Her Rise from The Slums

My life not what my name offered

I was on my way to school. It was a busy and chilly Monday morning. Damilare was with me and was looking smart in his red checkered shirt and maroon trousers. My brother who took the features of my dad. At the age of 14 he was already so tall that I had to raise my face 30 degree higher to talk to him.

We were standing at the main road which had different intersections waiting for a taxi to stop and pick us up. I was growing impatient because it seem as if the whole Zaria population were out today and had occupied all the taxis in town. I was already frustrated at this stage because I had just 34 minutes to get to school in order to fulfill my prefect duties.

I looked at my watch for the 50th time and just when I removed  my eyes from the wristwatch a taxi parked in front of us.  "Ina saka" (where are you going to)  the driver asked in Hausa " Saani Makaranta Dogo Bauchi" (Dogo Bauchi secondary school) I answered also in Hausa " Naa son doke kaine na a kafa na" (I want to lap my brother) I added in hausa  "To ku shiga kun san kudi ku Naira Dare koh" ( okay come on you know it's hundred naira) the driver said ushering is in which I answered by nodding my head and muttering a thank you in hausa.

When we got to my school I opened the door of the car and got down after Damilare I was 6 minutes earlier than resumption to duty time.
Lapping my brother was a daily routine which was observed twice a day there was not enough money to be spent with ease.

We were given 400 Naira everyday which was harsh to my dad's pocket because not much was made everyday from the work he did as a taxi driver. 200 was used to go and come back from school while the remaining we used to eat in school till we got back in the evening to have dinner.

There were times when we were carried by my dad on our way to school. He didn't leave the house with us but we met in town on this occasions he asks us to keep the money for tomorrow saying he did add 300 Naira to it. I wouldn't say he was stingy but there was not enough to spend.

My fluency in speaking the first language of the town grew over the years. Hausa sometimes was the language we spoke at home. Though we were yorubas we loved the Hausa language also. We had only gone to our hometown twice. It was twice for me and Damilare but once for Bolanle which made us less acquainted with our culture. My mum still tried to instill our native ways in us.

We were waiting in class after the assembly for our third teacher who also had refused to show up just like the first two. The assembly left us with the usual information that was passed everyday and a reminder to be serious with the preparation for the WAEC which was coming up next month.

Apart from the usual announcements high jamb scorers where recognized on the assembly. I emerged the best in the school so far gaping the present second best with 21 points. I was overwhelmed because my hardwork paid off.

After waiting for the third teacher to arrive but he still did not the last teacher before the break did. Funnily enough she came to request For two senior girls to follow her to the staff room.

They were known to be beautiful Laali appliers. She looked like she was just arriving school and decided to stop by and call them to help her apply the Laali probably to wow her husband tonight.

This has been the fate I lived with from my junior secondary school to this moment.
My parents had tried to make sure I and my siblings observed our nursery and primary life in a private school. They new taking us to a government school early will be like building a house without a foundation so they did everything in their power to take us to a standard private.

The government school system in the north was very poor. The teachers were salary earners who did no work.
I knew what I wanted for myself and had bought textbooks I needed right from Js1 and studied on my own.

Though it wasn't easy for all. I mean my parents my siblings and I who had to endure something's for me so I could get good textbooks and also me trying to gather knowledge on my own. My brother also had to go to an art class so he wouldn't have problems. He got textbooks and tutorials from me. So far life had not been easy but I bless God cause we had not resulted to begging like some.

I got home after school which was like a waste of time going to because I was taught by only two teachers out of seven. We met Dad sitting in the parlor which was unlike him. I greeted him and demanded to know why he was home early but the reply he gave me was "se ofe kin shishe ku ni? I be jaki?"( do you want me to work and kill my self ?am I a donkey?) " my car engine knocked out" he added with sadness laced in his voice.

I knew what that meant because this was not the first time it would happen and any time it did the major means of income would be blocked till a solution was given to the problem on ground. The last time it happened which was two years ago we had stopped going to school for a week and had been in debt.

My dad would have to run around now for about a hundred and forty thousand which will take him months to pay back if not a year. I knew there was no school for us till God knows when. This had been our plight for years infact since I was born. We had been eating from hand to mouth.

What annoys me most was my name Abisola which was a Yoruba name which meant I was someone who was born into wealth. Right now the case was opposite I was born into poverty. I had to lap a boy weighing at least 60 kg to school and back home almost everyday just to save money.

Ate Tuwo most of the times with draw soup. Had rice during festive periods. Could only give myself the treat of indoor which I so loved when I denied myself from eating with the money given to me to school and end up lapping a boy looking like a full grown man because I didn't want to feel like an agbaya( someone who doesn't respect his or herself in Yoruba language) and dragging my feet home.

Life was really tough. Is this how my life will continue to move in another direction which my name does not depict?
I went inside to find my mum only to find her lost in thought.

"We will be fine mum" I said trying to smile knowing deep down we might not be fine
She only smiled back and asked me to go turn Tuwo for us.

So it is for some people. Not everyone has the luxury or average luxury or even the money to be comfortable.
Thank you 😊 for getting here with me
I hope this book succeeds in doing to you what I want it to do I mean I want you to enjoy 😉
💃🏻💃🏻 this book is rated #10 in project Nigeria I am overwhelmed☺️
Please comment and vote it did be appreciated
And remember the book has not undergone any other process apart from this draft so bear with me if there are errors or anything not pleasing to you 😊

Stay safe
Be strong 💪
We are humans
We will overcome 😊