For some reason my dad didn't believe the admission letter I was holding before him was true. The tertiary institution that offered me admission was one of the best universities in Nigeria, and rumor holds that only students whose parents had connections or have a high position in the country get enrolled. I had traveled from Niger state to Abuja to share with him this good news but his countenance showed disbelief, trying to force a smile on his face. "Go and show your uncle" was the only thing he said. My uncle was a graduate who was privileged to have other certificates others didn't, he was known to look into matters critically and decipher which was true and which was false. By asking me to go meet him, he was expecting my uncle to check the authenticity of the admission letter I was holding.
"Congratulations" my uncle said after scrolling through the admission letter.
"The registration date is closing next month," I told them and they all agreed to source funds for it.I traveled back that same day with everything that had transpired playing through my mind. My dad didn't seem happy about the admission and was doubtful at the same time. The funds weren't the problem, this I knew clearly, he was working in a firm that pays well and his brother was one of the wealthiest people in Abuja at that time, and my dad had so many landed properties in Abuja, so the money wasn't his problem. Not wanting to dig too deep and worry myself with my thoughts, I decided to wave the thoughts away.
A few days to the deadline for the registration, I called and informed him and he responded positively, asking me to tell him how much I'll be needing in total, which I did. A day to the deadline, there was no response from him, on the exact date, no response from him. I had no choice but to source for funds myself from the money I was supposed to use for rent and feeding given to me by my mum(who was no longer married to him) to pay for the registration. A week later I didn't hear from him, even after matriculation, he was still silent. It was at that moment the thought of his disbelief flashed back, maybe he wasn't happy that I was furthering my education, maybe he wanted me to end with a Senior school certificate just like he did. The pain of his disappointment started to pierce through me and I could feel my skin hurt. If I had paid for my rent and bought some food already, I'd have lost the admission because I was expecting him to play his fatherly role. He acted alright only to remain mute at the end knowing fully well that money was never his problem. I had to cope, but I learned never to expect anything, not even from your biological parents.
