For Such a Time as This
If you read the bible a lot or you are very familiar with bible stories, then the above title should ring a bell😅. Those were some of Mordecai's words to Queen Esther when the Jews were faced with a threat that would lead to their total annihilation.
Now how does this relate to me?
Let's back track to July 3rd, 2022. It's a cool Sunday evening and I am heading downstairs to take a shower. I'm in the bathroom and I turn on the shower expecting the water to warm up after a few seconds like it always does🤷🏿♀️. But I'm met with a big shocker. The water never warms up and I'm left with no choice but to use rather cold water to bathe 😒.
After what I would call one of the most unpleasant baths, I head up back to my room. On my way, I see a notice on the wall of my dormitory that reads, "From 12 noon July 3rd, to 12 noon July 8th, there will be no hot water." I was in shock. Five days???? Such short notice? What do these people take us for? I wonder🥲.
What was I going to do? I had to take a shower everyday. I still had to go to the hospital for practice the coming week. There would be no excuses as to why I can't come.
Fast forward to Monday evening, I'm on the phone with my church Chapel Leader, Sir Tejiri and my very good friend, Delight. (And yes, I had to use cold water earlier that morning to have my bath). I laid down my woes in the most dramatic way possible and as quickly as I voiced my complain, even more quickly a solution was proffered (one I hadn't yet thought of).
It's mid-afternoon Tuesday and I am standing in front of room 91. My friend, Rayana lives here. I kindly ask her for her bucket and she lends it to me. I come back to my room (room 82) and I open my wardrobe and take out a box 📦. Herein laid my "Queen Esther."
Now, I've been in St. Petersburg for over 7 months and one of the first things I bought when I came was an electric kettle(thanks to my good friend, Damola). But I later found out that I would not be needing it, owing to the fact that our dormitory kitchens, each had a thermoflask. So, since November 2021, my electric kettle has been locked up in my wardrobe. I didn't really have any use for it and I did have thoughts to sell it(thank God I didn't sell it).
Where were we? Yes, mid-tuesday. So, I took out my electric kettle and boiled water with it. I turned the hot water into the bucket I had borrowed, got everything else I needed for a bath (especially a bailer) and headed down to the bathroom. And the rest is history.
All the time, I was grateful I had bought the electric kettle, perhaps, for such a time as this!