I had slept the previous night pretty late and I had some funny frightful dreams and this caused me to wake up late from bed. Wondering the kind of dream I had, on leaving the bed and stepping down, I stepped on a hot coal which my grandmother and kept before leaving the house. (You know how village house settings are). I tipped with one toe in pains and I pushed the only bucket of water remaining at home. I had to rush to get more water. . .
I took the bucket, and went to the stream. Other children had contaminated the water so I had to wait for it to settle in. I was running late already. A few minutes on, the water had settled so I carried. On climbing from the spring, I slid and fell back inside soaking my dress and dirtying the water. I had to wait again for it to settle. God I was late! It did settle and I carried. This time I climbed being more careful. As I walked, I felt my bucket lighter than before. On putting it down I realised it was slightly broken and the water had drained out. What else could I do?
I hurriedly went home and took a different bucket, went down again and carried the water. When I got home I was extremely late. I hurriedly took my bath, bade my grand mother farewell and headed to school. The leg I had burnt earlier was swollen so I could not walk any faster. Arriving school, the first period had been going on for about 25 minutes. The discipline master caught me as I was trying to sneak in. He told me to kneel and I did. I knelt till break time and I was asked to go to class.
After break we had a maths class. I had not done my homework and I did not even know. Only when the teacher entered and asked for the assignment that's when I remembered I had not done mine. I and others were asked to go and kneel before the class... again. We kneeled throughout the whole class. After that we had two other classes and then school ended for that day. And I headed home. I could not walk fast. My friends realised I had been awfully quite the whole time. Wondering why, they asked and I could not even find a suitable answer. Was I cursed? Bewitched? Or was it just that day? Well I had no idea but it was not a working well for me.
I got home tired and really worn out. I was extremely hungry too. I went into the house and saw my dish. My grand mother had put my food inside and covered. I was already salivating when I opened I discovered that the cat had eaten more than half of the food. Feeling frustrated and heartbroken, I remembered everything that had happened to me the whole day. From burning my leg to going late to school without eating to kneeling for long hours with a swollen leg. I sat down and started crying. I wondered what day it had been for me. It was indeed the day everything went wrong.
By Nubia Nahbila.
Thank you for reading.