A Night To Remember.

I have had so many funny experiences in life worth sharing as an entry for this month's Neoxiancity prompt but chose to share a strange experience instead. This particular one was from my childhood days but it's definitely an unforgettable one because the experience just wouldn't get off my head.

It could have been my last day, and George might just be a memory to those who knew him then. Sometimes, life isn't all about fun, and there are moments in life that carry a lot of weight in our hearts. I was young and couldn't do anything about the experience, but I can confidently say it's one of the things that shaped me into the adult I am today.

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It was pouring heavily that night, and I was waiting for dinner to be served around 9 p.m. It was an unusual dinner time for me, and I couldn't stop thinking about my mother, who always ensured that we had dinner before 7 pm. No matter how tired she was after work, dinner would be ready before 7 p.m., and we always ate together as a family. It was something I always looked forward to at night.

Unexpectedly, mom fell sick and was admitted to the hospital. Being kids, we couldn't cater for ourselves, so we had to live with our family friends during that period.

Life wasn't what we thought it would be, and it surprises me how our family friends treated us like slaves just because our mom was in the hospital. I was made to do tedious tasks at home while there are older people who could easily do these things, but it meant nothing to me. I was happy to see my sibling doing fine, but whenever I visited the hospital, I always cried.

I was scared of losing my mom because I knew there was a bigger suffering awaiting me and my siblings if anything happened to her. Mom always comforted me and promised to get better, but I couldn't tell her what was happening.

While waiting for dinner, I heard my name from the kitchen and rushed there immediately.

"George, you have to go to your place now to fetch your cooking stove. The kerosene in this stove won't complete cooking this food." My guardian wife instructed, and I was confused.

"Is it that she doesn't know it's pouring heavily or what?" I thought for a second.

"It's raining heavily outside," I replied.

"So what should I do about it? Common, go and fetch the stove now." She screamed at me, and I was scared.

Firstly, she doesn't behave like this whenever my mom is around, and my mom treats her kids with love always.
With fear, I took the keys to our apartment and stepped outside in the rain. It wasn't much of a problem until I got to the road and realized there was no one outside. It was dark, and lightning was the only source of light.

The road was slightly flooded, and I had to walk carefully, it took me over 15 minutes to get to the house. I picked up the stove and covered the top got back into the rain.

The rain had increased, and there was this heavy wind blowing. I couldn't move properly because of the wind and flood, but I managed. The top of the stove fell off while returning, but I couldn't stop to look for it.

The area wasn't developed, and there was bush everywhere. The wind kept making the bushes make some creepy sounds, and it was terrifying. I returned home shivering and hoping that the elders would help me find the stovetop.

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I was first welcomed with a slap for allowing water to get into the stove and asked to go look for the stovetop that fell off. I wept so hard that night and crawled in the water without light finding the stovetop.

I remember the spot where it fell but couldn't find it. I was there for some minutes before a car drove by and the driver got out of the car. It was an unfamiliar face in the neighborhood because it's a small place and I know almost everyone.

The man asked what I was doing in the rain, and I explained to him. He got into his car, reversed, and turned on the vehicle light.

I checked for the stovetop and found it at the same spot I have checked countless times. Immediately I found it, he left, and I returned home as well. I kept wondering who he was, and until today, I couldn't figure out the person, nor did I see the vehicle again.

Dinner got ready very late, but I was too cold and couldn't even get out of the room to eat. When checked upon, I pretended to be asleep. For days, I stayed outside late hoping to see the car, but nothing like it showed up.

My mom got better, and after a few days at home, I explained everything to her, and she was disappointed. She never asked or quarreled with anyone, but she limited her relationship with the so called family friend.

That experience made me believe that there are truly guardian angels, but that's not the main lesson I picked from the whole experience.

People are unpredictable, and just because someone is laughing with you always doesn't mean they care about you. As parents, trusting our kids in someone's care, especially when not family-related, could be a big mistake because family members betray each other sometimes.

Anything could have happened that night, the man might be a kidnapper, and I am sure nobody will know what happened to me. The experience actually prompted me to learn how to do chores, most especially cooking, and here I am today.

_{Images are mine.}

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