Victor Archibong @solovick

A very long time ago, there was this electrician we had in our village, he was the only good and qualified electrician back then, because of that, he had steady inflow of clients. But there was never a time I saw him with gloves, he never wore it, even when touching naked and life wires, which was very risky. I remember my father asking him why he doesn't wear gloves, and how come he doesn't get shocked by life wires he touches. I still remember his reply.

He told my father that if you hold your breath and touch a life wire, that it will not shock you, and that is exactly what he does, he holds his breath while handling life wires. I imagined it to be very risky, how could you possibly hold your breath, what if something unexpected triggers you to breath against your wish. What will it cost to buy a glove, how much is glove that he doesn't want to buy it. He just chose not to bother himself with glove.

I don't think it was up to a year after, when the guy was shocked to death while connecting electricity into his client's house from a pole. There was power supply before he went up the pole, he knew it and decided to implemented his method of holding breath as always, but no one knows how the method failed him. Electricity killed the founder, it's nothing to be joked with, seeing wearing of glove as stress is just like thoughts of suicide.

I don't blame the guy much, he learnt it from his mentor. If you're learning, learn to do it the right way, electricity has standards that must be followed accordingly, any attempts to doublecross it might be fatal. I relate this to things like driving, all rules must be observed, ranging from seat belts to tyre pressure to others, any attempt to bypass any could turn out to be fatal. My friends do nickname me to be a protocol type of guy, but that's just how it should be.

For me, standards must be adhered to, and if your new found standard is lower than the regular standard, then it's not even a standard at all.

My uncle did his traditional marriage last week Thursday, everything went very smooth, just that his committee of friends that came did something I find very funny. My uncle has friends he goes with to clubs, parties, events and drinks with them to the fullest. So they were actually his very close friends that he hangs out with, and on that day, they did to him what he always does with them, especially when they are partying or celebrating; drinking to stupor.

Know or unknown to my uncle, his committee of friends came to his traditional marriage with their own crate of high alcohol drinks, you know that kind of thing na, your tight friend getting married calls for maximum form of celebration. Just as they always do, this people drank and got extremely intoxicated, it's not like they misbehaved openly, just that they became very weak and left where they were seated to ease themselves a bit.

When the traditional marriage was over, and it was time for the committee of friends to help with packing of chairs, and help tidy up some other things, omo they were nowhere to be found, the ones that were found were too intoxicated to be able to do anything. When my uncle searched further, he even found some of them in the nearby bush, some in the vehicle they came with, all intoxicated and sleeping. I laughed so hard, but my uncle was angry.

Even the guy that served as the best man to my uncle in the white wedding was high too, there is really no one to be blamed for this, my uncle is also like his friends. Having friends that you drink to stupor with, and on the day of your wedding, you expect that they won't exhibit the same behavior. But it was embarrassing, my uncle had to do everything by himself when he had friends. I laughed all through, committee of friends turning into committee of Red eyes, no one was useful when needed the most. Like this, I had to go through my list of friends and do some reevaluation, so as not to suffer the same fate.

When I was in primary 3, I got into a very horrible experience that affects me till now. I don't eat turkey, I'm going to tell you why it's so, I'm so obsessed with turkey. The creature terrified my life as a kid, that one encounter is enough to make me avoid it for life. Where I schooled back then, I normally walked home from school. None of my school mates lived in my street, so I had to complete the walk through my street alone, untill that day.

On my way home from school on that day, a met two male turkeys standing in the middle of the street, it was as if they didn't want anybody to pass on that road. I was really hungry and wanted to be home as fast as I could, so I decided to keep some distance from them while I wanted to pass. But they moved toward me with their feathers standing erect, stopping me from passing. I had no other choice than to run through the other side that was spacious, this two turkeys ran after me.

