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The Echo In My Pocket - Meshack Yobby |
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 For an average student, every semester has three financial stages: the 500ml soda, the 300ml soda and the water-in-a-soda-bottle stage. I am in the last stage, and it is not a laughing matter. Money, it seems, has a mysterious way of fizzling out when its availability is most required. As far as I know, I have not spent any of my cash irresponsibly. And I trust my roommates. Just a bit. So, where did the money go to?
Genesis: 500ml soda at the beginning of the semester. At this stage, you do not ask for the cheapest and heaviest combination of food at the Mess. Emphasis is on quality, and every meal has to be accompanied by a large soft drink. Of course, I have to foot the bill for some of my friends (read lady friends) because image matters.
My cell phone should not get those messages reminding me that my account balance is sh. 0.94, so credit factors strongly in my life. And it is spent ‘strengthening ties’ with a friend sitting less than fifty metres away. And it is not urgent communication. The clothes I wore last semester have since become a common sight, so I’ve got to get a new wardrobe. Like I said, image matters; the cost doesn’t, right? And no second hand clothes for me. Retail shops only.
So I get settled, and by this time, I find I’ve spent a mint making myself popular and noticed. Enter the 300ml stage.
At this stage, I minimize my visibility, especially to members of the opposite sex. In fact, they are low priority in my general expenses list. The soft drinks are now a once-in-a-while privilege, and I realize that I don’t need as many friends as I thought I did.
I also realize that I must get a bit more serious with my academics so that I can get a good job and go back to the 500ml stage. My walk is now faster, and the chats are not quite as lengthy as they used to be. A few more days of almost focused life, and I hit the final stage.
Right now, my pocket is so empty I could swear it makes echoes when I drop my keys in. My world is limited to the room-class-library circle. Any other place is a luxury that comes with expenses I cannot afford. The soft drinks are replaced by water, and I console myself that it cannot get any healthier. At the Mess, emphasis is on heavy carbohydrate meals; and I eat only when I am hungry, not when I think I should. So then, if I feel hungry once a day (as conveniently I now do), that’s it. It’s a dog’s life, I know, but it’s the only one I have.
My cell phone is off during the day when I know the people on my general expenses list are apt to call. Sorry- flash. In fact, I go on a step further and create disagreements, with me as the offender, so then they don’t flash at all. I also make me a list of people who can lend me money and not be in and hurry to get it back.
I think this is the right time for me to make a budget. Seriously. I need it before I get rich, prompting the cycle to start all over again.
About The Author: Meshack Yobby knows first hand what it’s like for the average Kenyan in college. In his new column, College Life, he shares with us with his real-life and sometimes unbelievably comical experiences.
» Post Comment
» 4 Comments
1"GREAT!"
at Tuesday, 14 October 2008 12:47
Hey, I'm your number 1 fan. Keep on scribbling...
2"syker"
at Thursday, 16 October 2008 09:10
thats tru man.love your column
3Comment
at Thursday, 23 October 2008 07:15
wawawah thats well written n true.bravo man
4"Awesome"
at Sunday, 26 October 2008 09:06
Heh, dude this is my true testimony.A college guy's life has three stages Loaded-Downloaded and Broken.Money is an issue that every student seems not to mind about it i mean its either you have it or not.When you have its fun,when you dont have it, woe unto you.iMAGE too is dependent on this.Cheers man
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