Must Read: Tales of an undergraduate . Episode 1& 2
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I finally got admission into one of state university in Nigeria after writing jamb five (5 ) times . In fact , Jamb jam me anyhow both front and back, left and right , up and down. It wasn’t a wonderful experience . I can still recall vividly the call I got from one of my friends barely two months after writing my PUME exams.
Ben : Temy afa na , you don here the latest ?
Me: oboy ! Wetin dey xup ?
Ben : PUME result don show o
Me: you say wetin ? ( my heart was pounding very fast , I could tell my junior brother who was standing very close to me could hear my heart beat 10 times per second , if he listened carefully)
Ben : dey there . Them give me international studies and history , as I dey here so , I dey happy die .
Me: congratulations o , make I go check my own .
At that moment I felt a drop of urine in my boxers .
” O God! Make these people admit me o ” . I began to pray , like a prayer warrior . I spoke in unknown tongues ( me wey no dey go church).
I finally checked my result and that of my junior brothers , Ty. We both got admitted the same time . That day was the best day of my life . I could now walk on the streets head high . I was now a big boy , a university boy .
I never knew there were more challenges lurking ahead.
The stories I ’ve heard about my school sent cold shiver into my spine . I was this young innocent boy who knew nothing about life .
I was scared to death. I was like a sheep in the midst of wolves prepared to be devoured .
On a very hot afternoon in school , I went to buy a cold can of Pepsi to drink because I was famished, then all of a sudden
I heard ” ayy you ”
I turned around and I saw 4 guys, sitting in a restaurant called NFA . ( I know what you guys are thinking right now, but the place doesn ’t mean No Future Ambition , it was just a place where students relaxed when they don ’t have classes , although, the place has been abused)
” come over here ” said one of them .
” who you be ” said the other guy, who was looking very short and ugly .
” brr . . Brrr… Bros, my name is Temi ” I stammered . I don enter gogbe today o , I tot . Chai ! Which kind wahala be this.
” you dey mad ” . I dey ask you who you be you dey talk rubbish. Continued the short ugly guy
” wetin you dey do with this camou handkerchief?” replied one of the fresh dude who was sitting quietly observing .
” we go play you today ” he continued.
‘ Aah I don die , I be 100 level o . I thought to myself’
. ” ehis , leave am, the boy go buy alomo for everyone wey dey this place ” said one of them
” Bros, I no get money o , I be 100 level ” I said ,stammering . Sweat was beginning to run through my face . My legs were shaking very fast .
‘ Temy, you sef compose yourself you no be man? , see as you dey shake like cat fish’ I thought to my self. But this matter pass me, I was too young, I was just 20 years . I no wan die .
I was actually given the worst orientation ever , that if you were a ” Jew man” , ( A slang people in confranities use to lebel students who didn’t belong to a cult group ) you should always be loyal to every confra guy, else you might get played .
Immediately , I brought out all the little change in my pocket, estimated about 1,500 naira . I was going to be broke that week.
” so you even get money , you con dey lie, How much be that ”? The short ugly looking guy asked?
” Bring am” he shouted ” we for play you anyhow for here ”
” thank you sir ” I replied .
” collect our phone number , if anybody disturb you for this campus just tell us” one of the boys said .
I collected their numbers and left . My cloth was soaked that day with sweat. Is this the kind of life , I intend to start experiencing?, I tot to myself. Thompson a close friend of mine saw me, working past the school game
Thompson : Temy wetin dey xup , see as you dey sweat like Christmas Goat.
Me: mehn , wetin I see today , I just dey wonder why my level no fail me
Thompson : wetin happen, Girl break your heart ?
Me: Nooo , (I wiped the sweat off my face) we go yan the matter later no be for. People fit dey observe. Wetin you cook ?
Thompson : Na beans dey house o , and I no get bread.
Me: after this wahala, na beans I wan go chop , wetin dey xup ?
I felt like crying…
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Episode 2
I laid on my soft comfortable bed, playing Need For Speed Most wanted on my laptop . A cold can of Pepsi was standing right beside me, begging to be consumed . I looked at it and smiled . ” Life is good ”
Although I was broke as hell , the little change my struggling dad gave me and junior brother , we made sure we used it eloquently . I was not the spending type , probably because I had no girlfriend. I wasn’t ugly . I am handsome. I ’m not short neither am I tall , I ’m just average about 5’8 feet tall , I ’m light skinned . The only problem is, I ’m very shy . ‘ I can shy for Africa’, if I see a girl coming this way, I ’d go the other way. I just don ’t know why.
