At last, the year gradually came to an end. I didn't return home for Christmas although my parents had wanted me to. I never wanted them to find out that I have been telling them lies. Upon that, I lied again that I had a class project I needed to work on which would not permit me to return home. Contrariwise, I was having a good time with my friend Gabriella. In fact, one of the days we had gone to eat out during that Christmas period, we faced the embarrassment of our lives, most especially Gabriella.
It so happened that Gabriella and I were at a table in a restaurant having a meal when a young woman walked up to our table.
"So it's you?" the woman began, pointing at Gabriella.
"Excuse you! And you are who?" Gabriella threw back at her.
At that moment, people present had begun to watch the scene created by the duo. I felt ashamed.
"Ma, please, can we settle this outside?" I chipped in.
"I couldn't remember talking to you, so you had better zip it," the woman rebuked me and then turned to Gabriella. "And as for you, if you must know, I am the wife of the man you are frolicking with."
The nagging woman fired aggressively.
"I beg your pardon, who is that?" Gabriella fired back at her.
"Look at you, ashawọ Kobo Kobo! You do not even know the particular man I am referring to? Shameless girls like you are the reason why our husbands stay up late at night. But you have stepped on the lioness's tail. Today, I will show you that I am Biola and I was brought up in Ajegunle."
With that, the woman removed Gabriella's wig off her head and then a serious fight ensued. People gathered and tried to separate them when my effort proved futile. Gabriella sustained a minor injury.
I took her home to treat her. While I was giving her some first aid, Gabriella burst into tears.
"Ella, what is it? Why are you crying?" I asked with concern.
"Who would have thought that I, Gabriella, would face such disgrace and my reputation dragged to the mud? Right now, I do not even understand myself. This was never the life I had wanted to live. My mum used to be proud of me because I was this one modest, courteous daughter every God-fearing mother would pray for. But now, look at the mess I've made out of myself."
"Don't say that, Gabriella. You are only doing this for your brother. He is all that you've got now and you need to stay strong for him. Just one day, he is going to reciprocate all the love you have shown him and put a smile on your face, okay? Please cheer up," I said to her and hugged her tightly.
The new year came with new hopes and expectations. At that time, my bank account was saturated with enough money. I purchased JAMB past questions and an answer booklet for Art classes in preparation for my JAMB exam. I no longer went on night business as I seriously faced my studies. To an extent, I had to also take a long-term break from my hair salon work. I was often at home, reading.
Gabriella came visiting one day and confirmed that I was looking thin. To her, constant reading saps energy and loses weight on a person. She bought us pizza, shawarma, and other delicacies to chill off with. We gisted as well. Gabriella told me her intention of travelling to Enugu State next week to visit her brother. All the same, she encouraged me to study harder and wished me exam success.
When the JAMB registration process began, I went to a nearby cybercafé, purchased the form, and filled up the necessary details. Some weeks later, I returned for thumbprinting and all other protocol that followed afterwards.
Back home, I did not spare my study books. I read them thoroughly like my life depended on it. I was always indoors burning the midnight candle. For a very long time in my life, I went to church, asked for the mercy of God, and committed my JAMB exams before Him. I knew I had lived a reckless life, but I wasn't quick to forget the part of the scripture that emphasizes: "To whom God will show mercy, He will show mercy." I did not stop at that. I promised God that I will rededicate my life to Him if He saw me through my JAMB exams.
A week to the commencement of the JAMB exams, I went for reprinting of exam slip and I was given a centre within Lagos which I had never heard of. All thanks to Gabriella! She knew the exam centre and was actually the one who took me there on the D-day. She stood outside and waited for me while I went into the exam hall. Coincidentally, Ruth, my cousin sister, was the one sitting next to me. We were happy to see each other but for the time being, focused on our respective exams. I muttered some words of prayer before I began. I wrote with full confidence throughout the exam.
At the end of the exam, Ruth and I met outside. We embraced ourselves, exchanged our phone numbers, and talked for some while. I pleaded with her not to tell her parents that she saw me at her exam centre. She gave me her words and with that, I left to where Gabriella was waiting.
After a week or thereabout, I checked my JAMB result on my phone. To my utmost surprise, I scored two hundred and fifty out of four hundred. I was so overjoyed that I didn't wait to break the good news to Gabriella. She was so happy for me as she congratulated me on my exam success.
Lady B herself threw a small party for me—what I call JAMB jamboree.
Some days after, I called Ruth to know what she had scored as well. She sadly told me that she got two hundred and twelve and with such a mark, she won't be able to study Medicine and Surgery on merit. Ruth asked me not to worry over her, that her father, Uncle Joe, was securing her admission with the connection he had and with some money involved too.
What an irony of life! I thought aloud to myself. During the time I was to first get admission, Uncle Joe didn't take it seriously although my score was high. But now he was willing to pull down the walls of Jericho just to ensure his own daughter was admitted into the university to study her choice of course. Anyway, I wished her well. Having passed and met JAMB and O'level criteria, I further applied for the school screening exercise known as Post-UTME and that also I scaled through to achieve a wonderful score aggregate.