The only parents in my vicinity who haven’t enrolled their wards into Thomas High School are those who cannot afford to pay the school’s exorbitant fees. It’s the biggest school in the entire community and is popular for its success in the West African examinations and the good facilities they use in educating students.
“Baba Lade, let’s try our best to enroll Lade into Thomas High School so she can pass her West African examination like her peers as well,” Mama Lade with her husband were resting on their brown bed frame and she seized the opportunity of the good time to tell him about enrolling their ward into the best school in the area.
“But you know we cannot afford it. Don’t worry, she will pass the examination in her current school. If she reads well, she will definitely pass,” Baba Lade who’s a common danfo (yellow bus) driver on the streets of Lagos is fully aware that he can’t afford to pay the school fees.
His disagreement to his wife’s proposal caused a big issue in the house. They no longer eat together nor sleep in the same room anymore.
They both want the best for their child Lade, but to Mama Lade, she’s the only one who means well for their kid.
It was almost resumption time after the summer holiday. Mama Lade rose at the crack of dawn and head to a micro finance bank with her best friend, Eberechi in the community.
They both want to take their children to the best school in the community and their aim at the micro finance bank was to take some loan from them so they can enroll their kid into Thomas High School.
“Why do you need this loan, ma?” As the most important question which the finance manager of Lapo micro finance bank threw to them, Mama Lade started stumbling over words. She was confused but with the help of Eberechi, they both lied that they wanted to run a business and they were given the loan.
“What! Where did you get the money to pay this exorbitant school fee? How did you get it? Is there another man somewhere who’s giving you money?” Baba Lade who’s never raised his voice at his wife yelled for the very first time.
“Baba Lade, I just did what you cannot do. You’re a lazy father and I’ve found a solution to getting the money!” the noise was so much in their apartment that it caused an old woman, popularly called Maami Agba came to intervene.
Time flew by so fast and the examination time was here. Even though Baba Lade wasn’t in support of the school Lade was enrolled into, he did his best by employing an extra lesson teacher to help her with her studies.
“Mama Lade!!! Come out oh. There is a problem, Eberechi banged on the door. There was a big problem because she has never done such.
“Relax now. Why are you shouting? I was washing my clothes in the bathroom and I almost slipped on the floor. What is it?” putting her hands by her waist, Mama Lade asked.
“I passed the front of our children’s school now and heard them begging someone. I was curious so I decided to ask. Then, a parent said that the school was caught helping the students during the examination. Now, the school has been locked up and charged for examination malpractice while the students examinations will not be valid,” Eberechi spoke through tears.
“Haaaaa! What will I say to my husband? He warned me ohh,” while talking, Mama Lade’s phone rang. It was her husband. She guessed he heard what happened at their child’s school. She ignored his call countless times till they all got home at night.
“They have enough facilities. The students pass their examinations. You’re a lazy father,” Baba Lade jokingly mimicked the words his wife said to him when she was about enrolling their child into Thomas High School.
“You see now that all that glitters is not gold. The fact that it is a big school doesn’t mean that they are better than the rest and it’s sad that they are engaging their students in examination malpractice. Can’t they write the exams by themselves?” Baba Lade wasn’t done talking when they heard a knock at the door.
The workers at Lapo micro finance bank was here. Mama Lade’s due date for loan repayment was two days ago but she has refused to pay which caused an embarrassment for she and her family.
Al last, Baba Lade got his wife out of trouble and helped her pay up the loan. This costed Lade, their child an extra year at home before writing the examination.
From that point on, Mama Lade never disobeyed her husband and she believed that not everything that glitters is gold.