While laying on my bed, I got a phone call from my uncle , who is a top business tycoon, he is highly respected in Edo state.
” Good day sir ” I said , wondering why he was calling me, because I felt he never cared.
” Temy my boy ” he responded ” how are you ”?
” fine sir , how is family sir , how is work” ? I said .
” My family is fine , em, I heard you ’ re now in school . You ’re now a man, congratulations ” he said
” send me your account number, I will transfer 200k naira into your
account right now for your upkeep ”
” wao thank you sir may God bless you and your family ” I responded immediately, feeling like so happy . ” let me get my account number, I can’t believe this”
” Which account number ? , This guy dey jonz O” . I felt multiple taps on my back.
” Guy wake up , we get 7 am class, we don almost late ”
” Thompson you be idiot , why you wake me up , you dey mad O” I said angrily .
” so na dream I dey dream since ” . I felt heart broken.
I began to get more inclined with campus life . It was splendid . It was like a world on it ’ s on own . You ’d see different characters of individuals . The ajebutters, who flashed their parents wealth, The G - Boys driving flashy cars , The prayer warriors , who turned every building into a fellowship , The cult members who no one dare messes with , the womanizers who chase after anything and everything that puts on skirt or leggings and the regular guys like me, who just live life , hoping for a better day .
On a very good day in class, while the lecturer was teaching , I saw this cute damsel walk into the hall . She was an epitome of beauty. She was indeed classy for this could be depicted in the type of attire she wore .
” idiot , come over here , can’t you feel my presence” said the lecturer
” your brain must be suffering from mental instability”
” sir , I was in your class before, I went to get something outside ” she replied
” is this how you live your life ? , you were sent to school to study and not to wonder about” he objected ” come on, go to your sit right before you witness my wrath ” .
I watched the event play , but I was just more focused on her beauty . This must be love at first sight. Cupid just shot right through my heart . I could feel it . I had to make enquiry immediately right there in class.
Me: Mayson who is that babe . See as she fine finish .
Mayson : her name is Angel , she ’s one of the biggest girl in this class o .
Me: o boy ! ( scratched my head , I can’t even approach a common girl on the street , talk more of this epitome of beauty)
Mayson : wetin you dey reason.
Me: Nooo , nothing . But this babe , fine die .
At that very moment I began to device means of talking to Angel, she sat quietly at the middle of the hall pressing her blackberry bold 5 Mobile phone. I watched her with keen interest.
Mayson who was one of my close friend in campus, illustrated his experience he had encountered with her.
Mayson : bro , Last week, I saw , Angel at GT restaurant while I was trying to buy fried rice for my girlfriend. Can you believe this babe completely ignored me when I said ” HI ”
Me: Ah ! Is she that rude ?
Mayson : mehn , that babe rude pass anything. Just dey careful make she no fall your hand .
Me: Let me try my luck. I can’t just let her pass me by .
Mayson : Ok oo.
Thompson came and sat beside us, he bought plantain chips , which we ate while talking about girls .
Thompson : Temy, I just dey observe you since . You be yeye boy . Angel no go gree for you .
Me: we shall see .
Surprisingly , I began to pick up courage . The saying ” your environment and peer group have a great part to play in your life ” is really a fact. I therefore summoned courage . I went over to Angels sit .
Me: Hello, beautiful ( I swallowed hard , chai ! This babe is just too fine o . I tot)
Angel: Hi
Me: My name is Temy and you ’re ?
Angel: what do you want ? (she replied in a tune that could make a man never talk to a girl again )
Me: sorry , for disturbing you . Seems you ’re not in a good mood . ( I looked to observe if no one just heard her scream , it was really embarrassing )
I left her sit , with my tail between my legs. It sure didn’ t go has planned. I went back my friends sit .
Mayson : how did it go?
Me: oboy ! No level . That babe is just harsh.
Thompson : hehe. Sorry o
Me: I really like that girl , I just can’t give up like that.
Thompson : lover man .
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To be continued
i will drop the next episode soon.