FIRST PERSON

WHY I WOULD NEVER EAT IN THE DARK AGAIN

“Hey, are you not a Nigerian? Or is that you don’t know where your mouth is again in the dark?” my cousin asked as insisted on having a light put on in the room before I eat, “better eat now,” he continued, “because you don’t know when power will be restored; besides your food is getting cold!”

I sat there at the dining table and watched the others ate in the dimly lit room. Then finally my aunt arrived with a candle in her hand. “Sorry Josh,” she said, “your uncle seems to be having some little trouble starting our generator set. Let’s hope power will be restored before it gets darker than this, but meanwhile let’s still manage the candle light.”She looked at my plate and observed that my food was still the way it was, then she asked, “But why are you not eating? You don’t like it?”

“Don’t mind Joshua mum,” my cousin retorted as he made some annoying sounds as his eating spoon made contacts with the ceramic plate. “He likes forming a lot, as if he isn’t the same Josh that left home for school less than four months ago.”

But all the while, I was mute. The dining table was now fairly lit and I could clearly see every thing that was on the table. So I picked up the spoon and shoved it into the bowl of the Jollof rice apportioned for me. Gradually, my mind went back to the event that happened to me at school, I smiled. 

It was late in the evening on that faithful day; and as usual some of the guys at my hostel went out to play football at sports center. Later that day we returned hungry and exhausted, as usual, after taking my bath, I brought out my cooking pot from the cupboard. I believe I was one of the smartest dudes at the hostel. I always made sure that I had something ready for dinner before I join others in any sporting event. So that day I had already prepared myself some few slices of yam and fried egg. I then hurriedly dished some for myself and put in on the table. But as I was about to settle down to eat one of my colleagues knocked on my door. Immediately I heard his voice I hid the plate of food under my iron bed, I was famished and wasn’t ready to share any portion of it with anybody, besides I already knew what he had came for. Earlier that day in class he had already pleaded to come late in the evening to borrow one of my textbooks and I obliged – one act of generosity a day was enough, I reasoned. I urged him to come in as I began to search for the text book in my locker. But shortly after, the light of the hostel went off, it was around 8:30 PM; however I was lucky enough to have spotted it some few seconds earlier, so I picked it up and handed it to him in the dark, then he left and I was relieved. It was my room, so navigating through it was not an issue for me since I understood all its nooks and crannies - even in the dark! 

HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY!

DAD'S FAILED PROMISE