BETROTHAL

CHAPTER 4

"Grrr..rr...rrngh", Fola's phone rang as she was coming out of the bathroom. She picked up the phone and saw Bolu's name on the screen.

"Hello babe, how far na?", she picked the call and greeted her friend.

"I'm good. Can you please send me your registration number?", Bolu requested sharply.

"Ok, what's up? Hope all is well?", Fola asked.

"Yes, just send it to me now and I will call you back in a couple of minutes", Bolu replied her.

"Ok dear, I will do that now." Fola disconnected the call and quickly imput her jamb registration number which she knows by heart as sms and sent it to Bolu.

She wondered why Bolu requested for her registration number and quickly wave the thoughts away as she got dressed for work.

Just then, her phone rang and it was Bolu.

"How far?", requested Fola.

"Guess what?", asked Bolu from the other side.

"What is it?"

"Try and guess joor", Bolu insisted.

"You know so well that I am not good at guessing so spill", Fola answered.

"Congratulations babe, you have been offered admission to study your dream course", Bolu replied and Fola screamed out of excitement.

Bolu was laughing at the other end too before Fola asked: "Babe what about yours?"

"My name was not on the list. I am hoping to seeing my name on the second list by God's grace", Bolu responded.

"Amen dear, we've got to rock that school together", Fola responded excitedly.

"Yes dear, go get ready for work. We would talk later."

"Alright, let me go inform mum and dad."

"Ok bye", Bolu said and hung up.

Boluwatife happens to be Fola's childhood friend and classmate right from day 1. Boluwatife came from a well-to-do family but unfortunately, she hardly makes her papers. She had to sit for her SSCE examinations twice and also wrote JAMB twice. Fortunately for her, she got 202 in that year's JAMB examinations while Fola got 254. Bolu couldn't help but envy Fola's intelligence and brilliance.

Fola quickly dressed up and dashed off to her parent's bedroom to inform them.

"Good morning mummy, good morning daddy", she greeted them while kneeling down.

"Folakemi owon ( My dearest Folake), good morning and how was your night?", her mother asked as she was folding some clothes while her father was still on the bed.

"Morning dear, why are you looking so excited?", her father asked as she stood up.

"Dad, I have been offered admission", she screamed with joy.

"Wao! That's good news", he said rising up from the bed to give her a hug.

"Fola congratulations", her mother said hugging her too.

Mr Obed disengaged himself from the hug and in a rush, wore a shirt and a sport trouser while saying, "Mr Garba must hear this."

Fola disengaged from her mother's embrace and questioned him. "Daddy, for what reason?"

Hearing her question, he shook his head sadly and stated: "Omode o mo ogun onpe lefo (Herbs are known to children as vegetables)."

Then he replied: " For your fees of course. He will be the one to sponsor you through your University education. Do you think I can sponsor you with the meagre salary I am earning? You know nothing."