One of the most interesting and anticipated holidays in a school calendar typically in Uganda is the third term holiday.
I do not know if it is because of the various activities and events, final examinations or just an ingrained mindset, the third term has in a way consistently been the shortest of all school terms.
Third term; most activity-filled term yet also most critical because it was also the term that informed your promotion to the next class. This meant your grades had to really pass the bar thus requiring you to put in the work.
The bee hive of activity exhausted both the students and the teachers by the end of the term in no light way. No to say that other terms were calmer; third term in itself had its own vibe.
At the end of every term, there was what was called 'Kiromo' at least for the traditional schools; other schools termed it differently. Kiromo was usually the day before the school broke off for holidays.
Kiromo was the day students consumed all their snacks, spent most of the upkeep money that they were given, and packed their belongings waiting for d-day when they would be picked up or go back home for the holiday.
Kiromo was also the day, for some when entertainment was organized by the school clubs and in other cases invited artists would be brought to entertain the students in celebration of the end of the term.
Unlike others, I found no strong reason to celebrate because typically by that time of the term, my wick was burnt to its end.
I literally had little strength to 'jubilate.' If I could and had the option, I would want to go home on Kiromo day itself.
It also did not make sense to have to keep your 'grab' as they called it; to mean the snacks you had been given to consume during the school term and then have to consume them one day. So was it with the upkeep. Honestly; by Kiromo day, most of the grab was either expored or aerated for taste.
The essence of the upkeep and grab was to be evenly consumed during the term sustainably to have a somewhat bearable experience during the term and also not to starve.
Many students hardly even slept on Kiromo, some had rolled up their mattresses as early as the morning time, boxed their belongings and stayed up the night of Kiromo till morning sharing what they would do during the holiday, some contemplating excuses they were going to give their parents for the performance in the term, for most it was excitement upon excitement; holiday had finally come.
Just like the day itself, the night of Kiromo was also very short, a whirlwind of packing, laughter, conversations, and meditations and shortly indeed, the break-off day had come to finally go home for holiday where my focus, where my mind, soul and body longed for. Home sweet home.