University life! It’s a rollercoaster of late-night study sessions, caffeine overloads, and those awkward romantic encounters that make you question your life choices. Let me take you back to one of my most memorable varsity moments—a saga that involves a rapper, a bottle of Vitamin Water, and an unforgettable night at the Motheo TVET College Freshers Ball
Picture this: I was casually sipping on my favorite strawberry-flavored Vitamin Water when Mr. Popular Hip Hop Artist (yes, a rapper) dropped a bombshell. “I love that you love God,” he said, “but can you stop posting about it on social media?” Cue the dramatic pause. I had two options: hurl the Vitamin Water in his face or just walk away. Obviously, I wasn’t going to waste my precious Vitamin Water on this guy. So, I strutted away, leaving him to ponder his social media strategy without me but this made me feel a certain way about my faith in God and being a church girl, Am I not cool enough? maybe I should start experimenting… A rapper made me feel like I need to experiment, How did that happen?
Fast forward three months to a chilly June Friday, I had moved on from my love interest and found another, A DJ this time, something was really wrong with my choices, and the pressure in varsity was no joke, I came up with one of the lamest ideas of my life, and I ran it pass my friends. We decided it was time to let our hair down and attend the Motheo TVET College Freshers Ball. Now, Motheo TVET had a reputation for being the wild child of colleges, and I, being the responsible intern in the Marketing and Communications Department, had VIP access. Perks of working while studying part-time, you know?
So, armed with VIP tickets, my friends and I were ready to conquer the night. Little did I know, this was the night I would lose my alcohol virginity to a bottle of Savanna. Let me tell you, friends, nobody warned me that you shouldn’t chug alcohol like it’s water. And another thing, nobody informed me about the “less is more” fashion memo. While I was bundled up in layers to stay warm, the other girls looked like they missed the winter memo entirely, I felt like a nun, it was quickly starting to feel like a night of regrets but I have to suck it up, since I wanted to be “cool” and make wild memories… and this was my idea.
Our night began with hair and makeup sessions that only nerds like us could pull off (we looked like happy clowns). We arrived at the Freshers Ball, and after completing my intern duties, I joined my friends in a circle of classmates. To ditch my shy demeanor, I decided to down that Savanna as fast as I could. Not the smartest move, considering it was bought with grocery money (oh, the sacrifices we make).
Soon, I was everyone’s best friend, smoking hubbly (which I later found out I was allergic to—hello, massive headache and racing heart!). Did I stop? Of course not. The night turned into a blur of dancing, singing into imaginary microphones (a.k.a. our alcohol bottles), and becoming the life of the party. Ciara had nothing on my dance moves, folks I was on fire, we were on fire, the Old Grey’s Rugby field was on fire but still, the more I sip on this Savanna, the more I feel like I am betraying the holy Spirit, remember I had never went out partying and I had never been around so many drunk and high people and instead of enjoying the moment, the holy spirit is dealing with me severely, did I stop? No, my 21 year old mind figured I needed to drink more so that I dont hear the spirit trying to guide me…in other words, I suppressed the holy spirit.
As the night wore on, a guy suggested I sit down and drink water (wise words). My late friend Onele (rest in peace, mate) brought me food. I attacked that chicken like it was my last meal, bones and all. After my feast, I became an emotional wreck. Missing my then-boyfriend, I called him, demanding he pick me and my friends up. Cue the waterworks when he suggested a cab instead.
Amidst all this, my friends Tumi and Monde started fighting. I don’t remember why, but in my drunken mind, Monde was clearly in the wrong. The night descended into chaos. Yet, right when things seemed out of control, I felt a divine nudge to leave. Thank God, my then-boyfriend picked us up, and after a tearful ride home, he dropped everyone off and gently told me, “This is not you. You have to do better.”
The next morning was a scene straight out of a comedy-drama. My mother had left a string of missed calls, and apparently, I had called her in my drunken state, promising to make her proud before breaking into sobs. When she asked if I was drunk, I did what any good child would do—I lied. “No, Mom, just emotional because school is tough.”
To top it all off, I developed a rash from my nicotine allergy and had a nosebleed. My face swelled up like a balloon, and I felt like death warmed over. That Monday, I failed an exam I hadn’t studied for. The shame and guilt of trying to fit into a crowd that wasn’t me weighed heavily on my conscience. That night I tried to blend in by downing alcohol, but it only led to conviction and a realisation that I couldn’t escape the truth I knew. I didn’t have fun, not 1 bit, every change God had to poke me, HE DID!!!!!! Gods voice has so much authority that you can hear Him even when the DJ is doing his thing, the music is never loud enough
In the end, I knew the wild life wasn’t for me. The conviction hit me like a ton of bricks, and I found myself apologizing to God endlessly. The streets just weren’t my scene…I tried it, I really tried and the whole time everyone was having fun, I was dodging the holy spirit, I was pretending, I enjoy nothing that night but the chicken I ate to sober up, I don’t even want to think about what could have happened that night because I wasn’t drunk, I WAS A MESS and the thought that I consciously made the decision to be reckless made me feel stupid, I HATE FEELING STUPID.
I knew that this life is not for me, I wasn’t happy the whole night, I was pretending until I got my mind to believe that we are having fun, believing my own lies. Honestly I would rather be at my place, watching movies and painting my nails, but I was cold, drinking liquid that taste bad and the queue at the bathrooms was annoying, very long, I hated it. I hated the lights that were flashing, I hated the smoke that I was inhaling, I hated the guys who saw that we were chemically off balance and still tried to steal kisses and get us to leave with them. I hated that we couldn’t sit down and relax, I hated that my social battery kept running out so I drank some more, and once drunk, I hated myself.