I am sure you must have heard that statement countless times and even had some experiences related to it.
My whole life has lived upon this statement that it has gotten to the point that I begin to see almost every disappointment as a blessing.
It all began in 2016, after I finished my secondary school and my plans was to travel to study abroad in the US in particular. I wrote SAT, Wrote TOEFL (Test for English as a Foreign Language). Then what was left was cool processing and that time, I had Lincoln University in Pennsylvania in my mind because my SAT score would get a Tuition free scholarship.
Then Suddenly, My father changed his thoughts to having me study abroad because he could not afford the travel expenses, my feeding and cost of living over there.
It pained me a lot especially when most of my friends left and I was the only one left behind to stay in Nigeria. For real, I cried on my bed silently.
I was pissed that my father changed his mind. I told my father I would work and study to help out in most of the fees but he still said NO. I had no other choice than to accept it like that since there is no other place or person I could look to. I accepted my fate in pain.
Unlucky me, I ended up being denied for admission in Nigeria that same year after getting over the required cut off mark to study my chosen course.
I went nuts. I didn’t know what I would do. It was like the whole universe were against me. It was like the universe didn’t want me to enter school that year. I stayed SAD for days on my bed, crying silently.
I ignored it and thought of many things about that message. I thought it could be scammers, I thought it could be true but would probably be a new school that’s looking for students and probably lack most facilities. So I didn’t think about it.
Another year came by, that’s the year 2017. I was thinking of taking another JAMB exam which is the exams we take over here to get admissions into any school in Nigeria.
But somehow, the thoughts of that message of my free admission started to pop in to my head for no reason. It started to disturb my thoughts so I told my mother about it.
She was like; Damilola (the name I am called at home) you received this message and you didn’t come to tell me. The message came in about 5 months before I told my mum about it.
Immediately, my mum said we were going to check out the school the next Monday because I told her about it on a Friday.
Next, She called my elder brother to browse about the school and check it on google maps to know where it was located because he would be the one to drive us there.
Monday came by, and we went together to check the school. Luckily, we found out that had not finished the section and that the admission was closing the next day.
As my mum heard this, she made sure I bought the registration that day and asked if we could come the next day to complete the registration and make other payments.
When I saw the money we were to pay for the tuition and other things. It was quite high but I could not say anything since it was not me that’s paying for it.
We went home thereafter and when we got home, my mum told my father about what happened but my dad said he didn’t have enough on him to pay for my tuition fees in the polytechnic.
When my mum heard this, the next day she went to remove all the money she had saved in her bank account. Thereafter, we went straight to the school to pay for everything I need to complete the registration that day since it would be closing that same day.
I was touched and surprised by the love I received from my mum. It was very touching seeing her going through all the stress for me. She made sure I finished my registration that day and made all the payments necessary.
During my registration, I wanted to pick Mechanical Engineering but my mum advised me to choose Electrical Engineering because that’s the course my father studied and the job he is doing now.
The school was having their exams the next month after; that was approximately 4 weeks time and I haven’t attended any lectures. That was what I was worried about most.
During the course of finding my way around the school that was how I got to meet @k-banti. Somehow, we vibe-d well became friends.
Meeting @k-banti is the reason why I am on Hive today. I may not be here:
- If my dad was capable to sponsor my travel to Lincoln University.
- If I had gotten admission to the University I chose in Nigeria.
- If I stayed longer from acting on the message I got about my free admission
- If my mum had no savings to pay for my school fees.
- If I never studied Electrical Engineering because that’s how I met @k-banti. We were in the same department.
- If Corona never happened because that was what brought be back to Hive when I left.
