Victor Ugochukwu Okonkwo @victorugochukwu

My dad loved listening to the radio, but ever since the last one got damaged, he hadn’t replaced it. With so many necessities competing for money, and the rising cost of everything, buying a new radio just wasn’t a priority for him.

So on the last day, I decided to surprise him. I went out and purchased a quality radio, one that I hoped he would love. Despite our family’s habit of keeping things low-key—my dad isn’t one for big birthday celebrations—I thought this would be a perfect way to show him a little appreciation for all the sacrifices he makes to provide for us, his children.

When I presented my gift, a brand-new radio, you wouldn't believe the joy on his face. He was so taken aback, his eyes lighting up with disbelief and excitement. He examined the radio carefully, then looked at me and smiled. It was a moment filled with gratitude and warmth, a reminder of how much he valued even the simplest gestures of love.

The next morning, we were greeted with the heartwarming slow hymes from the popular 92.5 dream FM. These songs formed our childhood and I was glad that I had bought the radio despite the large cost.

It had been a long time since I played football. I used to enjoy football when I was back in the village, before I entered university. But now that I’m in university and living in the city, I feel like playing football is somewhat of a village thing or a wild activity. I’m not trying to ridicule the sport—it's actually enjoyable and very entertaining. It’s just that, you know, the city vibes and everything.

When I return to the village for holidays, I don’t really fancy playing on the dusty fields and grounds; it just feels out of place for me. However, I decided to put aside my fancy city-boy attitude and participate in the community game event. I hadn't realized how much I had lost in terms of my skills and regular playing until I started the football match. To my delight, I was pleased to take the wing position, number 11.

That was how the game started, and then we began playing. Everybody was just too fast for me. I couldn't even see the ball. The moment the ball touched my leg, it flew past me so fast that I barely saw it. We were playing, and they were scoring against our team, and I felt like I was the culprit. They always said that my wing required more action and participation, but I was just too slow.

They even planned on removing me from the game, but I wouldn’t let them. I couldn't let them ruin my confidence or cause me embarrassment. So, after the opponent scored their second goal, I decided to take off my shoes. That was when I began to recover my skills and expertise. I refused to let my city ego or whatever it was to affect my playing. I took it upon myself to push through.

With new found determination, I increased my speed and improved my skills. That was how I scored the first goal and then the second goal, too. I also made an assist pass to the 4th goal. We took the win and I was just too proud as people hailed my name.

I was live at the music show. It was my first time visiting such an event, and many things happened during the show. It was quite interesting, but some people went home saddened and in a very bad mood. I’m very glad that I came home without becoming a victim of the circumstances that surround this kind of large gathering.

Well, it was a popular musician from the Southeast who hosted a concert that had a capacity of about 20,000 people, and he sold all the tickets. The turnout was massive. People filled the seats, and even those standing in the field showed just how enormous the crowd was. I was there, witnessing everything from a good position, and I saw a lot of things unfold.

I was just staring at the stage when I noticed someone suddenly seize another person's phone. I realized that the individual whose phone was taken didn’t even know who had grabbed it from behind him. He had been holding up his phone to capture video and take pictures of the performance when it was snatched away. The shock on his face was unexplainable and i pitied him, he stood there, puzzled, as people behind him acted uninterested to what just happened.

Nobody was willing to identify the pickpocket who had taken his phone.
I thought that was just it, but it happened several times throughout the nig

When I got home and went online, I was surprised to find that many others had tweeted about the same incident, sharing their own experiences and frustrations, the thing con tire me.
So friends, whenever you attend large gatherings especially the type that host mostly the youthful population, try and keep your from away from eyesight.

I was really tired of listening to my friend gossip about his roommate. It bothered me, not only because I didn’t like the way he talked about this guy, but also because gossip just felt so petty. Typically, I’m more of a listener than a talker, and I found myself stuck in this conversation while he rambled on, believing I was enjoying it. I gave him what he thought was my full attention, but inside, I was struggling.

It was hard for me to speak up. I wanted to tell him to stop gossiping and also to remind him that he was a man and should rise above this. I wanted to say that we all make mistakes, and his roommate wasn’t worth all this negativity. Yet, I couldn't find the words to confront him. He was so cheerful, laughing loudly and turning every little evdnt that he narrated into something funny. But I couldn’t join in on the laughter.

So there I was in silence, listening as he continued to share his ridiculous stories. It felt like no matter how much I didn’t want to hear it, the conversation kept going on. And when it finally came time for him to leave, I just sat there, still thinking about how a full grown man visited me just to gossip and talk about his fellow man.

