"Always" -- Tariro P. Mbiba

I hate the word always. It carries with it so much disappointment and failure when used negatively and so much pressure and expectation when used positively in a statement about an individual. What most people don’t realise is that the use of the word always gives the impression that there is no hope for change.

Just the other day, I was told that I always think of myself first and I never put other people’s needs before my own. This statement was heavily imprinted on my heart for months as I repeatedly asked myself the question; “Always?” You see, the use of the word always entailed the thought that there was no hope and brought about the idea that in my entire 16 years of life, I had never done a selfless deed or had a selfless thought. I had always thought of myself as a caring and selfless person and the fact that one person pointed out to me that I am ALWAYS selfish made me question everything that I thought I was. Before I knew it, my entire perspective of myself had changed. My thoughts were that if I always have and always will be selfish, then what was the point of trying not to be?

The common misconception is that the use of the word “always” serves to encourage change but in most cases, it actually deletes any hope of change that was previously there. This in itself can destroy the self-esteem or outlook on life of any student or individual aspiring for success. One word can ruin a life so choose your words carefully.

--Tariro P. Mbiba

"The Alert Secret Agent" -- Matukx

It is before dawn, the sun is still soundly asleep within its fluffy bed of mist and yet not all souls are well rested. One is beginning to emerge from its slumber sleep- ready to begin the day before day has even begun.

He beats the early birds in catching the worm because by four o’clock he is already up and running. His main aim quite clear – beat the sun before it rises and break the rules while there are no spectator ions present.

Slowly he peers through the small opening of my door and he sees that I am in gear number five of my sleep zone. Then slowly like the stealthy thief Sinbad, he tip toes towards the drawer. She, the drawer, holds what he has been yearning for- the remote. The remote is supposedly hidden from him to deter him from watching television during school days, but seemingly, the only thing it is hidden from is the television itself. How does he know where to find it? Well frankly speaking he was always a better seeker each time we played hide and seek.

Slowly he opens the drawer; heart pounding, legs shaking, muscles tensing to the extent that it almost breaks the omnipresent silence. Despite this, years of practice have served him well and he knows well enough how to be silently scared. The drawer squeaks softly but being the little genius he is, he caresses it slowly to quiet down, meanwhile his line of sight is towards the sleeping giant, in case she awakens from slumber. However at the slight glimpse of the remote, his eyes bounce back to the front of his head and he grabs it, quickly, but not too quick to make a sound, and with a wry smile on his face, he cries- triumph!

As the clock strikes six, once again he has to revert back to his mission. Once again he uses his acquired skills as he murmurs “The only way to survive in this household is to become James Bond.” Therefore he returns the remote, cautiously placing it in the same position as it was before. Four centimetres from one side and ten centimetres from the other, he is applying his mathematical skills. Yet again, he coaxes the drawer while closing it and this time it obediently obeys because it has also gotten into the system.

By 0601 he is in his blankets. Eyes closed firmly so as to seem deep within the sea of sleep. Despite this, he is breathing quite heavily, his lungs still contracting and relaxing violently, reeling from the return mission to my bedroom.

I wake him up; first time he remains still, avoiding to seem too alert and when I shake him the second time, he starts to emerge from deep within the bed where he had immersed himself to give the scenery a more believable setting. Thus the day continues on!

-Matukx