Diary of Jebassey: The Coldest Part of My Day Was Coming Home

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It had been raining heavily since morning, and it didn't look like the rain had any intention of stopping anytime soon. Yet, I still had to prepare myself for school because my students were expecting me.

The morning was so cold. Normally, I would have considered the weather enough reason to take a warm bath, but I have never really been a fan of bathing with hot water.

So, despite the cold, I went ahead with my usual cold-water bath. After bathing, I had my breakfast, packed my bag, and settled down for a while.

‎I thought the rain might reduce or even stop completely if I waited long enough. But instead of getting lighter, it became heavier.

_{It was still raining heavily}

As I sat there watching the rain, I had my students in my thoughts. I knew them well enough to know that rain would not necessarily keep them at home.

They would still make the effort to come to school, and knowing that made me feel like I had no real excuse to stay back. So, I eventually picked up my bag and left for school.

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Going out into that rain was an experience on its own. By the time I got to school, I had already experienced enough of the rain to have a story to tell.

_{I stopped by the nursery section}

My students were genuinely excited to see me, and as soon as I got there, I shared my experience of making my way through the rain with them. They also had their own stories to tell about how they managed to get to school.

‎I didn't want the class to begin on a dull note, especially with the weather already making everything feel gloomy. So, I spent a little time interacting and joking with them before we properly settled into the day's activities.

_{My students}

I had two classes with them today, with other teachers taking their periods in between. The first teacher taught them Social Studies, while the second took them for CCA.

_{My students with the CCA teacher}

Even while we were teaching and learning, the rain continued falling heavily outside. It didn't stop. It kept coming down as though it had made up its mind to stay with us throughout the day. And eventually, it became a problem.

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‎By the time school closed, the road had become flooded.

People had to pull up their trousers and carefully find their way through the little paths that were still manageable. Everyone seemed to be figuring out the safest way to get through the water.

_{The flood}

At one point, there was a driver who was unfortunate with his driving. His car had stopped right in the middle of the road, surrounded by water.

Water had gathered underneath and around the vehicle, leaving him all stranded in the road. ‎Thankfully, some guys nearby came to his aid. They pushed the car towards the side of the road while carefully trying to avoid the open ends of the gutters.

For us, there was no point trying to continue under such heavy rain. So, I branched off to one of my friend's places nearby and stayed there with some others until the rain reduced.

_{The path to my friend's place}

When it finally became manageable, my friends, colleagues and I continued trekking together. We walked until we reached a point where we could finally get a taxi.

_{Trekking to find a taxi}

From there, I took a taxi straight home.

_{On my way home}
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Apparently, I really do love cold weather. ‎But the cold I experienced today was on another level. ‎It had gradually worked its way into my body, and by the time I got home, I could barely tolerate it. I needed something warm.

My junior sister came to my rescue by preparing a cup of coffee for me. I held the warm cup and slowly drank it, hoping it would help bring some warmth back into my body while I waited for her to prepare dinner.

I had only just finished taking the coffee, and sleep managed to catch me while I was waiting. I didn't even know when it happened.

One time I was sitting there waiting for dinner, and the next thing I knew, my sister was waking me up to tell me that dinner was ready.

I actually wondered how I had managed to fall asleep so quickly. But then again, I was tired. Sleep simply saw its opportunity and took it without hesitation.

I got up, had my dinner and enjoyed my sister's delicious cooking.

_{My dinner}

‎After everything I had gone through during the day, I allowed myself to rest for a little while before finally retiring to bed.

‎It was a long day and unusually cold. But thankful to God, I was able to persevere and survive till it ended

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