It is way much easier to say what you intend doing, wish to do or better still want to do but much harder to actually do and achieve it.
I’ve always admired my scholarly friend for her habit of reading till daybreak, she reads through out the night without sleeping a bit and by morning, she's just fine like she didn't loose sleep. She prepares for school, write her exams and excelled beautifully. To read till daybreak means to continue reading all through the night until the morning light appears.Literally, until dawn.
Then one day, I asked if I could join her at TDB as we funly call it and she agreed.The night was heavy with silence, broken only by the hum of distant crickets, the whispers of wind through trees and the occasional sound of big cars passing.
Ngozi sat on her bed with her shawl wrapped tightly around her shoulders, eyes fixed on the book she was reading. I on the other hand, sat on the reading table and chair she had vacated for me.
The bulb above shined so bright enough to see every word scripted on my book. Everyone else had gone to bed in her lodge , so I think. Now, each minute stretched like hour, I drifted off to sleep many times, only to be awakened each time by a gentle tap on my shoulder." Is this how you want to get through with the reading?" Ngozi asked me. "Maybe, I replied with a chuckle ".
I sighed and stretched a little while then went to the bathroom to urinate even though I wasn't feeling as to. I fetched some water in a baby - like bucket, took my remaining satchet water and headed towards the reading table. "What are you trying to do my friend?" Ngozi asked again, but I didn't reply. I kept the bucket under the table then threw my legs into the bucket of water, took the satchet water and began pouring it like an eyedrop into my eyes to clear the sleep.
Ngozi laughed hard and said; "my friend this is not your method of reading, and we all know you're beautifully doing excellent in your studies. I don't just know what prompted you to opt for TDB this time around". With my face turned to her, I just smiled. I didn't have anything to say because I knew that she just stated facts. She had no idea she was what prompted me.Then I dozed off again.
Somewhere between four and five o'clock, a dog kept barking jolting me out of sleep. With sleepy eyes, I rose up and went to the bathroom for the second time. But this time around, I urinated, washed my face and sat down back to read again.
My whole body ached and I felt restless. I knew I would be done for in the exam hall if I ended up not reading . And I stayed, reading till dawn.
I took a leaf out of my friend's book, but it dried off. I couldn't sleep well and couldn't read well either.
Thank you for stopping by.
All images generated - Meta Ai