I ran off the street and into a path I didn't know, the turkeys didn't stop, I was running and shouting and checking how close the turkeys were. Before I knew it, I fell into a deep well with water in it, the luck I had was that the water in the well was not much to cover me. The turkey obviously went back, the well was a bit far from where people live, so no one knew I was there. I cried, shouted and screamed till I was weak, no one came to help me out. Chai!

My parents looked for me, and even wanted to report to the police that I'm missing, but the rule says the person must be missing for over 24 hours, before it can be reported. They searched the school, and even went to some of my classmate's house, they all said that I went home. I was there in the well since 2pm till everywhere was dark, probably 7pm. I stood in the well for hours, my clothes and school bag got soaked, together with my books.

Until someone came to fetch water with a bucket that has robe tied to it, because the well was deep. I grabbed the bucket and shouted for help, the person couldn't see me because it was very dark. He told me to remain calm and went to call people, they came with torch lights to find the poor me shaking from cold like a little chick. I was brought out from the well and taken home to my parents, who almost had heart attack. Since then my dad always took me to and from school. Me and turkey don't have any business together since then, I don't eat it, no matter what.

I travelled somewhere by mini bus and got into a serious hold up that kept me there for over thirty minutes. The road was under construction, so the hold up was really much, one of the most intensed I've ever seen. I had no other option than to spend the moment looking around, observing how people were moving up and down, with all amount of seriousness. I'm happy I wasn't in a hurry or rushing to anywhere.

We slowly moved and stopped in front of a market, and I saw how ticket collectors were harassing a woman because she hasn't paid for her ticket. They seized the woman's property, the woman was literally lamenting and begging them that she just came to the market and hasn't sold anything yet, and she only has 50 naira in her bag. The ticket fee was only 100 naira, but truly the woman didn't have it, she showed them her handbag.

The woman was almost crying, but the ticket collectors had made up their minds already. I sat close to the window, so I gestured to the woman to come close, I gave the woman some money to pay them and get her things back. The woman happily got her things back, the smile on her face was everything for me, somebody's mother made to beg people that could probably be younger than her children, not fair. I discovered she was hawking sliced pineapples, not worth so much money, why didn't the ticket collectors let her go? so I thought to myself.

As the cars began to move, we soon stopped at another spot where I saw army officers trying to ease the hold up, I admired how one of them dressed, so I smiled and waved at him. Initially I wanted to be a soldier when I was a kid, but it didn't just work out because of the nature of the country. Just when the soldier was about to talk to me, the mini bus moved to take the space in front so that another car won't step in, hold up wahala. The army officer got angry at the driver, and warned him not to try it ever again. He asked me how I'm doing and where I'm headed which I replied, he then told me "till another time, okay?". I was happy talking to the officer, and today I even thought of going back there to check if I'll find him. Such a hold up unfoldings.

I went to a site today with my friend, who the father sent to supervise the block moulding for their new house. My friend is familiar with the people living around that axis, so he gave one of them some amount of money to transport cements from a house it was stored, to where it will be moulded. The person left and said he was going to get a wheelbarrow to carry out the task.

That was 7:00am in the morning, we waited at the site, alongside the people who are to mould the block till 8:30am, the guy did not transport the cements to the site. After much investigation, we found out that the guy has ran away with the money. I was very surprised, he lives in that area, and surely he will meet my friend again, how will his face be like after what he did.

That place is a village, yet to be fully developed, nobody there looked rich, which I later concluded why. After looking for someone else to transport the cement, and then the work was done, it was time to head home. While my friend, some of the block moulder and I was trekking out to where we will find a vehicle to board home, we came across a tattered house where the guy that ran away after collecting payment, lives.

In this modern era, the house was made of mud and the roof was dried leaves. The guy is married and we saw his kids playing outside, with torn clothes, everywhere looked so unkept, even the kids. I pitied the kids but blamed the guy, he is not trustworthy, scams people with every little chance he gets, till people have distanced their selves from him, and won't even recommended him for jobs anymore.

