Image generated using Meta AIIf I hear 'peem' from that mouth of yours again, I will personally deport you back to the village—on foot!"Those were the words Mama Nkechi flung at her son one hot Wednesday afternoon in Odo-eran, her wrapper flagging like a warning flag as she pointed her cooking spoon in his face.

Image generated using Meta AIActually, the first time Adaeze saw the old man, she felt completely ill at ease—but immediately brushed it off as Lagos stress.She had just moved into Flat 9B of Obanikoro Heights, a name that made the crumbling three-story building sound far fancier than it was. The paint was peeling like dry fish skin, the water pipes wheezed like asthmatic old men, and the corridor and balcony lights flickered like horror movie extras. But the rent was cheap, and after house-hunting for two months, she considered the apartment a blessing.

Warm greetings to the ever-gracious @jane1289, our judge this week! I sincerely appreciate the thoughtful two-part prompt you have given us—those questions carefully and gently nudge us into reflecting on something deeply personal: as women, do we consider solo travel a form of "Me Time" and self care?

Image generated using Meta AI"This was definitely not part of the plan," I whispered, holding the mop like a sword. "Something just growled at me from the toilet; I'm sure of that."It all began on a perfectly boring Friday morning at Community Grammar School, Femi Ayantuga Crescent—an establishment so ancient that our science laboratory still had chalk outlines of frogs from 1995.

Image generated using Meta AIThe moment komolafe woke up that calm Saturday, he knew it was going to be a special day. He had ironed his joggers the night before, shaved his chest hair into the shape of a lightning bolt, and Googled "how to flirt while breathing heavily." Today was the Lagos City Marathon—and most importantly, today was the day he would finally impress Flourish, the girl of his dreams and the only woman who had ever borrowed his power bank and actually returned it fully charged.

Image generated using Meta AIWe often think weakness hides behind excuses. Sometimes, it hides behind silence, behind the mask of fear of disappointing others, behind laziness, or avoidance, without owning the truth. We've all heard them—those flimsy justification offered in the face of unmet responsibilities. "I was too tired," "I forgot," "something came up,"—apparently, these weak excuses seem harmless, even relatable. But beneath them lies a pattern that, if unchecked, might erode trust, accountability, and personal growth.