Chapter 64: Chapter 64

Life they say is like a school. It has its own ups and downs but all we have to do is to struggle no matter what. Someday in school we laugh. Other days we cry. Sometimes in school, we make new friends. Other times, we fight because they end up betraying us. So is life for every one of us. We don't know what would come next or what to expect... We just move, trying to survive alone.

To be beautiful means to be yourself. Life is the results of the examinations and your struggles are the questions you need to answer. There's no cheating anybody in this one because in any situation, there's a sacred solution.

In life, you do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do. To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you someone else- it's the greatest accomplishment.

Whether poor or wealthy, a male or a female; in everybody's life, there's a point where you can't go forward anymore. And when you reach that point, all you do is quietly accept the fact... That's how you survive. As life begins on the other side of dispire;

The huge auditorium was well decorated with colourful flowers and balloons which added beauty to the fair, bright day.

All the graduating students were marching in to their seats to music a set for drummers were giving. It's was a delightful sight indeed. Seated alphabetically in ascending order of their names, all graduants as well as their family members, friends, the school rector, Vice Chancellor, Dean of studies, the guidance counselors, and most of the lecturers too were present along with guest speakers and well wishers. There were about 4 to 5 guest speakers at the event.

Today, among the 30,000 graduates of Ahmad Bello University, Zaria- Humaira was just one of them. Wearing the Navy blue with hourse-blood stips at it's neck, satin was more than an honour for Humaira. The graduation cap was a crown but there wasn't just a little difference in Humaira, there was a big change. Her skin glowed like royalty and she had this spark in her eyes. Humaira was gisting with some of her colleagues on the seated roll but she wasn't just comfortable. She stretched her neck here and there, looking for someone she'd been expecting? Zainab.

"Where's she? Where could she be?" She kept on muttering to herself as her eyes searched the crowd.

Meanwhile, Zainab just entered the auditorium looking so confused and worked up. Yes, she's just coming from Abuja that very minute but what she wanted to see was the perfect view of her beloved sister, the crown of her heart. Her hope and joy. Glancing for where to seat, Zainab looked to the left. There I saw a huge crowd sitting on the bleachers, so she quietly joined them.

Humaira's eyes x-rayed the place again. It was hard to spot Zainab but Star, Gift and Theodora had also promised to be there. However, they had graduated a year earlier but the four of them were still very close friends; especially now that Humaira seems to be the leader of the group.

At first, It was hard to find those three but after squinting her eyes and telling one of her classmates, Fredrick Daniel (a guy who used to be their course rep) to move his noggin, she found them seated on the fifth row.

The graduation hall was noisier than a market square as everyone was busy with one or two things.

Gift and Theodora had binoculars in their hands and a blow horn in the other while Star ate popcorn as if she was at a baseball game. Humaira shook her head; they were always this silly but she loved them very much. They had been her ladder to success all these years and she was able to take a huge step in her life with the help of these three.

To her right was the university Vice Chancellor, rector, Dean of studies, guidance counselors and all the other members of the prestige school faculty. They didn抰 look as if they wanted to be here. Most of them had grumpy faces, especially her English Lecturer, Professor Charles Ezechukwu; who is now a senior lecturer.

Of course, Humaira sat in the middle with her classmates... "Class of 2015, the future barristers of this country." She smiled at the thought. But then, she爈ost it when she got a glimpse of Zainab. She was sitting there, in the midst of others like a lost, wet kitten. Humaira stared at her with ears of joy welling up in her eyes. It's been five years. Five long years since she last saw her adorable sister. Now, Zainab is a grown up teenager, more beautiful than she'd imagined.

She wished she could hug her one more time. Her mind flashed back to the last hug they had at the motorpark years ago. It was just like yesterday, everything was still clear to Humaira.

Just about to meet her, the Master of Ceremony-?The M.C grabbed the microphone, asking them to stand, file out of their seating row and move towards the stage.

There and then, Humaira and other graduants took their graduate presentation card with them which was handed to the presenter at the lectern. Their names were called one after the order alphabetically?as they walked towards they stage to take their seats.

Zainab's puzzled eyes widened as the presenter announced their names one after the other. It took forever till when he said?"Humaira Sammi Ahmad."