I had already decided with about five of my neighbors from the lodge that we were not going to travel home for Christmas. We planned to stay back in the school area and enjoy the holiday together—just the five of us. However, in the last three days, things began to change. One by one, my friends started to leave. First, a friend departed, then two more left, and finally, just three of us were left. Now, it's only me and one other friend remaining, which feels really disappointing.

This isn’t what I had planned. I was anticipating a fun and joyous Christmas, but with only one neighbor left, it seems impossible to enjoy the holiday spirit as I had hoped. Today turned out to be quite futile; I spent the day packing up my clothes and washing everything in preparation to leave the next day.

It’s going to be a long journey, and I'll have to spend money on transport, but that doesn't really matter now. What’s important is that I’m going home. Home, sweet home. I'll be home soon, and despite the unexpected changes, I know that being with family will bring me joy.

Abeg guys, see you all later, first let me pack up my remaining belongings that will escort me home.

I'm usually a very quiet person, a calm person, and everyone around me knew this. But today, something happened in our WhatsApp group that completely changed the atmosphere. Someone posted that we had to pay an extra 3,000 Naira after we had already paid 5,000 Naira for the month's NEPA bills. Electricity bills shouldn’t consume our salaries, but it seemed like this latest charge was digging far deeper into our pockets than we had anticipated.

When I saw the message from our gatekeeper, it ignited a frustrated fire within me that I hadn’t experienced before. I quickly vented out my feelings and told him that we weren't going to pay anything more. I knew I sounded a little rough, but I didn’t intend to be rude. However, to my surprise, he responded with a very rude text that I did not take lightly.

After he responded very rudely to my text, I didn’t relent. I vented out all the errors he had been dismissing in the group chat and pointed out his nonchalant attitude. I highlighted how untrustworthy he had become, expressing my disappointment that he could just come in and drop a critical message, treating us as though we were fools easily just followed his instructions, no matter how ridiculous they were.

To my surprise, many members of the group rallied behind me, expressing their frustrations too. The atmosphere became charged with a sense of unity as we all voiced our discontent. Later this evening, he sent me a direct message, apologizing for his earlier response. But deep down, I felt that the right approach would have been for him to address the entire group.

So, I got a very bad haircut from one barber like that. I can’t tell exactly what was wrong with his hands, but he messed up my hair in a way that made me question if he was even trained. Discovering this fact, he tried to correct it but ended up making it even worse! He kept thumping on my head nervously, his hands shaking as he tried to fix the disaster he had created.

The chairs in the barbershop was under pressure, suffering under the weight of my anxiety as I watched chunks of hair fall around me.
After what felt like an eternity, he stepped back and proudly proclaimed, “The end of III world war"

I looked in the mirror and could barely recognize myself! It was as if my hair had been attacked by.. What's the name of that machine that they use to cut grass?

The other customers in the shop tried to control their laughter, but I saw right through their eyes and couldn’t help but join in. As I paid the barber and left, I vowed to never take my regular barber for granted again.

I branched along the market to buy a face cap that would cover my shame—my hair looked like it had just survived a crash. Well, I bought the cap, put it on, and started walking majestically. At least the side of my hair that showed was somewhat manageable, unlike my hairline at the forehead.

But then, unfortunately, as I was passing by a group of girls, I noticed a familiar face among them. She reached out to me for a handshake, and as she drew closer for a hug, she mistakenly knocked off my cap! The girls erupted into horrid laughter that left me in shock. But I still managed to comport myself.

It was my first time visiting a five-star hotel. I had always heard about all this big five-star hotels from distant friends or seen them in movies, but about two days ago, I finally had the chance to go with my friends to a particular hotel. They served some exquisite French dishes and various foreign foods that I had never encountered before since wey dey born me.

Out of curiosity, I decided to try the prawns. I later learned they were actually giant crayfish, but I am sure what to call them, the name is nowhere to be rembered in my head. I went for the giant prawns, thinking they would be thick and crispy and dry like the normal crayfish, but to my surprise, they were incredibly soft and fresh with a life changing taste.

They tasted just like fried fish, but even better, and I loved every single bite of them. The accompanying stew was fantastic, seasoned perfectly with just the right amount of salt and spices. It was my first experience tasting foreign foods, and I still can’t remember what it was called, but it left a lasting impression on me.

I just remembered it's name- SHRIMPS!
I had to pay some several notes of 1k but then my greedy friends who opted for more sumptuous meals have better explaining to do.