Stephen Okon @thestephen

There’s a street I pass by often in the evenings, and it’s always lively with children playing. They greet me with so much joy whenever they see me, their energy contagious. But one day, something felt off. From a distance, I noticed the street was unusually quiet. None of the kids were there, which was strange because nothing ever seemed to stop them from playing.

As I got closer, I noticed the ground looked rough, with marks of little feet and scattered game equipments. It was clear they had been playing there earlier. I brushed aside my curiosity, thinking they might have gone home early, and continued walking. Suddenly, out of nowhere, they all jumped out of their hiding spots, shouting, "Uncle, we played you!" I couldn’t help but laugh. These kids had actually planned to prank me, and it worked perfectly.

One of the kids ran up to me with his report card in hand, beaming with pride. He had finished the term in third position and couldn’t wait to show it off. I congratulated him, then asked why he hadn’t gone home yet since school was over. His answer was predictable; they were too caught up in playing to even think about it. I reminded them that it was getting dark, and it was time for everyone to head home.

But of course, these kids weren’t letting me off that easily. They insisted I couldn’t send them away without giving them something, as if it was a tradition I had somehow signed up for. They were so persistent that I couldn’t say no. So, we all walked to the nearest shop, and I asked the store owner to give each of them a sachet of Hollandia yoghurt.

After that, everyone finally went their separate ways, and I continued my walk with a smile, knowing I had made their evening just as they had made mine.

It was one of those days when a simple task turned into a long adventure. My friend asked me to join him in towing a car from a nearby village back to the city. It sounded straightforward enough (a 3-4 hour journey, max). Since we left early and had no time to eat, I packed some rice and stew with a bottle of water to keep me going.

We hadn’t even reached the car we were supposed to tow when our own vehicle started acting up. Out of nowhere, it just stopped in the middle of the road. We got down, struggled with a few things, and after some time, we managed to fix it. Relieved, we continued the journey, laughing about how we couldn’t afford any more delays.

Barely thirty minutes later, the car battery gave up on us. My friend, always the joker, laughed and said, “Are we sure we won’t need another towing vehicle to tow this one?” At the time, it was funny, and we laughed it off. Little did we know that his joke would become reality soon enough.

Sure enough, the car completely broke down before we could even reach the village. We had no choice but to call for help. Another towing vehicle came, but instead of towing the car we originally came for, it had to tow ours to a nearby mechanic.

What was supposed to be a 3-hour journey turned into a frustrating 10-hour work. By the time we got home, we were exhausted, dusty, and hungry.

I remember back when we used to rear a few chickens at home, just about five of them. One of the chickens was reserved for Christmas meat, and everyone was looking forward to the feast. But on Christmas morning, just as we were preparing to catch it, the chicken broke free and ran into a nearby bush. It was determined not to end up in the pot that day.

To catch it, I called a group of children to help surround the bush. The plan was to block all its escape routes so we could grab it easily. But the chicken was too smart for us. It dashed deeper into the bush, leaving us all frustrated. The children and I decided to regroup and try again. This chicken was not going to ruin Christmas!

On the second attempt, we almost had it cornered. Just as we were about to catch it, someone shouted, "Snake!" True enough, there was a snake coiled up in the bush, right where the chicken was hiding. We couldn’t leave the snake there, it was a threat to all of us. Gripping my stick tightly, I struck the snake and after a few hits, it dropped lifeless.

While I was busy dealing with the snake, the children had resumed their chase. This time, they were more determined than ever. After a lot of shouting and running around, they finally caught the chicken, which was struggling furiously to escape. Its stubbornness came at a cost, though. One of the kids got a cut on his leg during the chase, and we were all tired.

After all the drama, it ended up where it was meant to be; in the cooking pot. The struggle made the meal feel even more special.

For the first time, I traveled from Bayelsa to my state, and I had planned to get there before 5pm sharp. Everything was supposed to go smoothly, but the transport company had a different script in mind. The journey started well, but soon after, the driver began stopping at random locations to deliver items. It felt like we were on a delivery run, not a passenger bus. I was frustrated, but little did I know, that was just the beginning of our troubles.

The bus started breaking down, not once, not twice, but multiple times along the way. To make matters worse, the traffic was terrible, and before we could process what was happening, it was already 9pm, and we were still in Aba far from our destination. The delay was getting unbearable, and you could see the worry and frustration on the passengers' faces. Everyone just wanted to get home.

The driver, however, was determined to reach our state before the next day, no matter what. He kept driving late into the night, pushing through even though he was tired. By then, my family had started calling non-stop, asking where I was and if I was safe. I could only assure them that I was fine, but deep down, I was also worried. It was a tense atmosphere in the bus as everyone silently prayed to reach their destination without any more issues.

Finally, we arrived at 11pm. It wasn’t funny at all. The delay, the breakdowns, and the late-night driving had everyone worried. My family was relieved to see me, and I was just thankful the long journey was over. It’s an experience I won’t forget in a hurry, but honestly, I hope it’s one I never have to repeat.

A few weeks ago, someone called me about a piece of land for sale. The deal sounded great, and when I asked where it was, I was surprised to hear it was near my village. The idea of owning land close to home seemed perfect, so I decided to check it out for myself.

About a week later, I met up with the agent to survey the land. He assured me that all the documents were ready and said once I paid, everything would be handed over, and I’d legally own the land. At the time, everything seemed legit. I didn’t question it too much and told him I’d get back to him in a week.

A few days later, I was out with my brother and casually mentioned my plan to buy the land. Curious, he asked for the location. When we went there together, he recognized the place immediately. He told me the land belonged to an elderly man who hadn’t said anything about selling it.

It was a shocking realization. I couldn’t believe someone would go so far to take advantage of my lack of knowledge. If my brother hadn’t stepped in, I might have lost my money on a piece of land that wasn’t even for sale.
That experience taught me a hard lesson: always double-check and never take things at face value, especially when it comes to property. Scammers are out there, and they’re ready to exploit anyone who doesn’t know better.