Family Stories & Experiences

Just across the tarred road side, around the new market axis, stood the decent house. I had rang the electronic bell two times now, and was about to enjoy the fun of pressing a button again, when my ears recognized some footsteps approaching the modern wooden door from the inside.

It was undoubtedly nice inside, with the large chandelier hanging gloriously from the tall P.O.P ceiling, radiating its whiteness to all around the large living room. The lighten wasn't just the only beautiful thing about my uncle's place, the walls were one of a kind - it was made to shine like glass which threw me in awe.
"How can walls be made to look like they were made of glass?", I was pondering on my self-afflicted question and answer when Aunty Mary beckoned on my consciousness.

My day started well, and I was determined to make the most of it despite having limited funds. Shortly after waking up, my phone rang. It was my sister calling, urgently needing money. I knew I didn't have much, but I sent her the money via my Opay account.

However, two hours later, she called back, saying she hadn't received the money. For one seconds I was like after two hours, thinking she was ungrateful for not confirming receipt earlier. Upon investigating, I realized I had sent the money to the wrong person, Blessing Nwangwia instead of Blessing Nwachuku.

Thankfully, it was an Opay account, so I copied the account number and contacted the recipient. Unfortunately, he denied seeing any unusual transactions on his account. I decided not to pressure him, hoping the money would eventually reflect, but I'm skeptical due to the country's high level of corruption.

While I wait for a refund, I quickly sent my sister another money, so shome could be happy, and at least give me a breathing space to concentrate on the current situation at hand.

Do you think he'll return the money or should I involve VDM?

There was an incident that I witnessed in my short time of stay in a particular community, nobody has really been able to explain why till today. A guy named Robert left home for 18 years, to work in a far place that no one knows, and he didn't communicate to his family throughout the 18 years. His parents and siblings thought he's dead, so many years without hearing from him is more than enough to have solidify their thoughts.

During this times, someone reported to the parents that he saw Robert somewhere, but Robert ran away immediately he recognized the person. The parents and siblings didn't believe that one of them would be life and decide to abandon his family for no reason, so they didn't believe it. Others thought that the guy must have gotten frustrated in the place he went to, and maybe got into a lot of mess with his life, and that might be why he disconnected himself from home entirely.

One day, on a chilled evening, I heard that Robert has been brought back home, I went to their compound to see how he looks like, being that I was told about him. He didn't come back willingly, the guy that reported to his parents before, tracked him and forcefully brought him back home, with the help of some guys. Robert refused to say why he rejected home and chosed to live waywardly, he lived poorly like an outcast, when his parents had a house. He needed a very intense haircut, change of clothes and enough food.

Few hours after he was brought back, his family made him look like a human being again. The family was happy that he's alive and back home, but it wasn't up to a month when Robert ran off again, leaving everybody in shock. Nobody could reach him, no one knew why he didn't want anything to do with home. Few months later, he was found again and forcefully brought back home, this time the family decided to seek solution to Robert's mysterious exile life. Pastors and therapists were invited into the case.

It didn't still change anything, Robert ran away again, never to be found till date, this happened in 2013, I left the community in 2014, I don't think the family are still expecting his return. The guy obviously doesn't want to be home and doesn't want to be part of a family, nobody knows why. I see it as a big loss to the family, giving birth to a child, and then the child run aways from you completely without any reason. The fruits of that labour will never be reaped, that's the bitter truth.

As I walked down the road, I realized I hadn't been here in five years. With each step, old memories came rushing back to me and I smiled at each childhood picture clouded my mind.

I remembered how I would run home from school with my school bag bouncing on my back. But then I had a motive. I usually stopped at the special place full of fruits.

Let me describe this spot, I called it the green compound with the big trees. I smiled as I saw the mango trees filled with bright yellow mangoes that looked so sweet. Next to the mangoes were orange trees, with bright oranges hanging down and tempting me. Though I couldn't now got for it now (big girl things).

I also remembered the cherry trees, with their pink and red fruits, my junior sister preferred that to mangoes and I can't tell why.
There were also German mangoes, not my favorite. The sweet mangoes was the best, I loved them.

When I walked this road before, I would quietly pick fruits to share with my brothers and sisters. I wasn't being naughty, I was just being clever. The family who owned the trees knew me, and they said I could take some fruits anytime I felt like, and with that kind of opportunity, I made it a routine. They trusted me, which made me feel good inside.