Humaira collect her card from the presenter respectfully and walked across the stage to take her seat. There was a sticker placed on the chair, indicating her name. The sight was simply amazing?Zainab almost jerked off her seat with so much excitement; that the people around her glanced at her with a wried kind of look as if they were trying to say.. 'Is everything okay?'

Zainab didn't bother looking at them- In fact, she didn't even care to notice their looks. Overjoyous, Zainab laughed curtly as tears of joy steamed down her eyes as well. "Humaira..." She cried.

After taking a seat, Humaira too sighted her as the sister's laughed at themselves, incoherently. Zainab gasped her breath and back to watch. Her mind was at rest now?now that she had seen Humaira.

The rector started by greeting everyone, asking the graduants to stand up for their names to be called. Star watched gleefully as Humaira's name was called and she went on stage?not knowing if this would be the last time shed see her really want to make her cry. But she held it in, knowing that she's a big girl in public. Crying wouldn't stop Humaira from leaving anyways. She just couldn't believe it was yesterday's Humaira, the young pregnant girl she almost found dead by the roadside.

Six years old Hadee was sitting on Star's laps, waving a big, pink ballon at his mum as she was called on stage. There had been a big improvement in Hadee's health. Now, he could recognise Humaira and even started calling her Ma-ma. He's a six year old but has the brain and mentality of a three year old.

The rector presented Humaira with a temporary card. She walked across the stage shaking hands with the A.B.U's school faculty, however her eyes and mind were glued on Hadee, whom was with Star at the back row and Zainab, who was trying to hold her tears at the front row. While going back to her seat, Humaira tripped, almost making her fall on the 6 inches heels she was wearing.

It was unlike before when Humaira couldn't wear such shoes. She was used to wearing various kinds of foot wears now but that particular sho was just disgraceful. Everyone shivered with fear as she tripped but she quickly stood upright with a smile and went back to her seat. Perhaps, she must have tripped because she wasn't looking front from staring at her loved ones.

Apart from Humaira tripping while walking down the stage, everything went smoothly until it was time for the Dean of study's speech. He wasn't around so he sent a representative; someone from the academics.

Despite holding a scripted, written speech, he made several mistakes in his pronounciation as he stammered while reading. Most graduants couldn't get the information he was trying to pass across. It was really shameful but it seemed that was his first time presenting a speech amongst such a huge crowd.

"Best in Dressing, Best in Punctuation, Most Respected Student of the Year, Most Reproductive Student of the Year, M.S.S.N Leaving Amira, Sense of Responsibility & Organizational Ability Awards,

Best Law Student of the year, 2015..." These were all presented to Humaira. There were lots of hand shakes and clapings for the graduants most especially Humaira that graduated with a first class honours in Law and was already presented job offers at two high courts within the country. With all of these, Humaira went back to her seat with about ten different awarded certificates.

After presenting all the awards and certificates to the graduants, the vice Chancellor addressed the graduants while the Dean and director gave short speeches to the rest of the students. The valedictorian, whom was Humaira and the course rep (also called the senior class president), Fredrick Daniel were also called to give a couple of speeches at the end.

Starting from Fred. He a great speech, thanking everyone for their love and support and telling the seated guests how stressful it has been. The journey so far has been an hectic one especially with the kind of lecturers they have. It was his last day in ABU so he finally got the opportunity to pour out his mind, no one would beat him anyways?Everyone gets a huge laugh at his words even, the H.O.Ds and lecturers at seat. Even though it was kind of lame Fred seemed to have added humor to the almost boring event. Humaira was called upon next to give her speech. It was her first speech ever. Although she was a really nervous, she had to give the best in the presentation she wasn't even ready for.

揕et抯 give our valedictorian a warm welcome.?The crowd began to clap as the EmCee helped Humaira on stage (Not to fall again).

With sweaty hands, she immediately forgot about her fears and insecurities simply staring at Hadee and Zainab.

Note;

Humaira Sanni Ahmad scored CGPA of 6.9 in a 7.0 grading system to emerge the best graduating law student of 2014/2015 set in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaira.

She's the first class graduate and also came top in all her law courses claiming some awards in the process.

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