When Monique gained admission to the University of Lagos to study building technology, she was all over the world that her dream of becoming a building engineer was coming through. Her classmates had boasted of venturing into medical courses, pure sciences, computer and software engineering and so on. As a science student, she was very sure there are a lot of careers to choose from. But since her interest was in building architectural design and construction, she was sure to have a reputable job after graduation.
Throughout her studies in the university, she made sure to have good grades. Hence, her social life in school was not one to reckon with. Monique lived a triangular life. Her movement in school was from her hostel to the lecture theatre to the fellowship and back to her hostel. She was determined to make a first-class so that she wouldn't have to queue up for a job after University education.
You never can predict what life has in store for you. Monique is skeptical about the kind of places she went to and the friends she kept. In her department, she was known to be more an observer and serious-minded student, one not to be toyed with.
In Nigeria, after graduation from the university, there is a one-year compulsory service to the nation where graduates serve their motherland and are posted to a new region for the period, basically for acculturation because of the heterogeneous nature of the Nigerian society.
Hence, Monique went to observe the one-year compulsory national service in Jalingo, in northern Nigeria where she met a one-eyed guy, Manuel. He became blind in one eye after an encounter with a black cobra (a venomous snake, usually of black color). Manual made Monique laugh so much that during the first three weeks at the orientation camp in Jalingo, they were always seen around each other, and Monique chose to be with him because he was humorous. Monique jokingly name him One-eyed Manuel. That name stick for the period they were at the orientation camp.
The one-year national service ended sooner than it began and all corps members went back to their homes. Some lucky corps members were retained in their places of primary assignment after the one-year compulsory service. Monique was lucky to be one of them but she rejected the offer because life at Jalingo was crude. There were no pipe-borne water, electricity, and good medical center in case of emergency.
On her return to Lagos, Monique started job hunting. She attended several interviews and waited to be called to pick the job but the calls never came. After six months of waiting and being jobless, she decided to give in to teaching in a private school where the pay is about $100 per month. It was the greatest decision of her life but she had to accept the offer.
Her passion for building or constructing houses never burned down. And now that she has accepted to teach, she tried all best possible but it seemed she was not meant for that.
She wasn't delivering in the teaching job and the school administrator began to think otherwise of her qualification. After eighteen months of trying to find her level in the teaching career and was not making any meaningful progress, the school administrator terminated her appointment.
This was not what she bargained for earlier in life. Monique had to start life all over again. She started job hunting. For three years, Monique was everywhere in the streets of Lagos looking for a job.
Frustration had started to set in. In the fourth year after losing the teaching job, she accepted the advice to start selling children wares by the roadside. It was so bad that she had to seek a soft loan from her cousin who was a police officer to invest in the sale of children wares.
On the day she went to the wholesale market in Idumota, Lagos to buy some of the kiddies Christmas wares, she met an August friend. There were too many people at Idumota who had come buy wares for the yuletide season for onward sales. She felt a cold hand around her neck region and turned to see who it was that had the guts to touch her like that. When she looked back, it was Manuel.
Manuel! What are you doing here? Where have you been?
All sorts of questions emanated from the lips of Monique to Manuel out of excitement.
Monique. I missed your company. What have you been doing? You don't look too good, what's up?
The two went to a restaurant where they had an appraisal of how life had treated them.
Manual has had a fair share of life's luxury. He works as the accountant of a construction company in the heart of Lagos.
Their meeting serves the purpose of solving the many years of joblessness for Monique. After the yuletide, she resumed as the site valuer in the construction company with an official car and accommodation.
A one-eyed man became her hero. She never thought that help will come from someone who had a disability but here she is enjoying the euphoria of the friendship.
