Victor Ugochukwu Okonkwo @victorugochukwu

It's been a while since I played a chess game. It's been quiet for, I think, like three months or getting close to four months since I touched a chessboard. But today, I was passing by a nearby shop, and the seller was quite a good acquaintance, so I decided to just enter inside. Then, I met her with the chessboard; she was arranging the board, and this interested me.

I asked the seller if he could play the game, and he admitted to having knowledge of playing it so well, even more than his peers, he claimed. He was very boastful with his remarks. I told him I could play too, and I might be able to beat him because I was very good at it before. I haven't touched it for months and that made me nervous, but he claimed and ridiculed me, claiming that he was the master of all, and I couldn't even try to win against him, even if I had been playing for eight years.

After he spoke, I was inspired to try. So, I sat down, and he set up the board. We started playing, and before he knew it, I was already beating him. I had him all rounded up and ready to beat him if he made a move. He quickly scattered the board and refreshed the setting for us to start afresh. I knew I had beaten him, and he couldn't admit it. So, I came down without arguing or trying to argue with him.

We started again, and I beat him hands down once again. He was puzzled and looked at me, telling me that I'm a master in this, and I was just deceiving him that I hadn't played for months. We tried for another round, and again, I beat him. He wasn't even close; he wasn't even good at it, per se. But I'm more glad that I am good after all this time.

You will not believe what happened today as I sat in my father's sitting room, peacefully. I was looking out when I saw a young boy playing with the bannisters. We lived on the 4th floor, and there he was, playing right by the edge. My eyes had captured it first, and I paid more attention to him. I was growing weary and wanted to shout at him to stop.

I was tense about him playing so close to the bannister, which was risky because he could fall from the 4th floor and hit the ground below. I was praying in my mind for the boy not to fall and wanted to save him, even though I couldn't.

Then, in a flash, the boy's hand slipped, and he fell. He fell from the 4th floor.

It felt like the whole scene was paused, or rather slowed down in my eyes, as I watched the boy fall slowly. It seemed to take minutes before he finally reached the ground. At that moment, I lost interest in the movie. I couldn't understand why they would depict a boy falling from the fourth floor. It was a terrible choice, and I quickly switched to another movie. I couldn't sit through something so boring that started with such a bad scene.

About two days ago, I went online to search for shoes that would match my corporate wear. I searched and searched but couldn't find any that fit. Finally, I came across a design that I liked, but the price was much higher than I expected. I wasn’t sure if I could trust the online pictures, so I wanted to see the shoes in person before making a purchase.

I decided to visit the market instead. After wandering around, I still couldn't find the shoes. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the same design, so I eventually came home empty-handed.
After some thought about how to present myself neatly for the occasion, I remembered my old shoes. The leather was still in good condition, but the soles were worn out. I had the idea to search for new shoe soles and footers in the market.

After getting redirected several times, I finally found a shop that sold what I needed. To my surprise, the price was very low, especially for a foreign shoe sole. This made me really happy!

I took the soles home and gave them to a shoe mender. After he worked on them, my old shoes looked great again.
But it wasn't perfect, and just so you are confused, my last story was what I did next, I went and bough new shoes

was in the market yesterday trying to find a good pair of shoes for a class presentation that was scheduled to take place the next day. I had budgeted a particular amount, hoping it would get me the perfect design I wanted. However, when I began asking around, the first seller I encountered quoted me an outrageous price for a pair of shoes.

I left that shop and moved on to another, but after visiting five shops, I found that the prices were consistently hilariously high. Frustrated, I decided to leave the area and ventured to the end of the market. It was there that I finally came across a seller who significantly reduced the price—offering a pair for just 1,000 pounds less than what I had seen elsewhere.

I bought the shoes, but I was still surprised. I thought it was only these online vendors who deceitfully added their own assumed amounts to the real price of shoes. I didn’t realize that the actual market also sold them for such high prices. Although it was the exact design I had in mind, I wasn’t expecting it to cost that much. Thank God my budget was able to cover it.