As I walked past the compound, I took a deep breath and let the happy memories fill me up. This road as part of my childhood.

I knew returning home from school for a short holiday or a short break wasn't such a great idea. But my home is my home, as they always say.

I returned home about a week ago, and I must say that I'm already tired of everything.
It no longer feels like a home for resting. It's been from one work to another, from one chore to another, from one errand to another. I do not blame the family or my mom or dad. I actually just blame it on time and development, and I'm partly happy about this. Except that everything domestic work now rests on me.

My elder sister has gotten married. My brothers are all in school far away. So I, as the last born, I think it's just my duty naturally. But sometimes I just feel like things could go back to normal like the way things had been- when chores were shared between other elder siblings and then I get the easiest task.

Looking back, all I can say is thank you God, for the progress thus far.

Mrs Rachel couldn't' believe her eyes after seeing her husband but her main concern at that moment was her daughter . She hugged Tina and ignored Mr Raymond who remained speechless immediately after he saw his wife.

"Oh God, thank you so much. Welcome pastor. Mrs Catherine said with so much excitement and hugged her daughter.

Where have you been my darling, you make me feel so worried. Am sorry i know you left the house because i couldn't give you the money you asked for. Mrs Rachel said looking into her daughter's eyes. and what happened to your head, why do you tighten your head with bandages?.
Tina feel bad when she heard her mother apologising to her. She don't know how her mother is going to react after she would tell her what happened to her. Tears streamed down her face.
Rachel, nothing we human beings can do, God did it and we give him the praise. Hallelujah!!!
And also, Thanks to this my brother here, Mr Raymond Pastor Drill said gesturing towards where Mr Raymond was.
Mrs Rachel countenance changed when the pastor said the last statement. She was trying to avoid Mr Raymond not to have anything to do with him.

Ermmm I think......

Rachel? Mr Raymond called interrupting pastor Drill when he saw how Mrs Rachel was acting as if she don't know him.

Tina, pastor Drill face Mr Raymond when they heard him called Rachel.

"Do you know her?" Pastor Drill asked Mr Raymond but he don't really know what to say.

Rachel, do you know him? Pastor Drill turned and asked her.
Tears roll down from Mrs Rachel eyes. They sight of Mr Raymond make her to remember what she went through after his disappearance. I don't want to set my eyes on you Raymond ,leave my house now because we won't like what will happen if you don't. I don't want to see you. "Leave my house' Mrs Rachel barked at Mr Raymond angrily.
I don't know how you people met and I don't want to know, just leave here now.

Please Rachel I can explain, please. I look for you everywhere but it seems you disappear from the earths surface. Please just listen to me. Mr Raymond pleaded with her but Mrs Rachel ignored him and turned her attention to the pastor.

Wait first, do you know him? Pastor Drill asked Mrs Rachel.

Sh..she's is my wife pastor.

What!!
Pastor Drill exclaim

Yes sir. Please help me talk to her. Its a long story. Mr Raymond and immediately fall on his knees and started pleading with Mrs Rachel to forgive her.

Mom,is he my Father ?Tina summoned the courage and asked her mother the question she was scared of asking.

That's your father my daughter. He's the one who ran away leaving us to suffer. I don't even know what wrong I do to him that makes him ran away with no trace and suddenly appear from no where. I don't want to see him.she said and enter the house leaving them standing outside.

"What really happened my brother?" Why do you leave your family? Pastor Drill asked

As I said, its a long story sir, I was deceived by a friend who later sold me out. Please help me talk to her, my life hasn't been the same since I left her. I really need her forgiveness.please talk to her sir because i know she will listen to you. Mr Raymond said to pastor Drill sounding remorseful.

For how long have you been away?.

15 years sir.
Are you serious now? Pastor Drill trying to understand what he was hearing.

Yes pastor, that's why I said its a long story.

Well, I think you have to tell her what happened and why you ra.........
Pastor Drill was interrupted by a call on his phone.

He picked the call and it's was Cynthia and told her that Tina has been found, and she should come to the house.

After the call ended, pastor Drill asked Mr Raymond to follow him inside the house, for them to plead with Mrs Rachel to see if she can find a place in her heart to forgive him.

They both entered the parlour of Mrs Rachel and found her sobbing bitterly. Tina was touched, she became more afraid as of what will be her mother's reaction if she tell her that she engaged into Drug dealers.

