I was hurrying to get home before “they” took the light. The people in front of me were walking quite slowly. So from the sidewalk, I crossed the big open gutter to the road. After a few seconds, I had passed them and decided to cross back. With my heavy backpack, I fell into the gutter. The black water coated my leg like paint, colouring most of the blood that gushed out from my shin. People rushed to help me out. Someone even used water to clean my leg. I did not know how to feel, so I dived into the gutter head-first and died.
When I got home, there was still light. Whew. I quickly plugged in my phone, torchlight, laptop, and fan. I don’t have an extra charger for my power bank. I was pretty tired, so I laid down to get some rest. My leg and death do not matter. They’ll heal. If they don’t, at least there is light. As the clock struck 8 pm, they took what belonged to them; the prized light. I forgot to iron my clothes. That’s by the way.
Right now, I need to critically analyse how to ration my devices because I need to work on two assignments this night. My laptop is on 66%. My phone is…. on 6%? Shit, it wasn’t charging! Ummm… No need to panic… I’ll put on my hotspot, download the papers I need, put off my phone, and use my laptop till it dies. I need to work on my bed and under my net, though. My fan will last for only about an hour, and I don’t want mosquitoes to bite my peeled leg. I don’t think I can manoeuvre scratching that. As for my torchlight, I’ll need to use it now, else the laptop light will cause a big headache for me. A headache is the last thing I need this night. All was settled, so I worked, hunched over the glaring screen of my laptop till my torchlight died after 30 minutes. So, I put on my candle. Unfortunately, the fire engulfed my net and me too. This is inconvenient. How will I go to school tomorrow without my life?
The next morning, I used all my might to stand up from my bed. I removed the flimsy, expensive bedsheet soaked with sweat and sprinkled with ashes. I need to spread it outside so that it will dry by the time I come back home in the evening. Let me carry my three buckets and fetcher as I head out. I’m lucky because my house has a well in case there is no water in the tap. Other people have to walk a distance to get water.
As I get outside, I hear my neighbours were talking about the people who were shot, killed, and abducted on a Kaduna-Abuja train yesterday. This is new! Trains are also not safe? I thought the abductions and killings were limited to road transportation. Na wa o. What is this country turning into? I quickly fetch my water and head back inside to check what Twitter was saying about the issue. Right. The phone is dangerously low, and I put it off. The hurry to charge my devices set in again, so I quickly have my bath and head out.
These are 500 tough words. I must talk to you tomorrow.