My most embarrassing experience happened a when I was a grade 9 student. In those days, my biggest dream was a red hat like the one my pop star idol wore in her video clip.

My father knew this, so on my birthday he gave me some money so that I could buy the hat for myself. I got on the bus and sat down next to a schoolboy about my age. After a while, I turned round and noticed that the boy’s schoolbag was open. Inside it, I saw a wad of dollar notes exactly like the ones my father had given me. I quickly looked into my own bag - the notes had gone! I didn’t want to make a fuss, so I decided just to take my money back from the schoolboy’s bag, without saying a word about it.

With the money I bought the pretty hat of my dreams. When I got home, I showed it to my father. My father asked me how I could buy the hat when the money was still at home. I was so confused at that time.