100Please respect copyright.PENANA04wMABU3YjWHEN LOADSHEEDDING COOKED ME INSTEAD 😭100Please respect copyright.PENANA2mjckI65Qm
A STORY BY
MASIMBA JUNIOR MUTODZA
In this Zimbabwe, you don’t plan your day. ZESA plans it for you.100Please respect copyright.PENANATOWFCzI3UK
It was 6pm. I had just started cooking rice. Pot on the stove. Vibes were high. 100Please respect copyright.PENANAgIg0mGpV14
Then: _click_.100Please respect copyright.PENANAE7ZeX7KkTB
Darkness.100Please respect copyright.PENANABTtQNNEjyu
I waited. “It’s just tripping.” 100Please respect copyright.PENANANFoKA5Jrz4
30 minutes later. Still dark. Rice half raw. Stomach making noise.100Please respect copyright.PENANA8YnOnfa02S
I looked at the pot like it would apologise. 100Please respect copyright.PENANAEuGqA8cnr4
It didn’t.100Please respect copyright.PENANAAiUuayA7mw
So I did what every 2K does: I ate the crunchy rice and called it “al dente”.100Please respect copyright.PENANALnEX3QZsrF
My roommate came in, saw me chewing stones, and said: “Bro, even prisoners eat better.” 100Please respect copyright.PENANAtt1cgm7xu4
I said: “We are prisoners. Prisoners of ZESA.” 100Please respect copyright.PENANA7MkPGshjVn
He said: “Amen.” 100Please respect copyright.PENANAZu9NYPDN2p
I said: “AMEN!”100Please respect copyright.PENANAybYFc62Zs2
We sat in the dark, sharing cold matemba and trauma. 100Please respect copyright.PENANA4bIB1Hl4nj
Then my phone died at 3%. 100Please respect copyright.PENANAA2aPaydHdL
Then my powerbank was also dead. 100Please respect copyright.PENANAidyNPgcpoA
Then the neighbor started playing Jah Prayzah on a speaker.100Please respect copyright.PENANAyocWz6fTL5
We touched our empty plates and said: “This is the 2K diet… suffering with sound.” 100Please respect copyright.PENANAudhNyZUX8g
“AMEN!”100Please respect copyright.PENANAMxw1U52DI4
At 9:47pm the lights came back. 100Please respect copyright.PENANAOn0ds8RVck
The rice was still there. Cold. Judging me.100Please respect copyright.PENANAJ7MuNveSqf
My mother called later. “Did you eat?” 100Please respect copyright.PENANAnG1U83Fyvv
I said: “Yes mum. Rice.” 100Please respect copyright.PENANADHM1pno9HS
She said: “Good boy.” 100Please respect copyright.PENANA5EkZt4unU0
If only she knew.100Please respect copyright.PENANAOUFIAA5ymI
But to this day, whenever ZESA cuts power, my stomach automatically gets full… 100Please respect copyright.PENANAIJNuOta4Wr
From stress. 😭🍚100Please respect copyright.PENANACJNdb3r12k
ENDS100Please respect copyright.PENANAbBfy0nLfyG
WRITTEN BY100Please respect copyright.PENANA0Ne7tTfdgn
MASIMBA JUNIOR MUTODZA
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