My experience with overcaffeination happened as a result of ignorance and a lack of moderation, which is very unusual of me. I have always known that too much of everything is not good, but sometimes we get carried away because we find something we need or enjoy in abundance.
Every time I get my ex-boss call, I know he has a contract that requires the service of a professional paster. I worked as a paster for a few years, and it was one of the best times of my life because, aside from making money, I met a lot of people, including Uncle Segun, whom I always refer to as my boss.
Back in 2019, he got a contract that had to do with Guineas back then, so he reached out to me as usual. Without thinking twice, I rushed down to the printing press he uses somewhere in Ikeja and was happy to reunite with another colleague of mine. He showed us how the cards would be folded and glued, so I started working immediately since the number of cards you glue will determine your pay.
A few minutes after work started, I reached for two sachets of instant coffee in my bag. I got some hot water from the dispenser and prepared the coffee.
"Sharp guy," my boss teased me immediately after I took the first sip.
"I need to go home with money," I replied jokingly, and my boss burst into laughter.
Immediately after the little chat, Uncle Segun went to retrieve a can from his vehicle and place it on the giant table where we were working. I felt great knowing he brought some coffee, and judging by the packaging of the can, it wasn't just regular instant coffee.
"I brought this coffee for myself, and in fact, I go about with it," Uncle Segun said to us as he settled at the table.
"It's imported and really good," my boss bragged, and I gave a big smile knowing that I can have more than I planned for.
"Really? See how you are blushing over coffee? What's the fun in gulping down a bitter drink?" My colleague asked.
"Seriously? You can load it with milk and sugar if you don't like taste," I replied.
"It's just a waste of money; I should just buy regular tea or enjoy an energy drink if I need energy," he replied.
After emptying my cup, I tried my boss coffee immediately, and it was awesome. Until that day, 2-3 cups of coffee was the maximum number of cups I had taken in a day and it was even an everyday thing for me. I basically do two sachets of instant coffee on the go, but I put the measurements aside and drank with my boss while working.
Honestly, I felt really good, and skipping launch was proof of that. I just continued working and only took a short break to stretch, with about six cups of coffee going down the drain.
Around 8 p.m., we completed the job and got paid immediately. I made another cup for myself and told my boss,"this is for the road." We had a little chat again while drinking and eventually said goodbye.
I boarded a bus and just sat there, hoping we wouldn't encounter traffic, but that didn't happen. We encountered traffic, and after an hour of sitting in the bus, I developed a slight headache that escalated quickly.
I thought the work stress had tampered with my high blood pressure and just needed to sleep since I haven't done that job in a while. The headache got out of hand, and I had to alight in the traffic with the hope of seeing a pharmacist where I could get something to ease the headache but it was late.
There were a lot of people who opted to trek instead of sitting in the bus, so I joined them. Somehow, I felt relieved while walking, and when my boss called to know if I had arrived home, I explained my condition to him.
"It must be the coffee; you probably had too much. It will definitely wear off." My boss responded, and I couldn't take my mind off what he said.
I browsed the effects of excessive coffee, and the symptoms were similar. I checked how to help my condition and luckily for me, I was already doing one, which is exercise. To further help myself, I got a bottle of water from roadside hawkers and drank it as I trekked.
I was sweating profusely and thought the caffeine would wear off easily, but it didn't. I struggled with the headache, but it wasn't as bad as it was on the bus. I was up for almost half of the night but finally slept off.
I felt a lot better when I woke up, but I still had a slight headache. I have always known the importance of moderation but was ignorant about the negative effects of excessive coffee. The experience opened my eyes to what excessive coffee is capable of doing to me, and I learned a great lesson.
All images belong to me.