It was just a lucky day for me to escape the unwanted situation. I never thought I would be able to be saved by one of my friends, Titi, who always loved going to the laboratory for experiments.
I was a commercial student when I was in school. I hardly go to the lab for experiments, just because of the way I feel about acid spillage. Not only that, but I had to switch to commercials just out of fear of acid spillage.
The very day I saw them carrying out experiments in the laboratory, my friend was calling me to come closer just to take her bag to the class. I could not wait a bit to ask her if the practical they were carrying out involved acid. She said I should just come instead of asking.
“You should know how I always get afraid of acid not taking off," I said. She said I should come and take her bag to the class. I could not hesitate to do that since she was my reading mate and best friend in school.
I peeped through the window and saw what they were doing, which was interesting. They were mixing chemicals, which I found scary. I began to contemplate if I should enter the lab or just migrate to my class. Being a commercial student, I must not even dare draw closer to the lab, as our teachers warned us strictly not to enter the laboratory except for the science students. I joined two statements to bring out my fear. “I'm afraid of chemicals, and a strict warning was given to us not to enter the lab.”.
After standing for some minutes contemplating, I finally summoned the courage to enter the lab, since the chemistry teacher was not with them in the lab. I dropped my friend's bag on the chair that was placed outside, as well as mine. As I entered the lab, the first thing that caught my attention was the chemical odor. My friend had turned an acid in a beaker, and in another container, she poured water. She aimed to mix the acid with water. She left to pick up one other chemical, which I had never seen in my life since I was not a science student.
She brought it, but before then, I had carried the water to pour inside the acid, unknowingly of what the danger would be. Before she shouted “Stop,” I had already poured the water inside the acid, and what I discovered was a splash that came with a choking smell. I tried to run, but then my clothes got hooked on the mixed substances. Fear gripped my heart as it rose so fast. My friend had to rush and hold my shirt. She immediately drew the beaker off my cloth and poured cold water on the floor where the acid had touched.
She asked me if the acid touched my body, but I was not sure. I checked around my body but saw no splashes of acid. The odor was just too choking, which made us run outside just to relieve our strength. I was so disturbed and worried, as fear was still hovering all over my body. I was shivering without knowing what to do. My friend, on the other hand, was somehow afraid of what the chemistry teacher would do to her.
After two hours of this happening, she went back to the lab to clean up the mess I had caused. The choking and offensive odor had escaped into the thin air. I was not ready to go with her anymore, as what had happened was caused by me, and I never wanted to cause any more harm.
Immediately after the chemistry teacher came back from where she went, my friend immediately rushed to her and told her what had happened. She lied, saying that she was the one who did what I had done. Although I could not say a word as we both went to the teacher's office, I only gazed at her in surprise.
I thought the teacher would not forgive her for what had happened, but then the teacher replied, “I knew it would be an accident, as no one is above mistakes.”.
On hearing this, I was so relieved.
I thanked my friend for covering up for me. Now, I promised myself never to draw closer to the laboratory, and even today, I still have a fear of things that make a splash. My husband has been the one assisting me to fry fish or plantains in the kitchen.