She walked slowly to where her mother was sitting, she knelt in front of her and joined her mother in crying.

My siblings and I went to visit our grandmother in her village. Whrn it was alrwady evening and the moon was shown a little of its head making everything look warm. Granny, abii grandma ordered that we come around for dinner

After we ate dinner, Grandma looked at us and said- Why don’t you all come sleep in my room tonight?
My siblings' eyes lit up with joy. I thought it was a great idea too, even though I pretended to be grown-up about it. We moved our pillows and blankets into her big room, excited to be close together.

When we were all settled in, my siblings started asking the old lady to tell them a story.
I wanted them to be quiet and sleep instead, so i tried to instruct them to sleep, like a responsible older sibling wey I be. But Grandma just smiled and said- Oh, let them be..

She sat in her chair, and we all focused on her. Grandma began to tell a story about a magical animal kingdom srory. My siblings listened carefully, their eyes wide with excitement, if it was to learn their book, they won't give that kind of attention. I tried to act like an adult and not show how much I enjoyed it, but soon I couldn't help myself. The story was so good!

As she told the story, I found myself laughing and getting lost in the adventure along with my siblings. It felt nice to be a child again.

There is this incident that whenever I remember it, I feel very awkward, it happened years ago, but I still feel bad till date. It was during Christmas, my cousins came to spend the holiday with us, we had lots of fun and explored places together. Everything would have still went on smoothly if I admitted that I couldn't do a particular at that time, other than try to impress somebody, hmm.

One of my cousins that was around my age could drive, he drove his father out, and when he returned home, he asked me if I could drive, he was around my age and I didn't want to feel embarrassed, my father was still teaching me the basics, so I answered yes. He told me his father wants him to get something for him, so he will be going with the car and I should be the one to drive. How could I object.

I only knew how to start the engine and put it into gear, I felt I could get myself to do what I have never done, just to make sure I avoid the embarrassment. What followed next horrible, I ignited the engine, I can't even remember what I did next, I drove directly into my father's car, damaging the head light, the wind screens, the bumpers and many other things. Two cars damaged at the same time, now the embarrassment I was avoiding came to me in 100 folds.

My parents and my cousin's parent were shocked at what just happened, I was heavily scolded, my parents spent a lot of money to repair the damages done. It's not an embarrassment to admit that you can't do something, it's better than to try doing it just to impress somebody. Now, I'll always be myself no matter what, I won't admit what I can't do and I won't do something just because I want to impress somebody. The money is still very fresh in my head.

Well, I've always wanted my auntie to allow me to try out driving the car. She would not let me even try it out, not even when I sat in the front seat behind the steering wheel. She would always warn me not to turn on the ignition. She constantly discussed its dangerousness.

Well, today, while she was parked and went into a shopping mall, I decided to try something that I had been watching online. I had been looking at some tutorials just to know how to start the car and maybe move it a little. So, I turned on the ignition, and then I was able to move the car a little bit and park it back, turning it off like nothing happened.

I had thought before that driving required a lot of skills and years of experience because of the way Aunty exaggerate driving, but it didn't feel harder than playing with some toy.

I returned home after a very stressful semester, it was a very tough semester with lots of challenges, but I thank God that I wasn't consumed. After the conclusion of our exams, I didn't want to travel home for the holiday because some of my colleagues were going to be around, but my parents insisted that I must return home and so I couldn't refuse, I saddled up and travelled back to my state.

I had been away for months that I even forgot the kind of reception I always receive at home, I should have been the one to insist that I must travel home. Immediately I arrived home, I was served a very delicious rice and stew, compared to what I eat while at school. Life at school is a very different one, you can never see a free food, you will starve if you don't cook. I wish my colleagues would know what they are missing by not traveling home.

Back at school, I live alone, so I'm literally bored almost all the time, but here, you can never get bored with siblings and parents around. About three hours after I arrived, white soup that I have been craving for in school was served again, I would have said that it feels like I'm dreaming, but that is the reality of home. Just imagine my mum saying if the food isn't enough I should let her know, meanwhile at school I measure the portion of food I eat to save money. Ha!

And then I thought to myself, imagine a person without a family, without a home, you can't enjoy these things then. The joy and love that is shared in a family, you can't feel alone in a family. I have some rest now from the stress of looking after myself, at least for now, it will ease the pressure and give me strength when I return to school. The musician that sang the song " wherever where you go, remember the road that will lead you home" know the feeling. It's good to have where to go and rest up for a while after series of stress, and that can only be home, family.

