My FUTO Story - #8

Five years ago, I was an angel living in heaven. Till I fell and broke my wings.

Okay, scratch that.

Five years no be beans. Where should I begin? From the beginning I guess.

I graduated from secondary school as the best in my set. It wasn’t a big deal, for always clinching the first position in class had somewhat become a birthright. I was leaving happy and confident of the future, till I wrote jamb 3 times. My people for 36 months, all I did was study and pray to secure admission. If WAEC can be valid for 9 years, then the Government has to wake from their slumber. Re –writing JAMB is as traumatic as waiting for the admission list, only to find your name missing from the thousands of names there.

  

The long wait turned my life around. I stopped believing in anything. And when I finally secured admission, I became less interested in exceling in my academics. All I wanted at that time was to wear a glittering ring on that finger. So, there I was wearing good clothes, smiling always. Anything to get the man to propose. But somewhere down that road, I met my cousin and her four friends- The famous five. Long story short, I was encouraged to focus on that which mattered. Coming from engineering students who were going to graduate top of their class meant a lot to me.

 So, from gear one to gear five. I began attending lectures, taking notes and trying to study. I got noticed and soon I was vying for a political office. Tests, exams and soon results were out. I did okay and was determined to do better. But when my cousin graduated, I lost the light in this dark tunnel of mine and I began to lose focus again. When I saw my second year results all I could do was cry out my balls. That is my eyeballs. I felt helpless and defeated. I had to all my mum.

“So you want to drop out eh! This girl you will not kill me before my time”

“You suckled on this bosom of mine while I was still in school but yet I graduated with a second class upper division. So you have no excuse to do achieve less”

She went on to inspire me to see this as a challenge and accept it.

“Read and pray like your life depends on it”. She continued to say.

I slept over her words and when I woke up I sought out on my own ultimate search to seek that challenge that would inspire me to do well in school. Like my sinking grades weren’t enough motivation. So there I was looking for another role model and decided to find one in a boyfriend. Yes I love attention and I love love.

Having an intelligent boyfriend wasn’t an easy task. I needed to impress him with my grades. So, studying hard and going for night classes with him became part of the deal. Gradually my grades started getting high, not on weeds though but with good scores. When my super cute and intelligent boyfriend graduated, I realized that my success was not hinged on impressing him, but because I had subconsciously decided to push myself beyond the limits I had created for myself. My grades didn't increase tremendously, but I was willing to fight. And eventually, on the 28^th of August 2015, I was soaked to my under garment from the different concentration of dirty water poured on me by people. As annoying as it seems it was a thing of great joy for me, a day I will never forget. I was graduating with my mates and with the desired result. 

  

My journey through FUTO wasn't the most difficult of all, but it was really an interesting with all the good ingredients for a good movie or novel. There was sweat, strife, hunger, anger, passion, suspense, intrigue, betrayal, happiness and of course lots of love. If I have learnt anything from my experience through FUTO it would be never give up and fight till the finish.

It took me three years to realize that self-determination and discipline is the only catalyst to success. And I hope that it would take this story to be the redemption of another lost soul.

Chiamaka Ikegwuonu claims to be a sapiosexual, so if you are planning to ask her out, first go and marry Google. She loves to party and dreams of the day she would twerk and give lap dances. She is not a romantic but believes in magic that one day she would be. She has a phobia for failure and enjoys gisting, reading and eating exotic foods. Let her facade not fool you, she is a very intelligent girl and when she sets her mind to it, performs wonders.