Headmaster Meticulous Methodical (MM) was a no-nonsense man, renowned for his financial discipline and obsessive attention to detail. At assembly, he stood rigid, his hawk-like gaze sweeping over the sea of pupils and teachers. Beside him loomed his deputy, Sweet Narrow Mango, a woman whose entire philosophy revolved around discipline. Together, they sent shivers down spines.
With a guttural voice, MM called for order and instructed the pupils to sing a single stanza of the kingdom’s anthem. Ever the clown, Comical Taboo took it upon himself to lead, despite having a voice that could make a choir resign. After a moment’s hesitation, the crowd belted out in perfect rhythm:
“Kingdom of load shedding!”
And that’s when the anthem fell apart.
MM bellowed, trying to salvage the moment. “Victors in the Struggle!”
But Corn Areas quickly sweetened the line. “Proud and Free!”
Then, the newly appointed Commissioner Car Jobber—still carrying the humiliation of Katete like a badge—timidly muttered, “Land of Work,” though his tone betrayed neither work nor joy.
Jack-of-All-Trades stood in silent contemplation, while Agriculture Induna, Mute or Roll, hesitated. Wasn’t he the one who let Come Audit Us company turn the fertilizer industry into chaos? Hadn’t viral images of kingdomers sharing fertilizer in Pamela’s exposed the mess?
Among the teachers, Peel Rattle—infamous for his peeled reputation—stood tight-lipped beside the sharp-tongued Roller Meat and the ever-legalistic Cars On Day. Professionally gagged, they watched as Senior Teacher Silver Mass, a key player in the kingdom’s bungled procurement of drugs, shifted uneasily.
Then came the crescendo.
As the assembly unraveled, opportunistic pupil Cheap Earns, who openly lobbied to be head boy, raised his voice above the chaos.
“Power, power, power!”
The assembly erupted into a deafening chorus – power is gone, power is gone!
MM’s face froze. Sweet Narrow Mango blinked in horror.
For the first time in history, discipline had lost—to load shedding.
