UNSTAINED (Modesty)

UNSTAINED (Modesty)

A Manuscript By Folasayo Awodumila

The Club was a banger last night, Ifeyinwa said through the phone while she applied her makeup, my name is Ifeoluwa Akani, University of Lagos welcomed it's freshers last night, and yours truly was one of them, the experience is one for the books, I met a couple of freshers like me, Eno, Ifeyinwa, Sade and Agnes, as fate would have it we also shared thesame hostel.

Where are you going to I asked Ifeyinwa, who was still on a call, the freshers night that took place last night knocked everyone out, all the other roommates were still snoring on their beds including me but here is Ifeyinwa all dressed up ready to go out, Ifeyinwa looked at me through the mirror she was using for her makeup and gave me that it's none of my business look and continued with her phone conversation.

University life seem totally strange to me, coming out from a place you were restrained all your life to a place where you have total freedom to do just about anything, seems like two sides to a coin.

I am the first Child In a family of four, I have a junior brother and my lovely parents, I adore my parents with all of me, I wouldn't say my parents are very rich but they try as much as they can to give us our basic needs.

My Junior brother Adeife is in SS1, he is my best friend, am older than Adeife with three years but when you see him, you would think he is the eldest, he's got my dad's height, am grateful for the wonderful family God blessed me with.

Stepping into the hostel, all I heard was Eno's exasperation, I don't understand that lecturer called Mr Bello, the test he gave was so difficult,how on earth does he expect anyone to pass it, in all this I saw Ifeyinwa and Sade smiling while whispering some words to themselves, you see Sade and Ifeyinwa, these girls always have their way with almost anything, they are both flawlessly beautiful, they are labelled the big girls on Campus.

Ifeoluwa have you checked the Portal for your test result, Agnes asked me at the Canteen, I stared at her in dismay and asked what test result,Mr Bello's she replied, Ifeyinwa and Sade scored the highest she added, hearing that my mind was at peace,if Sade and Ifeyinwa could score the highest then am certain of my distinction.

I branched at a cafe close to the canteen to check my result, and to my outmost surprise I failed, I had to clean my eyes twice to check if there was a mix up somewhere, but there wasn't, I was perplexed for a while how then did Ifeyinwa and Sade pass, they never ever took out their books to read, they hardly even attend lectures.

I headed to Mr Bello's office, I knocked at the door, it took a while for him to answer and when he did, I saw a lady coming out of his office,good afternoon Mr Bello I greeted, oh! how are you Ife, you've got such a lovely name you know he said, I smiled and replied thank you sir, so to what do I owe this visit he asked, sir it's my test result seems there's a mix up somewhere, he stood up from his seat and walked towards me, he placed his arm on my right shoulder and said a pretty girl like you should use what you have to get what you want, I was startled, I turned to look at the face speaking, he stood there smiling down at me, sorry sir I don't understand what you mean by using what I have to get what I want, Ife you are not a small child, I want to have a relationship with you he whispered in my ears, I shifted back a bit and said but sir that won't be possible, I studied hard for your test and I couldn't have failed it, I only came to your office to plead that you remark my script cause am certain there's a mistake somewhere, he left my side and went back to his seat, when you are ready for business, you know where to find me, kindly leave my office.

Getting to the hostel that hot afternoon, Mr Bello's words re-echoed in my head, and I said to myself, why are some lecturers like this, as I sat on my bed still disturbed, my phone rang, I looked at the screen and saw it was my mum's call, I picked it up but the voice I heard wasn't my mum's regular voice, she sounded cold and worried, mum is everything ok I asked, Ife your dad is critically ill and he is presently being admitted at the hospital.

Your dad suffered a stroke, the doctor explained, and this would leave him bedridden for a while but with good medical treatment and care, he can get better, hearing those words broke every piece of my heart " My Dad, My Hero"

As I stepped out of the lecture hall one Monday morning my mum called to tell me my dad passed on earlier that morning, I stood at the lobby for some minutes as tears rolled down my face, I still heard my mum speaking through the phone but I couldn't respond I just wanted to see my dad for the last time, hold his hands and tell him how much I loved him.

I struggled through school, I lacked money most times, a couple of times i almost succumb to Ifeyinwa's advise of following them to clubs to meet rich guys but then I pulled back cause that wasn't the lifestyle I was raised with, it took the intervention of the Personal Assistant to the VC for me to scale through Mr Bello's Course, cause he did everything to make sure he had sex with me, atimes he would invite me to his office and would want to start touching me, there's a particular day he almost touched my breast but I kicked him and ran out of his office,since then I never went to his office again, thank God for one of my course mates that introduced me to the VCs PA, she was the one that delivered me from the claws of Mr Bello.

I lived from hand to mouth, I did menial jobs atimes like washing clothes for people, or cleaning their houses just to get money to pay for my School fees or handouts, most nights I went to bed hungry, or is it the days I had to borrow sanitary towel from Agnes cause I couldn't afford to buy one, or is it the days I had to wait behind in class all night to read some handouts from my course mates cause I couldn't buy mine.

My mum, my Gold, she sold all she had to make sure I didn't fall for peer pressure in school, there's no day I call her for assistance (even thou I know she doesn't have much) that she wouldn't send something to me at least, there was a day I went home, getting home I noticed so many things were gone,I need not ask what happened to them, this made me really sad.

I was in my finals when Adeife my younger brother gained admission to University of Lagos, I graduated with a First Class Honors and on the day of my convocation, I was awarded the overall best graduating student in my faculty, and immediately I got two job offers from some top companies in Nigeria.

Today am done with my NYSC and working with one of the best Companies in Nigeria, was the journey easy (NO) was it smooth (NO) but with determination and focus I made it through UNSTAINED.

When I gained admission to University of Lagos the words of my mum resonated in my head " Ifeoluwa ranti Omo eni ti Iwo ise" this means remember the child of whom you are, I held on to these words and I believed it sustained me.

N.B  As a young girl with no much financial assistance from your parent I know it's really difficult surviving in the University without succumbing to peer pressure, I know there's massive freedom, there are lots of distractions, temptations here and there, I know it's not easy but you know if you succumb to this distractions it has alot of disadvantages than advantages, so many girls have been used for rituals cause they succumbed, so many girls are just walking corpse right now cause they succumbed.

University is just four or five years out of your entire life, you can survive this four years without succumbing to peer pressure trust me, just put your mind to it that you are going to school to study period nothing else, close your eyes to the lastest fashion, close your eyes to all that is happening around you, close your eyes to parties, focus on your studies if you can have this mindset then you are good to go, four years done and you can have the life you've always wished for, good job, best outfits, best cars, holiday trips to any country of your choice, yes you would see some girls living this life on campus but their end isn't always good most times, it's best you go through University UNSTAINED with all MODESTY so that you come out living your best life, and the best way to achieve this is paying deaf ears to all around you, there's an adage in Yoruba that says, when going to the market, you don't listen to noises around you, you pay attention to what you are going to buy in the market, this adage buttress my point so perfectly, focus on why you are in school and pay deaf hears to the noises(distractions) around you, quote me anywhere most successful women nowadays paid deaf ears to distractions in school for them to be what they are today.