized I couldn’t keep up. The guide was really kind and offered to stay behind with me, but I didn’t want to hold him back. I told him he should continue with the rest of the group and enjoy the hike. After all, my injury shouldn’t ruin his experience.

They gave me some first aid and made sure I was in a safe place while the others finished the hike. I waited patiently, trying to stay positive even though I was disappointed about not making it to the top.
When the hike was over, the guide returned to help me. He supported me as I hopped back to the vehicle, and we all made our way back together. Over half of my money was refunded too 😹 It's well