Can I say that I was a laconic, tight-lipped, or reticent person?
During my school days, my coursemates used to say that I was taciturn. Mum, however, portrayed me as a loquacious or garrulous person.
When my boss saw me, she immediately accused me of deliberately pretending to be a silent person.
She told me point-blank, “Blabbers may babble, but you… you are a pretender.”
At that point, everything became clear to me.
They never knew that I was searching for a scholarship opportunity. The Erasmus Mundus Scholarship application was open, and I was wondering what I could do to be selected. I was even beginning to think that I did not deserve to study abroad.
Ever since I had been rejected from studying Medicine in Nigeria, I had been focusing on studying abroad and earning a great master's degree.
I had been rejected for scholarships time and time again, but I knew I needed to pull myself together. Someone even told me that I did not have a passport to begin with.
What about the money? I did not have that either. I watched my friends travel abroad to study while I remained here, struggling financially.
Travelling outside my immediate environment exposes me to different people and cultures.
This is where my thoughts and beliefs meet my aspirations. I was not always confident in myself, but I continued to pursue opportunities and give them a try.
God knows how He does it.
Mum knew who I was even before I became serious about securing a scholarship.
Because of my ambition, goals, and focus, I am always keen on doing my best. I read constantly, and sometimes, in the middle of nowhere, I find myself exploring possible solutions to problems in my mind. I do this to develop my imaginative skills and my ability to visualise and evaluate problems.
I just want to keep improving.
Without practice, there is no perfection, they say.
Although I can sometimes be pusillanimous, I also choose to fight when it comes to my goals and beliefs.
One Tuesday, my friend Ada called me and said, “Phamzy, I have been offered a scholarship to study in France!”
I was over the moon. We had been battling with scholarship applications for years. She also encouraged me not to give up but to keep fighting.
I said to myself, “I have to keep fighting for what I want. I won't give up.”
Alas, another October arrived. It was October 2025, and I applied for the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship once again.
This time, I had a rude awakening regarding my writing style. I immediately changed my approach, clearly stating how many times I had applied for the scholarship and explaining my application journey.
Three or four months later, I randomly checked my email. By then, I had almost given up hope of receiving a scholarship.
Then, emails popped up!
At first, I could not believe what my eyes were seeing. I had been selected!
I jumped up and banged the wall so hard.
“Ni bo!” I shouted.
It had always been my dream to study in Europe.
Now, my dream had come true.
Mama came rushing towards me. When she heard the bang, she initially thought I was under attack. However, when she saw how excited I was, she calmed down.
“I have seen it! Mama, I won!”
“Mama! Mama! Mama! I love you!”
Mum smiled and sang praises to God. Having heard the news, Dad joined in, adding another round of dancing and singing.
“Emi la ó ní yọ̀ sí, emi la ó ní yọ̀ sí, bí a ti fẹ́ kí ó rí náà ló rí!”
At that moment, I forgot all about the struggles.
I had an epiphany about the works of God. I said, “Indeed, only God understands everything a person goes through on this planet Earth.”
I also realised that we should never conclude that we cannot overcome our circumstances simply because of the situations we find ourselves in.
I immediately congratulated myself on the achievement.
Soon, I began gathering all the necessary documents, including those for my visa application.
My passport was ready, and I was eagerly making preparations for the journey.
I had never seen an aeroplane in my life, let alone travelled in one. I had never travelled beyond my immediate surroundings because of what we often refer to as a lack of money.
The Erasmus Mundus Scholarship opened my eyes to a whole new world, and here I was, getting all my travel materials ready.
I sat on the sofa, wondering what my flight would be like. I even studied my route on the map.
Mama did not want me to miss our Nigerian delicacies. She immediately bought a lot of them, mostly in dried form. I even had to remind her that I was only allowed to carry 50 kg of luggage. Otherwise, only heaven knows how much food I would have taken to France!
Mama, a French teacher who speaks the language fluently, never imagined that her son would soon be travelling to France.
Funny enough, I did not understand much French. However, I knew I would learn and adapt over time.
Mama, Papa, and my brother, Jibola, escorted me to the airport.
Jibola immediately said, “Phamzy, so you also want to join the Japa movement?”
“Ha! No, not like that, my brother. I am coming back soon,” I replied.
I could not control my tears, especially because I was parting from my parents for the first time.
My luggage and documents were checked at the airport. Soon, a bus transported the passengers to the aeroplane.
I looked at the plane and could hardly believe that this giant structure would carry me all the way to France.
Mama was staring at me, and so was everyone else.
I could not stop waving my hands. 👋
The pilot soon noticed me and asked, “Is this your first time on a plane?”
I answered in the affirmative.
She said, “The look on your face makes it seem as though you are leaving home for the first time.”
I simply giggled.
The pilot soon announced that we should fasten our seat belts because the plane was ready for take-off.
The plane sped down the runway like a mad dog. It was scary, and I could hardly believe what was happening. Gradually, its nose lifted, and I felt myself being pushed backwards into my seat.
Soon, the ground below began to look like a map, and I could see us flying above the clouds.
After several hours on board, the pilot announced that we had arrived in France.
I could hardly believe it!
We arrived at Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), and soon, I was able to make my way to the hotel I had booked earlier.
France! What a beautiful country!
The atmosphere, the buildings, and the topography were all different from what I was used to. The people of France were supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, but I missed home.
Thanks for reading.
Image is from Chat GTP.
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