It was a bright and sunny afternoon, and the music was so loud that I thought to myself, "Why are these people disturbing the neighborhood?" I walked up to a young man I saw by the roadside to ask him what was going on in Mr. Bassey's compound. He replied, "His son just graduated from the university." Mr. Bassey is a friend of the mind. I have known him for 15 years now.
Source
John is the first son of Mr. Bassey. He is 6 feet tall, dark, with curly hair, and his blue eyes are noticeable for everyone to see. We kept wondering how he got those blue eyes.
John has always struggled academically, right from his primary school days.
I remember some of his teachers coming to meet Mr. Bassey and advising him to withdraw John from school. They advised him that John should rather go and learn a skill because it would be better than wasting money on school fees.
I remember one afternoon when John came from school and cried. I asked him, "John, what is the problem?" and he replied, "Some pupils called me a dull boy." This became a recurring event. Even some adults on our street would make fun of the poor boy. At some point, Mr. Bassey had thought of withdrawing him. I remember on one occasion he said, "I am tired of wasting my money on this boy." I told him not to give up and that all he could do was encourage his son and also help him in his studies.
John struggled through primary school, and it was hard for him emotionally. His classmates were three classes ahead of him. One day John told his father he didn't want to go to secondary school. His father asked him why, and he replied, "I don't want to be laughed at."
Well, he was right; he would be older than all his classmates. He was a tall boy, and the disparity in his body build would be noticed, and that could be used against him. Mr. Bassey talked to John and told him, "Life is not a race but a marathon." He explained to John that "in life, everyone cannot move at the same pace."
This was the turning point in John's life. He was determined to do better.
John improved academically; he became an average student, and some people who knew his story were shocked. One bright Saturday morning, I saw John going into the bookstore, and I was happy because that was a sign that he really wanted to improve. When he came out, I asked him, "John, which book did you buy from the store?" He replied, "You have a brain, by Ben Carson." I was stunned. I had heard about the book but hadn't read it at the time. At that moment, I became so interested in the book.
John graduated from secondary school with a good grade; at least among the 100 graduating students, he was among the top 20 students. There was a drastic improvement, and everyone was happy for him.
I walked into Mr. Bassey's compound, and it was crowded. I saw John, and I congratulated him. John said to me, "Sir, I graduated with a First Class and am the overall best graduating student." I was so happy, and I hugged him. I whispered to him, "I am proud of you." I could see the happiness on his parents' faces, and I definitely knew they were proud of him. It was worth the celebration after all.
John is now working with one of the multi-national oil companies in Nigeria, and he is doing well for himself. Nobody remembers him as the young boy who everyone thought would amount to nothing in life.