At this time, Prieto wasn't curious about their activities, as he was already fast asleep. All the rat came on a get together, feasting and running around competing for every last dropped down crumbs, they could take up. The crickets outside made their hissing midnight sound, in their thousands from the bushes at the backyard. The only sound anyone indoors in the village could hear, without making complain which comes as a result of a natural phenomenon. Strange bird flew over the tree's, making absurd noises. The only noise that could have been a disturbance to Prieto, if he had not fell asleep.
This activities, made up the entire moment of the midnight. Prieto woke up later by the midnight to take a pee, he was half awake. He walked through the parlour to the outside to urinate as usual, it was cold at that moment, and the wind was blowing heavily. He managed to curdle himself, at the effect of the ferocious wind. When he finished urinating, he quickly went back into the house, he by passed where is mother and brother was sleeping and head into the room. Lighting up the candle, he opened the cupboard at the entrance of the room, to bring out his bible. Prieto sat on the bed, adjusting himself to concentrate his face in between the chapters, of the holy book in his hands. He flipped through the new and the old testament, trying to find a verse he could use for prayers. It's seems as if non of the verses were appealing to him, he shuffled through the old testament again, wiping cold of his eyes.
This time the word came through, inspiring him at the recess of his soul. A particular verse appeals, "the plan of the heart belongs to man, but it's God that usher's his steps". At the entrance of the inspiring word on his mind, he knelt down on his knees asking God to guide his steps, through his journey to Jos the next day. He prayed to God in respect to where he was going, for the fear of the unknown happenings at a place far from home. Prieto's voice whispers in silence not to awake his mother from her sleep. He continued, making his supplication known to God in earnest desires to go to Jos and do well, and if possible, start a life that is meaningful and constructive there after his NYSC. This were the prayers transcending from Prieto, at the middle of the night. He opened another scriptural verse as his prayers got intense in engrossed form, he sited a verse "The Lord shall provide all my needs, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus". He placed more effort, knowing the mood he was in while he engaged in prayer, had been accompanied by the presence of God, in the room that same night.
Prieto was sure that the spirit of God was there. The candle burnt brightly, making a proper illumination in subtle flames. The inner walls of the room, threw back the light ray coming from the candle, making shadows to places that bearly catch the reflections. He made sure to get his assurance in prayers. The temperature of the room was mildly warmth from the heating effect of the lighted candle. Prieto was sweating! and feeling exhausted from the forceful excersice. He stood from his knees on the ground, and sat on the bed, trying to round up his prayers to God in assurance. When Prieto was satisfied, he placed back his bible into the cupboard and switched off the candle, which was standing on the table where Prieto's mother's metallic locker was on. He streched himself on the bed, flexing the muscles of his legs and arms in a mode to relief it tensile strength. He tried to close his eyes, for another section of sleep which was some few hours, to the breaking of dawn.
Prieto slept off still yet, this time he felt the refreshing side of the prayer excersice. At about 5clk, Prieto's mother woke up to quickly warm some food for his son, she made a white rice with stew, sauced with iced fish. She serve a portion for him to eat in the morning, before taking his leave and she put another portion of food, into a tight lided plates for his journey. " My son I need you to quickly go and have your bath, his mother said. " Don't go to the river, I need you to go to the reservoir at the backyard, where Neku fetch water to take some for your bath". Prieto said " he heard". He went there and took a bucket, which was beside the wall of the house at the backyard, he filled it with a bowel from the main reservoir, till it almost got to the brim of the bucket. Prieto carried the water in the bucket with his towel on, wrapped around his waist. He took the water to the back of the kitchen, at the banana plantation.
He unwrapped the towel from his waist, and applied some soap to the sponge in his hands, to scrub his body thoroughly. The sponge fumed and made lather all over his body, as he kept scrubbing his body part to wash away dirt, and sweaty precipitated deposit. He used the bowl inside the bucket with water, to take water and pour on his body to wipe off the fuming leather of already washed part, for pure appearance. Repeating the process of soap application to other part of his body, to complete his bathing. In the scrubbing and wipping process. He finished up his bathing, and took the towel to clean his wet body parts. He stretched his hands with the towel from this head to his feet. Mopping and damping his skin, on the texture of the cushion effect of cotton on the towel. He wrapped himself back from the waist, and carried the buckets back to where he picked it from. Then, Prieto went straight into the house, to get dressed for the trip. He dressed in a long sleeve shirt and trousers, stalking his sky blue shirt inside the black coloured trousers.
He wore a black Snicker to his feet, so he could appear smart in his walk. He managed to have his hair properly combed, the petroleum jelly did a good lubrication to his hair as it sparkle in good looks. Prieto went for the food on the table his mother already served. A hot plates of white rice, with a good stew. Prieto was excited, the Aroma from the stew and the fresh fished used in the preparation of the food, gave a pleasurable want on the food he was about to eat.