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As a child, I loved to read and tell stories, but my older sisters failed to understand that all work and no play makes Delight a dull girl. 

Claiming that I was too bright a child, they couldn't let anything tamper with my academic performance; I was mostly indoors, shut away from the excitable world of childhood. It sucked, as it was almost impossible to be granted even a second to play with my mates. Other times, they turned me down immediately. I remember clearly how the conversation would flow. 

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” 

I'd grin proudly, revealing my missing set of dentition. “A journalist.” 

“Have you seen a journalist playing before?”

Whenever that question came, I knew what to expect. No play for that day. 

So it went that way. Day after day, the circle continued — from school to a house all locked up with loads of books to read. From reading to writing stories. Most times the day would end with me sleeping off on couches or the bare floor. And when I'd wake up, I'd find myself in bed tucked under the sheets. But by all means, I must read my book every day. The outcome was the beautiful termly results of end-of-session awards.

I was happy about my achievements as a child. But deeply, I envied my mates each time their loud, cheerful voices filled the compound. Countless times, I'd have to peep through the window to see how much fun I was missing. Every attempt to sneak out for a quick play often turned futile, with my sisters appearing like ghosts. 

On this fateful day, my sisters were out for a function. I knew from their discussion during breakfast that they would not be back anytime soon. I squealed inwards, mentally exploring how the day would unfold for me. 

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I joined Kathy, Tobi and Jewel to play the hide-and-seek game. At first, it wasn't easy to concentrate and enjoy the fun because my mind was consumed with fear. I had to speak to Kathy. 

“What if my sisters return now?”

Kathy's face broke into laughter, not something mocking, but close to it.

She reminded me. “I thought you said they won't be back until evening? It's still morning, so relax.”

She was right. The sun was still creeping slowly across the sky. My sisters would not be back until evening. I beamed, running along to fish out other hidden playmates. 

I had initially been caught, so automatically that became my turn. The game was simple. I would shout “hide!” and everyone would scamper into hiding corners. I would count up to ten in my mind before going on to search for them. Anyone who was first found would take over from me. 

“One... two... three...” I counted in my mind, making mental notes of the spots to begin from. I soon took off, bouncing on my toes to find my first prey. As if reading my thoughts, none was found in any of the places I imagined. Those kids must have masterminded the game because I went through something close to hell. 

I walked from one part of the uncompleted building to another. Neither Kathy, Jewel nor Tobi was in view. After almost giving up, I was about to leave a room when my eyes caught a familiar cloth peeking out of a heap of blocks. I paused and peered, smiling mischievously at the fellow who thought she was hiding from sight. Immediately, I called her out and she jumped in fear. 

“Yay!” I screamed. “I caught you!” 

Jewel came out, her face screaming defeat. 

“How did you know I was there?” 

“I told ya. I got some magic powers.” I replied and we both laughed. Together, we caught the other two and we all went outside to catch some breaths.
 
That day, we played until our bones creaked within. At noon, my sisters were still not back, but I felt I was too tired to go on. So I went back in.

Inside the living room, I lay on the three-seater couch with my exercise book in my hand. Although my eyes travelled from one word to another, I wasn't exactly reading, as my mind kept drifting to the just-concluded play. I'd had so much fun that'd last me a week, I beamed happily. 

My eyes returned to the book. This time, they were gradually becoming dim. I knew what was calling — sleep. The study was obviously far from me that day. With my vision growing dim and my mind slowly slipping into unconsciousness, I heard familiar feminine voices from a distance, full of laughter and chatter. My sisters were back. 
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