A while ago, I sent my uncle some money to buy an external hard drive and waybill it for me, he deals with computers and so it was just like patronizing him, because I paid him for everything. He is a young man in his early 30s, not yet married, but he was certainly doing well in his business. Not as if I couldn't buy the hard drive where I was, but I was very sure that he will get the best hard drive for me.

While on my way to go and pick up the hard drive from the transport park, I was communicating with my uncle on Facebook, and he told me he has paid the driver for the waybill, of which I sent him money for it. This was 8:30pm in the night, that is the time the drive arrived the park. But I was shocked when I called the driver and he said that I should not forget to come with my waybill fee, that he has not been paid.

I called my uncle and told him what the driver said, and he ended the call on me immediately after I told him. I called back several times and he didn't answer the calls, I was even more shocked at this kind of behavior. On getting to the park, even the driver called my uncle on phone and he didn't answer, I chatted my uncle on Facebook but no reply, he was online and was seeing my messages.

I understood at this point what was going on, my uncle has used my head. I had to pay the driver again, collected the hard drive and boarded a taxi home. I was very angry, and sad at the same time that my own family member would do this kind of thing to me. I started doubting if the hard drive was even good, considering the kind of game he just played with me. And it turned out that the hard drive wasn't working, it was damaged and yet he sent it to me.

He knew that the hard drive wasn't good, because I sent him a message about it, which he never called back or replied. And now, that same uncle of mine is getting married in few days, my parents wants me to help in the preparation, something that will take my time, energy and sleep. I'm still wondering why I should get myself involved in anything concerning my uncle, he turned me down, big time. Even if I decide to pretend as if he never did what he did, some things will just never be the way it was before, not even in the nearest future.

My father always warned me about one thing whenevet I was playing with stones. He always warmed me never to throw stones up in the sky He would repeat this every time he noticed a stone in my hand.
But I loved it, There was something magical about picking up a stone, feeling its weight in my palm, and then throwing it high into the air. I would watch it fly, with excitement as I aimed for the bright blue sky. The joy it brought me was like nothing else. One of my friends was the one who taught me the bad habit.

I remember those afternoons spent in the open field near our house, sunlight pouring down like liquid gold. I'd stand there, surrounded by tall grass swaying gently in the breeze, and pick up stone after stone. Each one had a different shape, size, and color. I would imagine that if I threw them hard enough, maybe they could reach the clouds. It was a simple thrill, just the feeling of freedom and my own little adventure, aiming for the sky and nothing else.

But my dad never liked seeing me throw stones, maybe because I was a girl but he tried to make me understand that a stone thrown too high can come down with great force and it might land on someone’s head or it could hit something important, like a glass window, and then I'll have to deal with the consequences. He always told me this.

Despite his warnings, I couldn’t help myself, I would hide when my Dad wasnt looking and continue with my habit, but deep down, I knew my dad’s words were wise, just didn’t think it would happen to me.

Then one afternoon, everything changed. I was playing in front of our compound after throwing my selected stone high up in the sky, I saw it go above the tall palm trees and above roof tops.

I stood there in shock, my heart was pounding as I processed what had just happened. That crash sounded all too familiar like a shattering glass.
Till today, I cannot tell all that my buttocks saw in the hands of my father.
After the inhabitants of the house that I broke their glass window came to report to my parents.

In my childhood days, there's this day that everybody in our family was at home, it must have been on a Saturday or during holiday. We had breakfast, and then we all slept off again around 10 am in the morning. It was raining, and I enjoyed sleeping when it's raining, I guess everybody else liked it too.

I waked after it stopped raining, it was pretty quiet, my parents and my siblings were still asleep, I had enough of the sleep, so I just laid there on the bed. Getting a little bored, I moved my hand on the floor and felt water, my first thought was that one of siblings must urinated while sleeping, so I moved my hand to another spot, but I still felt water.

I got up and looked around, I was very surprised, there was water everywhere in the room and we were laying in a pool of water. The rain flowed into our room while we were sleeping. I woke everybody up immediately, I remember having to do a lot of work that day because of it. We had to take our bag of clothes outside to dry them up, our foam also got soaked and we had to dry it too. Sweeping of the water followed in earnest, it was a big stress.

