In my paternal family, there has never been a single University graduate. Not even one. Many of my paternal family relatives entered university, performed well but encountered problems that stopped them from graduating.
I'm from a family of three children, two boys and one girl. My mother is a pretty trader and my father is a local fashion designer. I can't say I come from a middle class home cus my parent don't reach that stage and I can't say that I come from a lower class home either because my parent weren't lacking, we had enough to eat and bellyful but things wasn't smooth.
Because of how things wasn't rosy in my family, my parent suggested that all of us should take turns to go to the university. The first child will go and when the first child finish, he will find something to do to help my parent sponsor the second and third child.
My first brother got admission into University of Lagos, my parent had to work extra hard to sponsor him. In his final year year, his file mysteriously missed and he couldn't do his clearance. Luckily for him, he met a rich lady and they got married and are based at Lagos.
My second brother got admission into Uniuyo a year after my first brother married, my first brother's wife sponsored him at school but like my first brother and other children in my paternal families he couldn't graduate because a cultist's girlfriend fell inlove with him and refused to let him be. The cultist got to know of their affair and swore to kill him. He luckily escaped being killed and ran back to the village. He went into poultry farming.
My turn came and my parent didn't want me to write JAMB. Despite how intelligent and unbeaten I was in secondary school, they refused giving me money to purchase a jamb form. it was my second brother that helped me purchase a jamb form and made me write jamb without the knowledge of my parent, I passed excellently and got admission into Uniuyo to study law.
My admission didn't move my parent as I thought it would. My dad voiced against my starting school saying it is a waste of money and time and insisted that I should find a trade and learn and when a suitor comes, I get married.
I called my first brother and in tears begged him to step in so I can further my education. My first brother sided my parent that it is a waste. I will not graduate like other children in my paternal family. I continued pestering and begging him, I sent him my WAEC and JAMB results. Seeing how excellent I performed, my first brother decided to take his chances.
He came to the village and begged my parent to give me a chance to go to university that he will sponsor me. My second brother added that he will join in sponsoring me.
My joy knew no bound when my parent gave me their blessing to start school.
My mother made me promise her that nothing will stop me from graduating. My father spoke to me with pains begging me to shun every vices and social activities in the university and concentrate on my studies so that a child in his family will be a graduate.
My brothers weren't left out in the begging, they begged me to do what they couldn't do and bring pride and light to my paternal family as it was a big ridicule to my father's family for not ever producing a university graduate.
Some of my paternal relatives close to me also made me promise them that I must graduate even if with a third class, the big deal was for me to be a graduate.
I made a lot of promises and ignored the inner voice inside me that told me that it will not be easy.