MY FIRST SWIMMING EXPERIENCE

Everywhere was cold and the rain was falling heavily. I woke up as early as 5am to prepare for school. As I searched around the house to arrange my things, my sister woke up and said, "are you sure you can make it to school today? The rain is really heavy". "Of course. Have I not seen rain heavier than this? I can't miss school for anything.

I opened the door, took the bucket from our small bathroom and headed out to fetch water from our tank. It was a rural community, rainfall and boreholes (that were very far from my house) were the only source of water we had. My dad put the tank outside to conserve water falling from the roof. It wasn't drinkable but we could use it for domestic chores and to bath.

Thunder was crackling and the wind was drizzling tenaciously but that couldn't stop me. I fetched my bucket of water, walked back inside and put the bucket in the bathroom. Fixed my wrapper around the entrance and went to go get some things I needed to take my bath. I got into the bathroom and in a matter of twenty minutes I was done.

As I prepared for school, I hoped the rain would stop falling. Kept my socks in my bag as I knew I was going to trek a bit before entering transport. By 6am, the rain stopped and I headed out to school singing and overjoyed. School was everything to me. If the whole community didn't go to school, A.Williams would. Maybe because I didn't have friends or because I loved learning.

My school was very far from my house. If you were to enter a bike - which was the source of transport -, it would take you thirty minutes. But if you were to trek, it would take you an hour and thirty minutes. I didn't have plans of trekking the full journey. I wanted to walk to the next community before taking a bike.

As I walked, the hope of seeing a bike was really thin; the road was deserted; but I was highly optimistic. I got close to the next community and I saw a bike man. I stopped him and we negotiated NGN150 from where I stood to my school gate. I entered and our journey begun.

As we journeyed, the bike man made mention of the river in front. The river was close to the road and it made that area swampy. There was no other way, we just had to pass there but I've seen my dad navigate this place numerous times so why would a bike man have a problem?

We got to the river and every other passenger were alighting. They wanted to use their legs to cross while the bike men navigated through. The whole place was filled with water, about my half my height.

My bike man said to me, "hold on tight" as we dove into the unknown. "Gbam", we hit a rock and I saw myself deep in waters. My bag had left my back and was floating independently. I quickly raised my head up and held my bag. The bike man couldn't find his bike. What was happening?

The vehicles at the other side of the river were watching us. I tried to find my way out of the river but I couldn't. A man quickly rushed in to save me and that was when I sighted my dad at the other end. "See my son oh", he started his bike, passed the river and rushed to get me. His son just swan for the first time in his life. People helped my bike man get his bike and save his life.

The deed was done; all my books and uniform were wet. My plans were ruined. "Why did you come out?", my dad said as we rode home on his bike. I couldn't say anything now. All I could think about was my books; notes I copied through sleepless nights, drenched by my stubbornness.

I got home and my dad deviced a technique to dry my books but they were already damaged now. Guess I wasn't scoring ten over ten in my continuous assessment for notes.

I got to school the next and my friend, Promise asked, "why didn't you come to school yesterday?". The only words that came out of my mouth was, "I swum".

Another lesson learnt; sometimes, you just need to sit back and not tak e actions.