Few weeks later, in a building that seemed to be where I would have my first lecture in Labastina University,
"Good morning class I am Doctor Akinwumi and I am in charge of AGL 107 the practical course, I hope you all know this course of yours is based on practical mostly. You will be divided into groups; some will have to go into livestock while some will go into crop plantation. Course representative I need the list of everyone's name with their matriculation number and I hope you all have gotten your farm equipment. You will not be allowed in my next class without those materials."he said and left the class.
Earlier that day, having made inquiry from a 300l student of the same course I met at the hostel, I had gone to the market to price the cost of the complete set of materials and arrived at a whooping sum of #20000 because I had not gotten a single one of them.
"Bayo, what's up" Olatunji said walking up to me. Tunji was my course mate who became my friend at the registration centre. I had been staying with him at hostel as well, since I could not afford an accommodation.
"Nothing is up o, didn't you hear what the man said and his next class is in three days," I replied him
"It is not just you I have not gotten everything too but I am going to my place of work if I can gather a little amount".
"Abeg, can I go with you?" I asked.
"Sure, why not let's go", he said and we both got out of the classroom.
*****
"Oga, good afternoon this is my friend Bayo he wants to work as a laborer", Tunji said to his boss at an uncompleted building.
"No problem, he can join, hope he has the strength shaa and will not start damaging things", his boss retorted weighing Bayo with his eyes.
"Ah, oga he is correct omoajepako".
"Okay then, let him join the others."
"Thank you sir" I said to him. He nodded and continued his work.
"Bayo go and join those carrying the block and please be very careful",
"No problem Tunji, I will be careful, thank you" I said and started work.
I worked tirelessly for hours and by the time its dark, I got very tired
"stop working it's late already, we will continue tomorrow but make sure you dress all the remaining parts", the boss roared.
"Bayo here is your money", he said giving the money to me just as the others were given theirs.
"Thank you sir," I said and collect the money from him, "just #2000! It's not possible for me to get the practical money before next class," I soliloquized as I checked the money. Tunji saw the look on my face and walked up to where I was standing beside a bamboo pole,
"Abi the money is small?" He said to me
"No now", I said, "just wondering how it will accumulate to #20000 within two days", I replied.
"Don't worry I have been thinking of what to be done, we are still coming tomorrow, so we will get here early to earn more money. The little amount we get will be used to procure the little ones we can afford and go to our seniors to rent theirs, which implies we are in class when the lecturer comes", he explained
"That's a great idea, but how can we be here early tomorrow, we have classes not one but two."
"Will the class fetch you money? We will get the notes from others, we need money".
"Okay", I said reluctantly. I knew we needed the cash, but that does not imply skipping classes but we had no choice than to skip the class or not attend practical class which depicts carry over. Never!
*****
"I have grouped the names and pasted it on the departmental notice board. I employ everyone to go and check their names so as to know your group and to start the practical early", Dr Akinwumi said before starting the class that blessed morning. After class, Tunji and I went to the department to check our names.
"Pig rearing!!"Tunji shouted,
"What do you mean by pig rearing, is that your group?"I asked Tunji, while still checking for my name at the crop planting session,
"Our group not mine, we are to rear pigs,ten for that matter and guess what, we are just five in the group", he explained to me in a broken voice.
I went to the board to confirm what he just said; lo and behold our names were steering at me in the pig rearing group.
"Where are we expected to get the money from? We have to meet with the other members of the group so as to know how to go about it."
"Yea, we will find them in our next class," he replied.
We met with the other members the following week, after consulting and making enquires about the whole process, each person was to contribute #15000."This is hard", I taught, I had not even gotten my equipments and now this. Feeding had been difficult and had reduced to 1-0-0, if not with the help of Tunji who was also poor but had some other means of getting money. We concluded and went our ways with everyone thinking about how to get his/her cash.
"Tunji, how are we going to get this money?"I asked when we got back to the hostel.
"I seriously don't know I am as worried as you are why don't you call your mother and inform her, I am sure you will get some amount from her."
"Yes, you are right but I think I should not, she has borrowed a lot of money that the thought of it had led to her heart problem. She will still have to borrow it if I ask her.
"Whyis this even happening to us? Why can't we be like our mates? Did you see that fair guy, Charles? He has paid the money in full after the meeting", Tunji said.
"That is life Tunji; we just have to accept our fate"
"You are right jare; we do not have a choice but to take it as our destiny".
*****
"I have an idea on how we can raise the fund, Tunji", I told him after finishing the breakfast the second day.
"Okay....am all ears."
"I am thinking maybe we can organize tutorial classes and help others on their farm to raise the money, since most are born with silver spoon and some are dull, they will pay anything for tutorials".
"That's a great idea Bayo, but it will surely affect us academically, we work almost every day and even skip classes and now you want us to add tutorial and farm helping to it. When are we going to face our primary assignment?"
"We will read at night, I have thought about it also, we will attend night classes, which implies the day is free for all our hustling," I explained to Tunji who disagreed with his head.
"Brosit's not possible, you know I don't joke with my night sleep," he said grinning.
"We are talking about money and all you could think about is sleep? You will have to reduce it ooo, always know that successful men use the night as a forest to hunt their target goals."
"Well I will try,anyways that's just a bypass, but how are we to gather people for the tutorial, I know that of farm helper is easy I personally know those that don't know how to farm, besides who are we to tutor?"
"Our mates of course, although we are in 100 level but we are better off most of them, we will announce in class, am sure some will be interested"
"Alright no problem", Tunji said.
It was announced in class but just few turned up. We started the tutorial the following week and it went well, but some still did not pay. After series of jobs, working as farm helpers, laborers, tutoring and some other minor works that breeds out except immoral jobs, we were able to raise the project money.
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DESTINY OR DENIAL
Mystery / ThrillerDestiny or denial written with simple English depicts the life of an ambitious boy, who upon all odds finds his way to the higher institution. He lost his father at a tender age and his best friend. He found himself in prison overnight and lost his...
