The memories of living in darkness.
The hopeful prayers muttered under my breath vanished as I stepped into the street next to mine. Out of corner of my eyes, I see weak shadows formed by candles lights and burning wicks dipped into kerosene tins dancing on the walls. On almost every hand held either torn out carton sheet or a hand fan.
Even with the dry weather, I could feel sweat droplets sliding down my back, I propelled my heavy legs forward with little hope hanging on a rope.
As I approached my street, I let my eyes wander off to search to for the first light bulb.
Only to have the thought of throwing my tired sweaty body on my bed while counting the squeaky noises of my spinning wacky fan dashed to the floor.
My head dropped down as my eye water, with the voices on my head screaming angrily “why can’t there be steady electricity for at least a day? why must we pray down fire to have a basic human necessity?”
I jerked back into reality with joyful screams of “UP NEPA!!!” around every corner of street.
Golden light twinkles lit up the street as a runway, people dashed into the street with wires on their hands probably to plug in a neighboring building.
Energy from no where surged through my body, sudden coolness from evaporated sweat spread goosebumps around my body, my lips bled from outstretched smile, I swung my legs faster.
I let my mind drift away to the crazy memories lack of electricity created.
Growing up, DVD and a certain type of decoder was on every home for movies. These two tools operated against every African child. The DVD resumes the movie from where it previously stopped and the decoder remained tuned in the channel it was left at when switched off.
At night which was the normal time electricity was restored to residential areas, I watched the television with my parents until the electricity was disrupted or we had to go to bed.
I was always instructed not to put the television on, until they got back. Sometimes I listened, most times I don't.
During the day time, the god of light sometimes smiles upon the streets, temptation sets in upon the children.
This is where analysis sets in, I usually timed the light for five minutes, if it was not interrupted during that time, it was a sign that the electricity might last before I move over the next step.
I gathered the courage to put the television on, remove the disc my parents watched earlier or continued the movie from where we previously stopped, if I wanted to use the DVD or changed the television channel, if it was a decoder. Then I proceed to time the electricity, after every hour I returned the former disc or rewinded back to where we stopped the previous night or went back to the channel my parents watched last. If after 10 minutes, the electricity was not interrupted, I resumed to my evil doings.The time calculation differed for each week, I just had to calculate the pattern on how the electricity was being restored or interrupted during weekends or at nights to come up with proper analysis.
Even with the "proper analysis", there are few times that the electricity was interrupted during the watch times, those days I cried to God for a second chance, repented for the 101th time and promised not to sin again if the electricity was restored so that I could return the movie or channel to where my parents left it.
It was more painful when I only watched the television for five minutes.
I remember unscrewing the DVD player to return a disc to a neighbor to avoid double parents trouble and also how the kids gathered once the electricity was disrupted to know who was not sharp enough or who their parents will flog that night.
Another memory was the chaotic drama whenever the electricity company commonly called "NEPA" comes to disconnect the electricity due to unpaid electricity bills. Whenever, anyone sights the NEPA bus, the person alerts the neighborhood within minutes.
Usually the sight of children in queue along store owners to borrow phone to call their parents, followed by unusual padlocked gates in a row and busy road filled with people racing back home is enough to dispatch the news.
I loved watching the next compound drama to avoid being told the story, the way the tenant gathered under electricity polls to threaten anyone who dares climb up the pole.
I waited patiently for school to hear other student experience.If anyone was unlucky during the NEPA unexpected visiting, the next neighbor house became an alternative. This is where connection comes in, electricity absence brought unnecessary closeness.
The hazy sight of people running around with wires and chargers to get into the nearest home or store with electricity, several groups arguing over a football or wrestling match at stores turned indecisively to watch centers.
Finally, I was home. Still lost in those wonderful memory, I struggled with my keys, the padlock finally came off, with the door wide open, the bulb at the corridor flickered. I prayed that it should be the wind, the light became steady, a huge sign of relief left my breath, then the bulb went off.
