It was just like yesterday when I went to meet my pastor few months after we came back from Ghana for our matriculation(if you know, you know), God bless you pastor Kumapayi of Kingdom of Glory, Abeokuta.. So I said to him:
Sir, I am tired of this school and I think I wanna get another jamb form.. His response was just what did God say about it? Have you sought him concerning this? Ah! Yes daddy I’ve prayed about it and even though I didn’t hear him say go and obtain jamb form, I have an inner peace about the decision sir.. It’s alright then, God be with you my dear was his response..
So I got back to my abode, God bless Mrs Sunday-Apata Susanah, may your labour of love be rewarded beyond measures.. I was totally torn between telling my family about my decisions or just doing it codedly.. Biko after 4yrs of writing jamb and two times ignoring a course I didn’t like and then I finally got to study in University of Education, winneba Ghana, Abk annex.. How do I tell them that I wanna leave that something something came up? Chai! I became more confused.. But then, this God gave me inner peace na so all must definitely be well.. But I really could not believe I kept all these a secret sha… Then I enquired about jamb and I was told it would close in two day’s time.. Hmm! Should I now quit in 200l? So I wee now start again? Ah! Oluwa what will happen to me now? After serious struggles and battle within me, I decided to get the jamb form and so I took a step further. On getting to the registration center, the guy told me it would close in 30mins.. Lobatan! Oluwa, aa ma jo so bayi sa.. First semester Examination is about to start in my school and I did not bother to pay for the session since I knew I wasn’t gonna stay so why waste money? Errrrm! I’ll be back, I stammered and left for the ATM..
Getting to the ATM stand, the queue there was enough to tell somebody “you’re finished”.. 30mins for jamb form to close? Se temi o wa bami bayi? Finally I got to withdraw and went back.. Getting there, the guy told me that he just sold the last form.. Ah! Guy you have to unsell that form because I have to get that form.. He laughed so loud that I thought he was mad..
Then he placed a call and finally we got a form for me.. Long story cut short, I registered and made sure everything was in Abeokuta(Abk) to avoid any form of suspicions from people at home.. After registering and getting Funaab as my exam center, I decided to leave school to go and work to at least make more money since I knew I was on a jungle journey with no one to turn to, after all na coded package for now.. Mrs Wemimo Daniel(Colwem Int’l School), God bless you Ma.. She really helped me in terms of fund before resigning and leaving for Abk.. Mrs Sunday Apata, I haven’t said this enough God bless you for me ma.. So why am I thanking this woman, she was my landlady.. She didn’t know me from Adam yet she housed me and so she literally became my school mother.. She barely stayed in the house because she owns a school so I take care of the house and keep the house in order.. I summoned up courage to explain my situation to her and she offered me a job in her school.. Ah! Getting to Jogem, I was so welcomed that it felt like they’ve been expecting me even before I came around.. I started teaching at jogem, was earning token, got free accommodation and feeding.. Isn’t that lovely? God bless you Mr Sunday Apata sir for believing in me and for trusting my strengths.. You never requested for a cv or application letter and you just employed me based on the report and recommendations your wife gave you that I was an excellent teacher.. The time you even requested for application letter, we all knew it was just for the record of it.. God bless you sir.
Jogem became my second home.. So, in a bit to avoid talks and unnecessary yarn from coursemates and lecturers, since I was the asst class rep I just explained tomy course rep why I was leaving.. I started teaching in jogem and one day Kunle came around.. Kaey like I fondly call you, God bless you for me and you know I love you.. Kaey was a 500l student of forestry and wildlife management of Funaab and after meeting him that day, we all slept in the same room(Mummy fortune, Kunle, fortune and Myself) and we talked till we slept off.. Thanks for our talk Kaey.. Jogem is a home for many so people come and gather together and then go.. It is also a school..
So while teaching in Jogem, I totally forgot I had become a Jambito.. My examination was slated for May 20 and on May 16, I just remembered I had exam in May but couldn’t remember if it had even passed.. The kind race wey I take rush go look for my slip was so scary to my students.. Ah! Yes I was teaching them chemistry and maths and Basic science in Jogem… So when I saw that my exam was on the 20th of May, I heaved a sigh of relief and placed a call to Kaey that I needed where to pass the night for my exam in his school.. He said no problem and that was it..
All the while, I never even carry book say I want to read for any exam o, which kind student I come be self? Within that 3 days to my exam, I sha was just staring at books with no idea of what to even do with it.. I spoke with my boss that I needed to go write my exam and they both(Mummy $ Daddy Apata) prayed for me and off I went.. Getting to funaab that evening, kaey took me to where I’d pass the night.. God bless you Esther for hosting me that night.. I enjoyed the rice.. So I slept and went for my examination the following day, that time made it the 5th Jamb… I no be Olodo oo, na just situation wey pass my hand.. It was computer based and so time waits for no man.. I was pressed during the exam and I just had to ease myself.. I beckoned on the invigilator to explain myself and she asked “do you realise the time will keep ticking?” I smiled and said I’m aware but I really can’t help it.. Naso she carry my matter put for head oo saying that she cannot allow me.. I just gave her the piece of my mind saying “is like you want all the computers in this hall to stop working abi?” You go fear prophetess na, all the computers in my hall just stopped working and the next thing she said was “madam you can go please”.. That must have been my daddy at work I said and went to ease myself.. Immediately I got back to my seat, the computers came on and everyone was staring at me as if they had just seen a ghost… Baba God you’re just too much.. Few minutes later, I submitted and I almost fell because the stares were annoyingly inconveniencing me as I walked out.. The invigilator just said bye ma..
So I got back to my place of work… All the while my parents didn’t know I’d left school oo.. In fact no one knew expect my younger brother.. Kai! I love you so much my Boo-boo kitty.. When it was in the evening and I hadn’t seen my results, I switched off my phone saying I would be the first to see my results even if na rubbish I get, e pay me make I see am first.. So I slept off with one mind. Exactly 2:20am, I woke up and switched on my phone.. There and then a text came into my phone..
“congratulations, your aggregate score is…… ”
I just closed the message saying even if na 0, no be congratulations una go talk? Adenike had joined me in Jogem by now since first semester examination was over.. Oh! Adenike and I are just two musketeers oo and we were just twins that followed each other about… So she turned and saw me soliloquising and asked what the matter was.. Then she encouraged me to open the message and long story cut short, I got 220.. Ghen.. Ghen… I made it oo was my utterance.. We hugged each other so well and went back to bed. In fact, I couldn’t sleep much but was just waiting for the day to break.. If you were in my shoes and took such risk, you’d understand better. To leave my school without getting admission yet in another school was the most foolish thing I ever did.. But God uses the foolish things of this world to comform the wise was just my testimony…
What happens next?
story continues shortly
For enquiries and comments, reach me on abigaelibikunle@gmail.com.