His deceitful life has made people exclude him from everything, yet he won't learn. My friend will never want anything to do with him again, how does he expect to survive in a world where he deceives everybody and is avoided? His life is very stagnated, yet he won't change his ways. In the village, most of them don't care about trust and honesty, they are after what they can embezzle away right away and finish it in one square meal, forgetting that they will be hungry again, and will still need people to work with. Just so sad.

Yesterday midnight was very hot in my area, I have never imagined that such event could unfold in this type of environment. It was around 2:00am in the midnight, I started hearing gunshots at a distance a bit far from where I live. So many thoughts came to my mind; either it's a hunter, or police or knockout, but it wasn't any of this, armed robbers invaded a compound.

In the morning, the news of the incident spread rapidly, I was eager to know how it happened, because the houses in this environment has iron protectors and iron doors, so it's hard to break in. I heard that someone was shot, the neighboring compounds, including mine heard the gunshots and trembled in fear. The arm robbers planned their moves very well.

After much findings, it was later said that the compound that was robbed, was fenced around and there was a gate, the owners of the house made a big mistake by not always locking their iron doors and protectors in the night, simply because the compound is fenced with a gate and dog. The armed robbers knew about this, it must be someone close to them that leaked the information.

They jumped the fence and the dog couldn't help the situation, they robbed them and even shot one of them, though not dead. People blamed them this morning for not always locking their door and fully relying on their gate, the family admitted this mistake. There is fear in this environment, I have seen people moving to somewhere else to sleep this night, in case the armed robbers strike again.

Someone like me that don't have where else to spend the night can only rely on God to protect me, I locked my door so early and I made very sure I locked it very well. The fear of armed robbers has now become the beginning of wisdom, since morning people have been jesting and emphasizing that people shouldn't forget to lock their doors. Let us be security conscious, I know it is God that protects, but let us do our part too.

There is a time I visited my aunty and went with her to a PTA meeting at her son's school, I didn't want to stay alone at home, so I decided to follow her to the meeting. My aunty have been emphasizing on how necessary and important it is for her to be in the PTA meeting, that she needs to address some issues that have been going on for a while, I had no idea what it was. The school was one of the biggest schools in town, with primary and secondary levels with boarding facility inclusive.

Her son was about 2 years old, and in the nursery class. The meeting kicked off in earnest, parents tabled their complains, but the biggest complain of all was by the corner. My aunty raised up her hand and complained about how her son doesn't ever return home with any remaining food in his lunch box, she said that she puts much food than her son can finish in the box, but yet he never returns home with any. She said that she suspects that the teacher eats her son's food.

She presented her evidence; she said that she decided to intentionally put an undone meat with bones in it that was still very strong in her son's lunch box, knowing too well that the little boy couldn't chew a strong meat that has bone, but still, the boned meat could not be found in the lunch box when the boy got home, it was empty, not even the fragments of the bone was found. How on earth???!!! The woman was sure the teacher ate it. Another parent stood up to say that his little child in the same class usually says that their teacher goes round with her plate when they are eating to scoop a portion of each of their food to eat.

The parent didn't believe the kid, because he thought the child was just saying it, but after what my aunty just said, he believed it's true. Reactions sparked up, the proprietress asked the teacher to stand, the teacher was a grown woman which I guess should be in her late 40s, the look on her face confirmed that she's guilty, she couldn't denied and nodded her head in shame to confirm that the accusations is true. The parents reacted angrily, yelling at the woman, my aunty was raged, she has been waiting a long time to expose this teacher.

It was added that the woman doesn't come to school with food, because she eats from the children in her class everyday, perhaps depriving the little kids of the good meal they are supposed to have. The proprietress addressed the issue and assured the parents that the teacher will no longer be in the nursery section, she was transferred to the primary section where pupils eat on their own. She was queried, and her salary for a month wasn't paid. I was shocked oh, very shocked, things are happening.

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.

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.