Surviving the Age of Darkness

2026-03-18 - 03:00

I am not sure whether I just survived a harrowing experience due to battery-low brilliance or bawling bravery, but staying sane when the power’s been out for eight days takes guts. Mind you, if it wasn’t for a Power Outage Support Group, I am sure a lot of residents here would have considered setting the municipal building on fire. After the huge storm hit our town, the electricity went on a sabbatical and, unbeknownst to us, we entered a new era: The Age of Darkness, which is a lot less glamorous than the movies made it out to be. I now know more or less what cavemen felt like, relying on fire, and candles, but with a modern twist: the torch app on my phone (until it dies, of course). I never knew one could get fed up with braaiing. Not to mention the showers that were cold enough to unlock spiritual powers, whereafter I emerged gasping, and sometimes swearing loudly. Admittedly, I did rediscover ancient technologies, like books – the original Netflix. And board games: the original therapy. Or staring blankly at the wall: the original social media. My phone battery turned into a sacred relic. I become strategic. WhatsApp was used only for emergencies. No videos. No doom-scrolling. And no Candy Crush. Dark mode became my new best friend. The fridge game drove me bonkers. ALSO READ: Life inside a neighbourhood ecosystem Fridge game? Yes. A simple game: Open fridge, sniff item, scream, close fridge. Repeat until emotionally defeated. That yoghurt? Living its best life. That cheese? Sentient. And dinner suddenly became “creative mystery stew”. After eight days without power, my hair took on a personality of its own. It joined a hair union where brushing became a suggestion and cleanliness a rumour. However, I did learn to celebrate the small victories. A candle that lasts longer than expected: Olympic achievement. Phone hits 15%: pure euphoria. Someone posts that maybe power will return tomorrow: tears of joy. You know, surviving eight days without electricity is not just a challenge; it’s a mindset. A bizarre, smelly, slightly feral mindset. But take heart: when the power finally returned, I appreciated things I once took for granted: lights, Wi-Fi and the blessed hum of the fridge. When this happens to you, fellow electricity-deprived warriors... stay strong. Oh, and never, ever look directly at yourself in a mirror lit only by candlelight. It’s not worth the trauma. NOW READ: Surviving a flying cockroach and living to tell the tale