If anyone had told me that I would go for three days with almost nothing to eat while I was in the polytechnic, I would have laughed. I never imagined I would experience it to the point where my body would become so weak that I could barely concentrate. Yes, I've been hungry before, not because I don't have what to eat but because I was busy to eat but this one was different.
It happened towards the end of one semester. We had one lecturer who kept postponing our examination. Every time we thought the exam would finally hold, it was shifted again. Because of that, I couldn't travel home, and I wasn't prepared to stay on campus for that long. The little money I had was already gone.
At first, I wasn't too worried. I told myself, "I'll just manage somehow." I drank plenty of water, drink a lot of garri to reduce the hunger, hoping the exam would be over the next day. But the next day came, and nothing changed, then another passed.
By the second day, the hunger had become something else entirely. My stomach kept making noises, my body felt heavy that the water and garri can not hold me, and reading became almost impossible. I would open my books, stare at the pages, and realise I hadn't understood a single sentence because all I could think about was food.
One thought kept haunting me.
About three weeks earlier, I had thrown away a pot of spoilt rice. Of course, it was no longer safe to eat, so I had no choice but to throw it away. But as I lay on my bed with an empty stomach, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Hunger has a strange way of making you remember every meal you have ever wasted. It made me promise myself never to take food for granted again.
By the third day, I knew I couldn't continue pretending I was okay. My pride had to give way because I honestly didn't know how much longer I could endure it.
I remembered one of my neighbours, a married woman who lived nearby. Gathering the little strength I had left, I went to her house and humbly asked if there was anything I could eat. I was nervous because no one likes admitting they have nothing.
To my surprise, she didn't make me feel embarrassed or judge me. She simply welcomed me in and gave me food.
I don't think that meal was anything extraordinary, but to me, it tasted like the best food in the world. That single act of kindness kept me going, and thanks to her generosity, I survived the next three days until things finally became better.
Looking back now, I realise that experience changed me. It taught me not to waste food, no matter how small the quantity. It also taught me that asking for help when you are genuinely in need is not a sign of weakness. Most importantly, it reminded me that one act of kindness can make a huge difference in someone's life.
Even today, whenever I see someone struggling or asking for food, I remember those difficult days in school. I remember how one woman's kindness carried me through one of the hardest moments of my life, and I pray that whenever I have the opportunity, I will be able to do the same for someone else.
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