I was kind of stubborn while growing up, there were many times I disobeyed my mom and at a point, she stopped punishing me for it. Many times, it is not like I always wanted to disobey her but the idea of doing what I think is right ends up the opposite of her instructions and badly for me.
It is true that what the elders see while sitting, even if I child climbs the rooftop, he or she won't see it. I was childish to believe that this has to do with physical things and whenever my mom said it, I always laugh at her back because I was tall and there was nothing she was seeing that I wouldn't see as well, it took time before I understood that the saying had to do with her experience in life.
My act of disobedience has taught me some practical lessons and somehow, all these things played out to make me who I am today.
I had an agreement with my mom that I won't be coming home for the new year's break when I was in the polytechnic, she persuaded me severally to come days before the new year's Eve but I turned her down. My friends were in the hostel and we were enjoying each other's company.
Despite being adamant about not going home, I couldn't stop thinking about the delicacies mom do prepare for refreshments when we return from crossover service but I was determined. On the 31st, I couldn't hold the pressure of missing out on the New Year food anymore so I decided to embark on a surprise trip.
I didn't inform her about my 2-3 hours trip depending on the traffic. I left the hostel around 5 pm and I was already imagining how surprised they will be to see me, I kept practising different lines just to the surprise a super cool one.
I got to the garage and boarded a bus. We left the park around six and we haven't travelled for 20 minutes before meeting the traffic jam which is a normal thing on that road. I was pressing my phone to keep myself alive and it didn't take long before I ran out of battery.
The vehicle barely moved for 20 minutes before we got into traffic. I kept my cool and my focus was home, I believe the traffic will ease but it didn't and because my phone went off I lost track of time.
At a few minutes past ten, we haven't traveled half of the trip but I was hopeful about celebrating New Year's Eve at home, there used to be movement throughout the night so there was nothing to write about.
The area we were completely stuck was quite dangerous so alighting from the bus wasn't an option. I kept asking for time on the bus and at past eleven, it dawned on me that I will have to do the cross-over service on the bus.
After some time, we started hearing the sounds of knockouts and people greeted each other on the bus. I was pissed and it was my first time celebrating crossover without my family and on the road but there was nothing I could do.
Returning to where I was coming from was the option left since the traffic was at a standstill. I eventually alighted with some men who got tired of traffic as well and wanted to return to the garage.
That night, I ended up trekking for almost 2hrs in a terrible cold before getting a bus. I couldn't reach my family, no one could reach me because my battery was down and that day became the worse new year eve I ever had. My surprise didn't work out and still ended up trekking all because of being disobedient.
I didn't learn my lesson about doing what pleases me even though I have been warned not to.
We don't have a borehole in the hostel and we usually fetch water to bathe. I do fetch water every evening in preparation for the next day.*
On that fateful day, I felt reluctant to fetch despite being persuaded by my roommates. I was the one who had early lectures and it was important that I fetched at least two buckets of water but I didn't.
Morning came and I decided to use someone else bucket of water. I saw it at the corner in the apartment and I thought the person kept it, I took it and just went to the bathroom. I had it in mind that I was going to return it when I return from lecture.
I went into the bathroom and started bathing immediately but I noticed my body was slippery no matter how much water I poured myself. I have almost exhausted the water when I paused to see why the water is slippery.
I put some in the bowl to perceive it and guess what, I perceive detergent in it.
How come I didn't perceive the odour earlier, I just wiped my body and got out of the bathroom with anger.
I checked around but there was no water to rinse myself properly and while returning the bucket I carried earlier, I met the owner, he said the water was used to rinse and kept it to wash his sneakers the next day.
He could tell that I used the water to bathe because I still have my towel on me. He started laughing immediately and I left his presence feeling bad because I didn't even know what kind of cloth he rinsed in it.
Other roommates who were awake heard him joking about the issue and they joined him. Although, they gave me water later but I wished I fetched the water I needed the previous day.
These two experiences taught me not to be rigid in my decision, I always pay attention to advice and without bias, I choose what's best for me.