Chapter 1: Chapter 1

MICHEAL POV

"Mike, I just saw it online now that Unilag admission list is out, make sure you check it on time". That was my Dad talking to me via a telephone call.

My name is Michael but people call me Mike for short. I'm a tall guy with little muscle or can I say lanky guy. Chocolate in complexion with dimples on both sides of my cheek. My mum did a great job and I will forever be grateful to her for deciding to give me that precious gift. I had a lot of admirers while in secondary school just because of the dimples. There is no way you are not going to like something about me. If you don't like my being lanky, you will like my dimples, if you don't like the dimples, you will like my pink lips or my complexion. Even as I had a lot of girls admiring me, have never had a girlfriend before, it has not occurred to me to have one. I didn't see the need for them, they will only end up being distractions to my studies and I didn't want to disappoint my dad.

I'm the only child of my parents. I lost my Mum when I was still a baby and my dad has been the one taking care of me. He refused to remarry after my mum died and that made people spread rumors that my mum and dad did blood oath. They said the blood oath was a very serious one that my dad will also die anytime he sleeps with another woman whether they marry or not, so far it's not my mother. My Dad explained why he decided to stay single, he said he has not found anyone capable of replacing my mum and that he didn't want any woman to come and be maltreating me because women will always be women.

Since then it has been the two of us and I took him as my best friend. We are rich in our little way, we lack nothing. It's the type of our family people call well-to-do family. My dad had two cars and we are living in our house. The house is in Lekki, Island area of Lagos state. I don't have many friends or let me say I don't have close pals, I'm an introvert, very gentle to people I'm meeting for the first time but can be a little trouble for those I'm familiar with.

It's been three years since I finished my secondary education. Ever since have been at home looking unto God for a miracle. During my stay at home over the last three years, my dad enrolled me in a computer training center and I graduated from it one year later.

I aim to be a computer guru and have shared the dream with my dad who also fancy the idea, the main reason he decided to take me to the computer training center. As a computer science graduate, you have so many job opportunities compared to other courses. Almost everybody uses computers nowadays, be it in hospitals, Banks, offices, stores, malls, and so many places. A day cannot pass in this present generation without the use of a computer and for effective service, you will always need a professional to take care of your work for you.

After the computer training, I wrote Jamb but scored lesser than what can give me admission as a computer science student. I was given another course but I rejected it. Lots of people persuaded me to take the course like that and later cross to the field I wanted later. Some even advised me to forget about computer science and take up another course but I made up my mind that it's either computer science or nothing.

The year after, I wrote Jamb again and after a lot of sleepless nights and prayers, I scored 290. Who says hard and prayer don't work. I wrote post utme and was waiting on God to make something happen. Not until my dad called me that blessed afternoon.

I quickly opened my laptop and went straight to the school site to check the list. This is their second batch list, I just pray I make this list or I will still have to wait another year.

With trembling hands and tensed spirit, I navigated through to the admission list and was scanning the list cautiously. My eye caught "Aderibigbe Michael"... I paused for a while and look at it very well, it was my name. I shouted and jumped up like a small kid that was given a toy, I was so happy and I quickly picked my phone and called my dad.

Being a Nigerian and going to the university of your choice with your desired course is a real miracle. I had no one to share my news with since I don't have friends. I will just have to wait for my dad to come and then we can celebrate together.

Oh, I almost forget, there is this group on WhatsApp that I joined, we are all unilag aspirants, the group members reduced when the first list was dropped. People think since they've gotten admission, they are no more an aspirant. So the few of us left have been praying to God to do ours too.

I quickly picked my phone and opened my WhatsApp, like three people have dropped their congratulatory messages already and I also announced I have been given admission. It was a joyous day for the group and few other people left at that moment. It was not those that gained admission this time, it was those that knew the game was up, no more admission that year because the list that was been dropped was the last list for that year.

Five of us from the group decided to link up when we get to school. The decision I will forever be grateful to God that I made.

It rained the day I was finally going to school. The previous weeks have been a very busy one for me. Saddled with the task of getting an apartment that's not too far from the school. The student hostel was full when I applied for it and I had no choice but to get an apartment outside the school. After the apartment, I had to buy foodstuffs and take care of the admission process. My dad has been a great support and I was able to put everything in place before our resumption.

I moved into the apartment on Sunday, a day before the day I will resume school which is Monday. My dad persuaded me to go in one of the cars but I refused, I told him I would like to see how things are first before deciding whether to go with a car or not. Sunday night was a boring one, with no one to interact with within my a-room self contain apartment, I went online to check if any of my friends are online but none was so I ended up watching a movie on my laptop will call of nature called me away.

I woke up around 6 a.m. Waking up by six has been a part of me already, there is a saying that says, what you do frequently will later become a part of you. While at home, I made it compulsory that I must wake up by six even if I don't have anywhere to go, I did it to prepare myself for school days like this.

I entered the bathroom and had my bath, had custard as breakfast, and prepared for school. Before 7a.m I had been at the lecture hall door, I peeped inside and saw few people already waiting for the lecture. I thought I would be the first person. I adjusted my cloth even though the cloth was firm on me, shake my head sideways as a sign of accepting the challenge, and entered the lecture hall. I could sense people looking at me but who cares, I'm here for lectures and lectures alone, any side attraction will not be tolerated. I located an empty chair and sat down, opened my bag and brought out a new hardcover notebook, and was ready for the day's challenge.

Not long after I entered, a lady entered that caught everybody's attention. Everywhere was silent the moment she stepped into the lecture hall. The lady was so beautiful, beautiful is even an understatement, she was gorgeous and astonishing. She had this innocent look and was fair in complexion. Her hair was so full. Even without make-up, none of the girls with make-up that was in the lecture hall was able to withstand her beauty.

I opened my mouth in awe, "there is no way this girl is a human", I said to myself, she must be a mermaid.

She entered the hall and I could see from her composure that she was not comfortable with everybody staring at her. She walked to an empty seat and sat down, she didn't look up, maintaining eye contact with anybody that money could be a disaster for her.

Well, she can't blame anybody, she was the beautiful one.

I was lost in thought on how to approach this lady, I'm not the type that's after beauty anyway, but I think the lady was different. There was something about her than what I saw that morning, I need to know her more and from there who knows, anything can still happen.

" No No No Michael... Distractions are not the goal, face what you are here for" I said to myself.