The joy of graduating from the higher institution cannot be explained. A four-year course ends up becoming a six-year course due to endless ASSU strike.
My birthday was three days after my final exams. I had plans of baking cake and throwing a party on the day of my signing out but since my birthday was close, my friends suggested I save the money to celebrate everything at once. That sounded so cool. I had this perfect picture of a graduation party and a birthday party celebrated together. Unlike other birthday celebrations where we get to throw a surprise birthday party for each other, I wanted to be fully involved in the planning of how my birthday would be celebrated. I wanted nothing less for my dream birthday, that feeling of being called a graduate after so many years of endless reading and studying cannot be explained. I have gone through a lot while in school, and now that I am finally done, I want to scream to the world that I am finally a graduate.
It's a tradition amongst me and my friends to always throw parties for each other during our birthdays. So how it works is that we get to contribute a certain amount of money to get gifts and cake for each other during our birthdays.
So since it was my birthday, I knew they had plans to celebrate it. I wanted to get involved with the preparations, and they all agreed to do me the honour of making things go my way. We went ahead with planning how everything would go that day. we chose a venue and made a part payment for it. A friend of mine promised to complete it, so I should leave that to her.
Two days before my birthday, the lady paying for the hall said she had been scammed of her money, so she couldn't afford to pay for that particular hall. I was already pained by such a level of disappointment. I had no extra money on me to pay for it myself. So we had to look for another option, which was to use the school park since we could use it for free.
In the evening of that same day, the baker called to cancel my order for the cake. Her reason was that she got a contract to handle an event of 1300 people. The contract came all of a sudden so she cancelled all pending orders. That was how my money was returned.
I had to contact a different baker immediately for the cake. I was charged more because of how urgently I needed it. I was no longer happy with the way things were turning out but my sister who is my source of motivation kept me going. She just has a way of bringing out beauty in ugly situations.
The next day evening, I went to pick up my dress and on reaching the tailoring shop, there was no one in the shop. I entered inside and sat down while waiting for my tailor to come back from wherever she went. I tried calling but her number was not reachable. A few moments later, she walked into the shop with two other ladies and a guy. She greeted me and asked me how long I had been waiting. I told her not so long and she apologized for keeping me waiting.
She brought out the dress and when I wore it, it fitted perfectly well I was so happy with the outcome. Something went as planned finally!
I completed the payment and left the shop. While trying to get an Uber, the guy she entered the shop with ran towards me and asked me to wait. I thought I probably left something in the shop that was why he ran after me. But to my surprise, that was not the reason.
Sorry to bother you he said did you see any phone when you got into the shop? I was surprised at his question but I calmly answered -no, I did not. The lady whose phone was missing screamed; NO LET HER GO OO!!! Ahh! What is happening I asked myself surprised at the whole instant drama going on. They all ran towards me and before I could realise what was happening, my handbag was collected from me.
In split seconds people were gathered and all I could hear was someone calling me a thief. I could not even utter a word from my mouth. I was asked to bring the phone but then I did not carry any phone. I didn't even see any phone. She claimed she left it in the tailoring shop before they all went out that is she and the tailor to pick up the other two persons.
I instantly regretted entering that shop when no one was in. Someone in the crowd testified to the fact that I was the only one who came in while they were out. A man shouted: why fine girl go dey steal nah? Those words pierced my soul like a sword. The painful part of it was that, no one was listening to me, they wouldn't even let me explain. My bags were searched, I was searched and nothing was found on me. Why are they still insisting on the fact that I stole the phone? Why are human beings so bais? What annoyed me the most was the fact that my tailor could not even defend me. She stood there quietly as if that was her first time seeing me.
The lady was claiming I stole her phone without any proof. For a moment I felt she was paid, they were all paid to humiliate me. I called my sister to come to the scene. The noise was so much that I could not explain the situation to her over the phone.
Aunty was lamenting and threatening to lock me up for the rest of my life if I didn't bring out her phone. They tried calling the number but it was switched off. I'm sure why they were more furious was because I was so calm. They expected me to probably be crying and pleading by now. But since I was not guilty, I was willing to go anywhere.
So I got scared when a guy shouted from the crowd: Bring fuel make we burn this girl she think sey we dey play for this area!! I have heard such stories before and when such statements are made, it always ends up coming to pass. I began to scream that this was all a set-up.
Thank God someone called the police and when they arrived, I was arrested together with my accusers.
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We were thrown into the van and that was when my sister arrived. She was knocking on windows—knock!, knock!, knock!!, knock!!!-- for them to wind down. And while she was still knocking on the window, I opened my eyes.
Someone was knocking on the door. It was all a dream. Everything was a dream. I stood up to get the door and poop!!! Happy birthday!!!. With a big smile and tears running down my eyes, I stood by the door, crying. One reason I was crying was not because of the surprise cake but because a few seconds ago my sister was shouting at the police to let me go, I am not a thief. But here she is, standing before me, singing a happy birthday song with so much joy on her face.
The baker delivered a perfect cake, the hall was paid for and everything went as planned but my mood was changed. I sat down quietly while the party was on, thinking what the dream was all about. One thing that made that birthday so special to me was the level of growth that came with it. I can't really explain how I felt after waking up that morning. But the thing is that I attained a sense of maturity and I became grateful for the people in my life. My accusers wouldn't have gotten away with it if only my friends were there.
One thing I learned was never to enter a place uninvited.
Thank God it was all a dream but I won't allow that to steal my joy. I had the perfect birthday celebration afterwards, with so much to eat and drink.