Today, I wanted some alone time and decided not to open my door to any visitors, not just any visitors, but especially some of my neighbors who tend to bug people. I wanted to stay indoors, avoid distractions, and simply rest. The day before had stressed me out completely, leaving me tense and exhausted, so I locked my door.

When my neighbors knocked, I explained my plan to stay indoors, and they actually respected it except for this one annoying neighbor named King. He always manages to disturb me, refusing to give me a moment of peace. He kept banging on the door until I finally opened it, and then he just took over my bed! I ended up not having the alone time I wanted and instead spent it outside talking with him.

He managed to spoil my plans, he truly succeeded. As I write this, I’m realizing just how much this guy can disrupt my life. Despite that, he’s my very good friend, and I respect him for it. In the end, I actually had a good day. I hadn’t anticipated having any fun, as I just wanted some alone time, which would have been perfect for me. Still, the fun day turned out to be enjoyable in its own way.

Most times, I wonder about how women behave and the complexities of their attitudes. I had gone to a particular cyber café to have my work printed, and I noticed a girl staring at me. She held her gaze for almost ten straight minutes, and I wouldn’t react; I wouldn’t even look her in the eye. I felt unsettled by how someone—a grown, disciplined person—could stare for that long.

I tried to ignore her until she raised her hands and, honestly, it wasn’t anything important that warranted annoyance. Yet, she became irritated with me and started raising her voice. It was as if she was trying hard to get my attention, but I still didn’t acknowledge her. I finished what I needed to do and left immediately without even looking back. Some girls can be very deceptive.

Even aside from this, I often pray for the ability to understand the complex behaviors of girls. Many times, my female friends can become upset over the slightest things, yet they won’t talk about it. I know these issues need to be addressed, but since I lack the skills to interpret their subtle cues and body language, I find it difficult to grasp what's really going on

Today, I visited my old roommate before heading back to my school hostel, carrying my last belongings. Just when I thought everything was fine, I tripped on a stone and fell hard. 😞

I landed on a rock that jolted my whole body. When I got up and dusted myself off, I felt a wave of panic—my phone! 📱

I pulled it out of my pocket, only to find the back of my iPhone 12 Pro Max cracked! I couldn't believe it. The screen was okay, but that crack looked painful. 💔

Such a disappointing turn of events, and it felt like it would ruin my whole week. Anyone else had a day go from good to bad in an instant.

After the fall, I walked back to my hostel, feeling pretty down about my iPhone 12 Pro Max. 😞 I had barely had it for two weeks after upgrading from an iPhone 8, and now it was already damaged!

I hadn't even gotten to enjoy that 'new phone' feeling. But hey, what can you do? If I find the money to fix it, great. If not, I guess I'll just have to live with it. A cracked back won't kill me!

I've been noticing my neighbor for quite some time now. For nearly two weeks, he’s been wearing these same shorts, day in and day out. He’s a good friend, and I’ve tried to advise him told him it would be a good idea to wash them at least once. But he just won’t do it. He wears those shorts to run errands, to the school to pick up things, and even to meet his lecturer. It seems like there’s nothing he hasn’t done while wearing them, and the fact that he hasn’t washed them still amazes me.

It makes me reflect on the kind of people we’re fostering in this community. What values are we instilling in one another? It saddens me to see individuals, particularly younger ones, who don’t prioritize hygiene or personal maintenance. It feels like there’s a lack of awareness or appreciation for self-care, and I can’t help but wonder how this affects the community as a whole. Sometimes, it’s these small habits that reveal so much about a person’s values and upbringing.

There’s a saying that men are dirty, and while I’ve always found that hard to believe, this particular guy is testing my patience. I’ve tried to advise him countless times because we’re close friends, but he just wouldn’t budge. It’s like he has this attachment to those same green shorts that he wears day in and day out morning, afternoon, and night.

Honestly, if you happen to see any guy walking around in green shorts, it might just be him. If you do, feel free to call out to him and ask if his name is Kingsley. He could very well be the one I’m talking about. I just wish he’d realize how off-putting this is and take the simple step of washing his clothes. It’s baffling and a little concerning, especially seeing how it reflects on personal care and hygiene. It's a reminder of how important it is to take pride in ourselves and our appearance, not just for our sake but for those around us as well.