A Holiday To Remember

The recently concluded holiday wasn't my best one, but I must say it was the best I’ve had in a while. Unlike my previous holidays, I stayed back in school because I had valid reasons not to go home. For the first time ever, I didn't celebrate the festive season with my family. Initially, I thought I would regret the decision and that it would turn out to be the most boring holiday ever. Looking back, it wasn't at all bad. Not only did I make friends with some of my hostel mates, but we also made the holiday period memorable. Today's Inleo prompt asks us about our best experiences during the holidays.

First off, there are 64 rooms and more than 120 students in my hostel. Out of these 120 students, about 110 students went home to celebrate the holidays with their families. Before then, I had only two friends in the hostel, and they, like many others, did not think twice before packing their bags and going home. After my friends left, I thought I'd spend the holiday alone, binge-watching anime and snacking on biscuits. I had no other friends and I didn't think I would make friends with anyone. On the first day of the holiday, I didn't leave my room until evening when I went out to get snacks and when I got back, I entered my room, locked it from behind, and jumped on the bed. That was my new life now. I knew I was alone, and I already embraced the fact.

Interestingly, the next morning, someone came knocking on my door. I was surprised because I wasn't expecting visitors. It turned out to be one of my hostel mates. He suggested that since there were only a few of us in the hostel, we should explore the farmland/bush that is close to our hostel so we can harvest pawpaw, banana, and plantain. I love exploring and having fun, so the idea made me smile. One of the best experiences I had during the holidays was exploring the forest-like farmland with my hostel mates. So, I changed into comfortable clothes and went out to meet them. They handed me a cutlass and we proceeded to start our journey of searching for the hidden fruits. We went deep into the farmland, clearing our way with the cutlasses. The mission was a success, as we got back with 4 full bunches of bananas and 3 ripe pawpaws.

After we got back, we sat in front of one of the rooms. Since the bananas were not ripe, we, the guys, cut them down into smaller bunches and tied them in a big sack to speed up the ripening process. The girls prepared the pawpaws. After we were done with everything, we all sat down and started eating the fruit, one slice after another. While eating, they were discussing many topics, which I didn't join them to discuss because they were controversial topics like politics and tribalism. I didn't agree with all they said, and I felt it was best to keep quiet and just listen. I didn't know eating paw paw could fill your stomach. I ate so much that I was unable to walk properly. Then, I managed to go to my room and sleep.

Another memorable experience I had was during New Year's Day. We all came together, cooked a delicious meal, and drank. Having grown close to them, it was easier to eat with the group. After eating and drinking, the guys played PES while the ladies cheered us on. I dealt with everyone mercilessly, the first guy I played with got thrashed 5 to nil. The second guy managed to score one goal but still lost 6-1. I felt sorry for the last guy. Despite boasting so much that he'd trash me, he ended up receiving 8 goals and didn't even score any goal. 8-nil. After everything, I went back to my room pretty late.

Looking back, I can't help but wonder how my holiday would have been if I hadn't made friends with my hostel mates. What if that guy had not come to knock on my door? Well, I'm glad he did. I'm glad that although I didn't spend the holiday with my family, it didn't turn out so bad after all.

Thanks for reading.