Dominion Okon @grandmaster

I was home alone, I slept most of the day sleeping, so I decided to a little stroll when it was evening, to stretch myself a bit, just to make sure that fatigue doesn't get much of me. I didn't really have anywhere in mind to stroll to, so I just walked in any direction I felt like going. I use enjoying the cold breeze of the evening, at the same time listening to music using my headset. I felt good.

I came across a site where an hotel construction was ongoing, they just closed for the day and labourers were receiving their payments. Just as I almost walked past the site, I heard some commotion among the labourers, I turned around to see two grown men in their 40s, fighting themselves aggressively. I stopped and walked back, wondering what the problem could be that would warrant such.

I got to find out that the Engineers of the site gave both of them their wages for them to share equally, the money was shared, but unfortunately a change of 200 naira remained to be balanced to one of them, but there was no change, and the two of them refused to let the other go home with the money, or perhaps get the change the next day. They preferred battling themselves, other than looking for where to change the money.

200 naira looks too small to be fought over, but here it was enough for grown men to exercise their muscles, this is where the present economy has pushed us to, I couldn't blame them much. I felt embarrassed on their behalf, they have families, how will it look like if their wives or children passed by to see their father fighting. I was with 200 naira, I gave the money to them so they won't damage themselves further. They have families to feed, I guess that makes the smallest amount of money most valuable to them.

I was happy I could help, I watched as they took their different routes home. I didn't give because I had too much, just couldn't bear to see such men fighting over such amount of money. The incident kept flashing back in my mind after I got home, they could have inflicted damages on themselves that 200 naira won't be enough to treat them. I was happy that I was of help to them, it's a small world and a small life, let's spend the most of it happily and looking after others.

I returned home after a very stressful semester, it was a very tough semester with lots of challenges, but I thank God that I wasn't consumed. After the conclusion of our exams, I didn't want to travel home for the holiday because some of my colleagues were going to be around, but my parents insisted that I must return home and so I couldn't refuse, I saddled up and travelled back to my state.

I had been away for months that I even forgot the kind of reception I always receive at home, I should have been the one to insist that I must travel home. Immediately I arrived home, I was served a very delicious rice and stew, compared to what I eat while at school. Life at school is a very different one, you can never see a free food, you will starve if you don't cook. I wish my colleagues would know what they are missing by not traveling home.

Back at school, I live alone, so I'm literally bored almost all the time, but here, you can never get bored with siblings and parents around. About three hours after I arrived, white soup that I have been craving for in school was served again, I would have said that it feels like I'm dreaming, but that is the reality of home. Just imagine my mum saying if the food isn't enough I should let her know, meanwhile at school I measure the portion of food I eat to save money. Ha!

And then I thought to myself, imagine a person without a family, without a home, you can't enjoy these things then. The joy and love that is shared in a family, you can't feel alone in a family. I have some rest now from the stress of looking after myself, at least for now, it will ease the pressure and give me strength when I return to school. The musician that sang the song " wherever where you go, remember the road that will lead you home" know the feeling. It's good to have where to go and rest up for a while after series of stress, and that can only be home, family.

In one of our examinations, something happened between my coursemates that dropped our jaws. My coursemates; Emmanuel and James got themselves into a very terrible situation. Emmanuel is a very brilliant guy that writes exams without any help, James on the other hand has never written exams without expo as his main source which he couldn't do without.

While an examination was ongoing, one of the supervisors from a distance, sited James acting suspiciously and told him to stand up, James was using his phone to write the exams. While the supervisor was walking towards him, James passed his phone to Emmanuel to help him hide it. Emmanuel, though a brilliant student, was only help his coursemate to escape severe penalties.

The supervisor searched James and couldn't find anything on him, and so decided to search Emmanuel who sat close in front of him. And of course, the supervisor found the phone with Emmanuel, the lecturers in the exam hall were really disappointed, being that they know Emmanuel to be very intelligent. Emmanuel and James were accused of joint partnership in exam malpractice, their scripts were torn and they were sent out of the hall. we couldn't believe our eyes.

This served as a big lesson to us, how can you spend hours studying everyday, and at the end you decide to risk it for somebody that clubs everyday without studying. To help people is good, but in this scenario, it is bad to render any help of this kind, because if you are caught doing so, you are in big trouble and it will cost you so much. Emmanuel has failed that course because of trying to help James from getting caught, James didn't deserve that help, Emmanuel should have let him carry his cross.

