Focus. Study. Graduate. Serve. Job. Find One True Love. Get married. In that order. Necessarily in that order. Okay, find true love can be any where in between graduate, serve and job but get married is definitely at the tail end of it all.
I did as I was told. I followed protocol exactly. I focused. Oh God, I focused. I studied and I graduated well. Very well. Too well. Okay, most well. At least in my entire University. Yeah, Overall Best Graduating Student and all that. I bagged that thing.
“See the result of hard work, see what happens when you listen to your parents? We’re so proud of you Mutma’inna!” My parents throw the weight of their pride around my shoulders and strap the rest of it to my back. I hug them back fiercely. I’m proud of me too.
I served then, strutting into camp like the conquering Amazon I am. No one cares much for my grades but I excel here too. I excel because, as you may have noticed, I am a person of excellence. No be me do am, Na God.
I get posted to no other place than the CBN, you read that right. Did an excellent job, my superiors loved me. Found the requisite haters every now and then (requisite because you don’t really qualify as succeeding or successful until they’ve started to pop out from behind every sneaky corner, from beneath every mossy rock. [And a few smooth rocks too].)
Anyhow, I got retained at the recommendation of my direct supervisor with the easy support of my other superiors. Every one said that’s just dumb luck. But my God and I know better. It was actually many nights of “Oh Lord I am a nobody. I have no one, only You but that means I have all the connection and influence I need. Oh Lord, make this thing happen for me…” and many fasting days in this vein. They wouldn’t know that. How can they, we hardly ever notice the effort put in and are all focused on the results.
Talking about focus, I focused at my job and gave my employers a run for their money. I am dependable, amenable, affable, capable. Many ables I tell you. What I am not able is marriageable. Yes, you read that.
Who am I kidding, you’ve probably guessed that already.
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Once Upon an Old Maid
General FictionHey, yo! Men are scarce ooo! Abi na only for my side? I can't be the only one who is beyond 'of age' to get married but still isn't. In fact, not only am I not married, I sight no prospect of marriage in the horizon. Can't catch a whiff of it no mat...