When I placed my hand in another spot and felt water, I knew that all the urine in a person's body at once can't be that much. We thanked God that it didn't spoil anything, thoughts of how floods gets into people's home and drowns them to dead isn't so much different than in our case, but we were all safe and didn't lose anything in the incident, as our wet clothes and foam were dried up.

Clarissa’s POV : The chirping of the birds 🦅 outside my window 🪟 , woke me from sleep, just when I thought I had had the worst morning, my alarm ⏰🕰 rang so loud and I heard a bang on my door 🚪.
"Clarissa wake up 🛌 , the school bus 🚌 is almost here ,you don’t want to be late for school🏫” That was twin👯‍♀️ sister , Claire. I hated school so much that I would skip classes with the claim of being sick. I snuggled out of my bed which I never want to leave and went to the bathroom to prepare for school. Our housekeeper had already ironed my school uniform the previous day. So after prepping for school, I went downstairs to have breakfast ,waffles 🧇 ,scrambled eggs 🍳 and coffee ☕️…………,
while Claire was almost done with hers, such a foodie, gosh🙈😬

Claire’s POV : Hey guys, how are you doing? Ooops sorry where are my manners?

“~ A little introduction about myself <<< Claire is my name >>> I am about clocking sixteen years. I have a twin sister; her name happens to be Clarissa. Clarissa is a bit of a hard nut to crack, she hates school unlike me the social twin, yeah you heard that right, I was the social butterfly 🦋. I couldn’t wait to resume school, today was the first day of resumption and I can’t miss it for anything in this world. Peem 🛞peem🛞 ~”

The school bus honks I drifted out of the house hurriedly after kissing and bading mom bye, see you later mom, love you 💋…. I said.

At School 🏫 “~~” The school bell rings🔔

Claire’s POV : As we got to school ,we waited for our class teacher 👩‍🏫. Few Minutes prior to the the time the bell rang, a blonde woman in her late thirties entered our classroom and we saluted her…
Good day class, welcome to sophomore year. Another year to reflect on and improve your grades and also your final year at high school 🏫.
You may have your seat 💺. You can call me Ms.Clara, I’ll be taking you elementary mathematics…. Please turn to page 173 of your textbook.
If you don’t have one yet you can pair but ensure you get them before your test. As we’d be having weekly test to groom you in preparation for your final examination, our teacher said.

Soon it was time for lunch,we went to the school cafeteria and ordered for mashed potatoes 🥙 with cheese 🧀 and had our last class for the day….. We got home and ate ramen 🍜 for dinner 🍽… I was so excited because I’m about to clock my sweet sixteen …and our parents promised to allow us go to be beach for the first time. A moment I’ve always dreamt of… becoming reality “~~”“<<<<<>>>>

Clarissa’s POV : Our parents organized a picnic to celebrate Claire and I sixteen birthday 🎉 🧺,more like a family tour which happens to fall on weekends after a hectic day at school and asked our parents if K² can tag along;lol 😂 that what we nicknamed them... Our best friends et Soul Sisters 👯‍♀️ , Katherine and Khloe 👯‍♀️ We grew up together with our parents in Cambridge, England🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿. But they moved out of the states when their parents got a divorce.

~”“~~”“~~”“~~”“~~”“~~”“~ FAST FORWARD TO PICNIC OUTING🧺 ~”“~~”“~~”“~~”“~~”“~~”~~

The day started off with a family outing to the beach. Claire, ever the planner, had packed sunscreen 🧴to protect their skin from sunburn , beach towels 🧖‍♀️🧖🧖‍♀️, snacks like popcorn 🍿,sandwiches 🥪,French fries🍟,corn dog 🌭,hamburger 🍔,a box of pizza 🍕,drumsticks 🍗,pancake 🥞🧇,a bowl of ice cream 🍨 🍧,lollipops🍭,chocolate doughnut 🍩,cookies 🍪,few slices of cake 🍰 et cupcakes 🧁 and fruits like banana🍌 ,apples 🍏🍎 ,orange 🍊,blueberries 🫐 ,pineapple 🍍,strawberry 🍓,avocado pear 🍐 🥑,watermelon 🍉 ,grapes 🍇,kiwi 🥝……,lots of them in their picnic basket 🧺 to munch on and also not forgetting juice 🧃 and a pack of bottled water to stay hydrated.
Clarissa, lost in her thoughts, had forgotten her sunglasses. As they spread out their blanket, Clarissa sighed, wishing she could be a mermaid swimming in the crystal-clear water. Claire simply smiled and handed her sister a pair of sunglasses 🕶 she had brought just in case, what her sisters for.

