FIRST LOVE (episode 5)

I had gone on one of my usual futile search at the Cafe to c whether any miracle has happened about my post utme result. A miracle indeed happened, not about my post utme result but about something better.


I checked my choice school website and saw that the admission list had been released. I was so disappointed for what hope do I have in admission when my Exam is no where to be found. I decided to check the list, it was pasted by departmental order, I clicked on my department , I checked, I didn't c any name, i decided to check for the second time... lo! and behold my name was at number. 10....
I ran out of d Cafe, hitting a small girl in d process, she could go to hell at that moment for all I cared. I ran and ran until I got home, I stormed into the house in full speed, my mum who was in the sitting room, almost jumped out of her seat in fear. I must have been singing, a song Which I can't remember now..I broke the news to her, my dad also came out of the room, but he doubted me and asked me to go back to the Cafe to print the result.
It was at this point it dawned on me that I hard forgotten my phone and my balance.... my phone!!! my beloved phone....

 I had spent the later weeks after my admission was released preparing for Registration and university life. Therefore, I set to part with my family to face the real world. The world where it is every man for himself.
The journey to manhood thereby started from there. On the day of my departure, my dad had deceived my Mum so she could miss my departure. She had gone to buy some additional stuffs for me after my Dad promised to wait for her.Not quite few minutes after she left, my Dad hurried me to the car with my luggage. According to him,he did that to prevent a scene whereby my Mum would be crying as women are won't to when such situation manifests.
I already made friends with a student of the school via the social media. As a result of which I spent my period of registration squatting with him off campus. The first day of my registration was for collection of admission letter , followed my Medical examination, screening of credentials and finally registration of courses. To say the registration process was hectic is an understatement, in fact I've never witnessed such stress all my life. Worse still was my inability to speak Hausa, for almost everybody in that state speaks Hausa as their first language, unlike my dear Lagos where ur fellow Yoruba man will refuse to speak Yoruba to u, claiming it is 'official '.
It was after the registration that the 2011 general elections were conducted and for this reason, resumption date was postponed. The area that I lived was populated mostly by non-natives. There used to be an Igbo woman operating a very big shop. It was at the shop that I purchased whatever I needed.
On the day the election result was announced, an unusual calm rented the air, this suspicious calm infiltrated the early hours of the following day. My friend with whom I was residing had warned me that he was sure of violence and I should therefore watch my back.... Thank God I did for I wouldn't have been here to narrate the story.
On this particular day, I set out very early to submit the result of my X-ray . I boarded a taxi and logged in my Nairaland account. What I met on the front-page surprised me to say the least. There was a report of post election violence in Kaduna. bauchi and a few other northern states. This news sent chilly shivers across my spine, such that i almost peed on my pants. This was because I knew that it was only a matter of time before the bomb of violence explodes in my state.
The prophecy did come True for when I raised my head up, I saw people been forced out of their cars. Youths formed an assembly of violence and were burning.. burning anything burnable!!!
It happened rather too fast but I was faster!!!
 It happened too suddenly, I was flabbergasted, but I was more flabbergasted at my swift response which I can't even explain.

The violent thugs advanced towards our taxi, I wasn't aware of this until the windscreen was smashed with a heavy plank. Fortunately for urs truly, I was seated beside the door at the rear of the taxi which saved me from sustaining cuts from d debris of the smashed screen. My instincts immediately told me to flee. I pushed open the door beside me and ran as fast as the fear in me could carry me.
I must have ran over 3 kilometres when i stopped all of a sudden. I looked back and saw that no one was chasing me, i decided to catch my breath, when i did, i discovered i wad soaked in a pool of my own sweat,i surveyed the area and found that it was peaceful ,it was then i noticed a fire of thirst burning in my throat . I searched my pocket for my wallet, I could only feel an empty pocket, I searched d remaining 3 pockets even when I knew quite well that I couldn't have made a mistake of which pocket to slot the wallet.

Alas! I had lost my wallet, probably when i was running for my dear life. Luckily for me , i found 10 naira in the bosom-pocket of my shirt. I decided to buy water to quench my thirst, for at that point in time, it was the only panacea to regaining my sanity. I handed over the money to d old woman seated at the front of the shop and pointed to a bag of sachet water. She returned my money and told me 'pure water don become 20 naira o' !!!


"My God !!! How come common sachet water is now 20 Naira.how selfish can homo sapiens get?" i thought. It later dawned on me that there was nothing i could do. At that moment, i saw a group of ants passing by...and i was forced to envy them, for the ants lived in a free world unlike homo sapiens who have to pay for every thing ...even love.
I was soon reminded of my true predicament which was the fact that i had no money to transport my self back home. I looked around, everywhere was silent as a graveyard save for the sound of movement of police vehicles for the policemen had been deployed to nip the barbaric situation in the bud. I had no choice than to trek home, whenever i remember that day , i do wonder how i got such strength. I trekked for over four hours.
On my way home, i saw the extent of the damage that was done, i counted over 10 vehicles that were burnt. Shops weren't spared either. The particular one which really got to me, was the shop of the Igbo woman with whom i had become friends. Her shop was burnt completely..i was moved to tears for i was sure , the shop must have worth over half a million Naira...
 After the post-election violence had subsided, our resumption date was postponed by 3 weeks , this really tried my patience for the eagerness to become a bona fide university student in me was overkilling.
When we finally resumed, I completed my course registration and copied the timetable. It was during one of my visits to the office of the level coordinator that I met 'Mt ' ...'Mt ' would later be my best friend in the faculty.
The university itself is divided into four campuses, The Old campus hosts 3 faculties: faculty of Law, science and medicine. The new campus is the main campus as it hosts all administrative offices, including 6 faculties, the staff quarters, banks,staff secondary school and a hosts of other structures. The third campus is the University's teaching hospital which remains one of the biggest in Africa, while the last and the least is the campus for physiotherapy students. All structures in d school are painted with butter colour with occasional touches of brown colour.
Lectures began in no time, and I really enjoyed every bit of it with the enthusiasm of a fresher. The level 2 students at that time. most especially the science students would mock us with words 'Freshers semester ' 'Jew man ' and so on.
The hostel itself was nothing to tell mummy about, for it was so dirty and still is. The toilet system was so poor.
The challenge that actually faced me was that of food, since I was born, until my admission, I had never boiled water in my life....
above all, lectures went well and I kept making new friends from different tribe and I thought to myself, with time Funke's Love will be a in the book of history...
How wrong was I!!!!!!!