When I saw this prompt, I settled down and began to think deeply to see if I could single out any of these things that people have been writing about the benefits they enjoyed as students. I narrowed down, trying to navigate to all the common ones, such as the benefit of a weekly or monthly salary from parents, the freedom to have many girlfriends, endless partying, etc. I found out that I didn't really get involved with all these.
Nevertheless, I still have one benefit that I enjoyed so much that, without being a student, I doubt if I would have been opportuned. That benefit is freedom from farm work
I grew up under the care of my parents with many siblings in a rural setting where farmwork was our major source of livelihood. Food wasn't our problem for any day because we have a big farm with multiple crops such as maize, yam, cassava, iron beans, pepper, and others. In fact, when most families will be crying over the high cost of feeding, we will be cooking in excess, eating, and throwing away the leftovers.
In all these cases, the big farms were totally dependent on our manual labor.
Because it's our only means of survival, my dad made it a must for everyone to get involved in the hard work. We would go to the farm from Monday to Saturday during school holidays (high school), and during school sections, Saturdays are a must for the farm. Most times, we would come back from school in the afternoon and report to the farm via motorcycle or bicycle.
At a particular time, I and my siblings became tired of the everyday farm work, even though we were used to it already. That's the moment we began to buy the idea of spending school holidays at an uncle's house in the city just to avoid the farm. Unfortunately for me, I don't like the idea of moving from my parent's house to another place, so whenever my siblings go on holidays, I will stay put and, yes, be doing the farm work.
When I graduated from high school, I was so happy that I was finally leaving my father's house and his farm, but the process of securing admission dealt with me, which prolonged my stay at home for a while before finally gaining admission.
Omo! When I left for school, my real skin color came out. My skin color began to glitter because I was no longer hurting my light complexion with the hot sun while working under it.
Whenever people are rushing home for a break, I stay behind, and my friends would think I have enough money to sustain me, but they don't know that my reason is far beyond what they're thinking.
The most loving part is that, once you're away from home, my dad doesn't disturb you again or beg you to come home for farm work. He even likes it when you don't come at all because he doesn't like his children to be lurking around in the village.
So that was it; that's the only thing I enjoy about being away from home as a student.
With this article, you'll know that I'm never an ajebo and I have unimaginable strength for farm work (till today), even though I don't look like it... afterall the muscle of a man is in the innerman. Na me talk am
Thanks for reading.
This is my entry to the Week 79, Edition 03 of the Weekly Featured Contest in Hive Learners Community.