Khloe’s POV : We started building sand castles🏜🏝🏖 and got into swimming to wash our body and applied our sunscreen, we then decided to have lunch with some food we packed for ourselves. Claire, being the foodie, reached for the freshest catch of the day. Clarissa, not particularly fond of doughnuts 🍩 , opted for a plain hamburger 🍔 . As they enjoyed their meal, Clarissa started telling a story about a fairytale🧚‍♀️ . Claire, amused by her sister's imagination, listened intently.
In the afternoon, they decided to take a boat tour. Claire, always up for an adventure, was excited to see the dolphins. Clarissa, however, was a bit nervous about being on the water. As they sailed along, Clarissa spotted a beautiful sea turtle swimming nearby. She pointed it out to Claire and they both watched in awe as the creature gracefully glided through the water. As the sun began to set, they returned to the beach to watch the sunset. Claire and Clarissa sat side by side, while Katherine and Khloe sat opposite them gazing at the sky .
For a moment, the two pairs of twin sisters seemed to share a special connection. Clarissa realized that even though she and Claire were so different, they could still have wonderful experiences together. And Claire learned that sometimes, it's okay to let go of the plan and simply enjoy the moment. While Katherine and Khloe seemed to have a lot in common, their sense of humor, beauty and amongst all intellectuals being.
They had a whole lots of fun 🤩 and soon it was time to go their separate homes.
Indeed, it was a day to remember.😊

It’s hard to believe that lectures have already started ed in school . Just two days ago, I saw photos on our departmental group chat of my friends back on campus, smiling and ready for another semester, I laugh at them. I am still in my father’s house, enjoying the comforts of home, going back to school any soon is not even a thought to think.

My mother have reminded me like the hundredth time, her voice with concern about my academics, but still, I have no plans to return that soon.

The thought of packing my bags and enduring the run around and stress of school again just doesnt go well with me.
Here, in my father’s house, life is good. I wake up to good smell of food oozing from the kitchen. I can start talking about all the good food my mom makes without having to worry about exams, group projects, or struggling for seats in a crowded lecture hall.

With not so much choice, Just a few more days I’ll go back. But deep down, I was in no rush to leave this land of peace or my soft bed or even this region.

I am someone who values health and wants everyone in my household to also see their health as important as I do.
I want everybody basking in good health and then bubbling strong even when they are aging especially my Dad and Mom.

So after looking up some health tips, I studied on diet and exercises and how they could help elongate lifespan

so in a particular Saturday, I was able to convince my parents and all my siblings to come out for a little jogging.
But before the jogging, the evening earlier, I already bribed them with some drinks. I just used my little savings and got some bottles of drinks for every member of my family and then at that moment I seized it and convince them to follow me to sporting the next morning.

Well... I wanted them to value the proposed activity more even though they reluctantly prepared.
we all later went for the jogging and it was a good time together, I pray they all agree to join me this coming Sartuday too.

My family always gathered in our living room to watch movies. My dad would usually sit in his favorite chair, located at the center of other cushions. No one dares to sit on it while he's in the sitting room.

We were still using what we called cartridges back then. I remember how we would select through the pile of cartridges trying to find "Igodo" our favourite movie.

The cartridge is inserted into the ... I can't remember what that one is called again.
To me, those were the good old days when high quality movies were produced in terms of educational and motivational before CD-ROMs, GoTV, or DSTV became part of our lives.

We sometimes called these cartridges cassettes, but whatever the name is, they held the power of good story in them. Each movie had a lesson to teach, and it felt like every actor on screen was wise beyond their years, the likes of Pete Edochie, Osuofia, Nkem Owoh, Keneth Okonkwo, Gentle Jack, Chika Ike, Chioma Chukwuka, Chinwetalagu and many more. Every scene had an interesting story to tell they were not just filling space, like the recent directors do.
I didn't know a lot then but as much as I could remember, back in those days, stories that were more than just entertainment were made.

My siblings and I would sit on the floor, captivated, while our parents shared the couch. The fun of sitting on the floor had this soft comfort that satisfies us as we glued to the television.

This morning, in our WhatsApp group chat, we received a message reminding us to purchase a whiteboard marker on the way to school. We didn't know what to do, everyone was asking questions on the group chat. I on the other hand did not know the use of the whiteboard marker that we were told to buy so instead of wasting money I decided to just go with my usual 6B pencil

. This raised concerns among us about the unusual requirement, as we were accustomed to using 6B p

encil for our exams on computer answer sheets. Many of us didn't buy the marker, unsure of how it would be used in the exam.

When the exam began, the coordinator explained that using a marker would allow the computer to detect our answers more easily compared to those marked with a pencil. I had brought all my materials, but I felt anxious as I watched my classmates struggle with the last-minute change.

Quickly, I dashed out and got my own whiteboard marker. No be me Go risk my exam marks

Today was quite a busy day for me. I spent most of it helping my aunty at the market. She needed to sell some of her goods, and I was there to assist her with packing everything up. It wasn’t easy, but I was glad I could help her out. By the time we were done, I was already feeling exhausted, but happy that I could support her.

When I finally got home, I just wanted to relax. As soon as I switched on the light, fire sparked from the wire on the wall. I was confused for a second because I wasn’t expecting it, but I quickly rushed to the power switch and changed it over. I was so thankful nothing serious happened and that I reacted fast.

After the shock, I realized I couldn’t leave the damaged wire like that, especially with the risk of another fire starting. I didn’t have the skills to fix it myself, so I had to figure out a solution. It was already late in the evening, so I wasn’t sure where to turn for help.

I remembered a good neighbor who’s good with electrical stuff. I gave him a call and explained what happened. To my relief, he agreed to come over and help me out, even though it was already getting late. I felt a bit guilty for calling him at that time, but I didn’t really have a choice.

He came over not long after and quickly got to work. It didn’t take him too long to fix the problem, and by the end of the night, everything was back to normal. I was so grateful for his help and felt really lucky to have such a kind and helpful neighbor. The day had been long and tiring, but it ended on a good note, and I could finally rest easy.

It's weekend again and just as usual no office duties and more excitingly no school activities, we all woke up with our phone on our hands nobody was ready to help with any of the house chores. My mum having seen our mood pretended as though everything was fine knowing fully well that we will soon be hungry and request for something to eat.

Though we're not ready for food at that moment but my mum can suspect so for my dad so she just had to prepare something for her lovely husband, when we saw her moves it was a relief but I can't necessarily tell why she decided to cook all of a sudden. Then out of curiosity we asked her what her reasons were, she answered with a smiling face and side "outside having you all as a blessing from God I was also blessed by a caring and a loving husband"

Dad settled into his favorite armchair, with his Bible , preparing for Sunday's sermon. My brother slipped out to grab some snacks, and we dive into it just like a hungry lion while focused on a video game competition. Meanwhile, Mom worked her magic in the kitchen. The tantalizing aroma is something else and none of us could afford to miss.

Just as we were about to sit down to eat, Mom ran out of the kitchen, all we could hear at the moment was her shouting voice. "Jesus! Oh Jesus!" repeatedly as she runs. My heart skipped a beat. What was wrong? The gas cylinder had malfunctioned, shooting a massive flame into the air. Mom was frantically calling for Dad.

Dad dropped his Bible and rushed into the kitchen. I followed, my heart racing. But incredibly, the fire had gone out, despite the gas still leaking. Dad immediately removed the cylinder, and we all exhaled in relief. Mom was shaken, repeating, "How did the fire just go out?" Dad wrapped his arms around her, his eyes closed. "It's the hand of God," he whispered.

We stood there, frozen in gratitude. The near-disaster turned into an impromptu prayer session, thanking God for saving us. Afterward, we sat down to enjoy Mom's delicious meal.

I had plans to work on my system for days, expecting to use the electricity to power my work. But NEPA had other plans. For days on end, they failed to bring light, leaving me frustrated and unable to achieve anything.

I tried to find an alternative solution by buying fuel for my generator, but the current fuel price in Nigeria was too expensive. I couldn't afford it, so I was stuck.The deadlines for the summition of my project was fast approaching , but unfortunately there is actually nothing I could do to help the situation.

Just when I thought all hope was lost, I remembered my friend's place, which has a renewable energy, and as such not affected by the unfortunate situation. I packed my bags, grabbed my system, and headed to their house. Luckily, they welcomed me with open arms and allowed me to use their power to boost mine. I was finally able to work on my system.

My project was done in few hours and I found my way back home, just few steps to my compound I heard a shout "UP NEPA"