Today's exams was the best I've ever faced in the university, I didn't expect it to be so easy, right from the beginning of the semester, but it surprised me. The course title is Engineering Mathematics III, and as easy as it was to me, many came out lamented about how tough it was for them.

From the beginning of the semester, the lecturer that is taking the course doesn't allow anybody to enter the lecture hall again after he has started lecturing. He gives assignment every week, to be typed and printed, and submitted in the next class, anybody that doesn't make it to the lecture hall on time won't submit, as the door would have been shut.

The course had a practical aspect where an application called MATLAB is used to calculate the Engineering Mathematics. The practical was held twice in a facility outside the school, not too far from school, and it was already fixed by 4 pm, you're sure to be tired by this time of the day after stressing yourself from the beginning of the day. The practical was our C.A.

In all this, I was very active and participated in all, I never missed a lecture, did all the assignments and never went late to the lecture. The lecture was always by 8 am every Tuesday, and I was quite very afraid of the course, so I took it as a priority. I would leave my house by 6:45 am, just to make sure I'm there on time, and believe me, the attendance was very poor, only 20 students will show up in a department of 85 students. I personally did my assignments, studied in excess, I was fully involved.

The reason why the exam was very easy for me, and why it's difficult for others is very clear now. We all prayed concerning the course, it is the toughest of all, but only few could smile after the exams. God would only help those who help themselves. I told my coursemates as we walked back home, that there's no secret or shortcut to success, even God won't do anything in cases such as this. Study and God will help you understand and retain it, otherwise, you're on your own.

The first time I had to leave my state for the first time, to another state for my university education, where I didn't have any relative. It was a moment I will never forget, I had to tearfully say goodbye to my friends and colleagues at place of work, I cried like a baby. My parents asked me where I'll sleep before renting a house for myself, I told them not to worry and travelled without any hesitation.

During the journey, I refused to let myself get bothered with how I'm going to sleep, bath or go about things, I just kept thinking about my family and friends, and how much I was missing them already. I arrived the state late in the evening and got to the university gate by 8 pm. Walking into the university, it was so cold, and quiet, with street lights shining on a long and wide interlocked path.

I found myself where to sit and relax, it's been a long journey and I was really hungry and tired, but saw no where to buy food nor snacks, and it was certainly not gonna be a night for a premium rest, because I had nowhere to sleep. I called my family to tell them that I had arrived, my father asked if I had where to sleep, I answered yes and told him I was fine, because I didn't want to stir up worries and unnecessary tension.

I went there with my school bag which contained my clothes, cup, sponge, soap, toothbrush, and my documents, it's funny, the way my house had a basic set of house tools. I felt safe inside the school environment, so I looked for a convenient, safe and hidden spot which was the veranda of the school library, laid some clothes on the floor and slept on it. The night very cold with cold breeze blowing in a turbulent manner, I couldn't sleep well, but I sha slept.

The school security came to me and asked why I was sleeping there, I narrated my story to them and they left me in peace. Very early in the morning, around 5 am, I woke up and took my bath in a running tap I found there, I used my cup as a scooper to pour the water on my body, brushed my teeth and changed my clothes, and once everywhere was bright, I quickly bought snacks to eat and went about my registration and clearance activities.

At the end of the day, I returned to my sleeping spot and this time a very heavy rain fell, it was terrible cold throughout the night, I was shaking. The same security met me again and I told them I wasn't able to go in search for a house to rent, and they understood. Woke up very early again, bathed, brushed and once it was morning, I decided to go and find a house, I prayed to God that I didn't want to walk up to 15 minutes before finding a house to rent.

Surprisingly, I walked straight to a house that had only one vacant room, God had answered that prayer, faster than I imagined, I rented that house. My landlady asked when I'm moving into the house, I told her I've moved in already. There was nothing in the house, so I slept in the floor, at least it was better than sleeping outside in the cold. I gradually purchased the house equipments I needed, and began my university journey in earnest, I find this story inspiring. I wanted to see how unique my survival skills are and how best I could take care of myself. I did great.

The past few days have been very tough, I have an exam that is coming up in a week's time, and I've spent almost all my time preparing very hard to make sure the exam doesn't humiliate me. I started making the study very intensive to the extent that I will even forget to eat and rest, only one agenda on my list, and that is to read without ceasing.

I started feeling sick and always weak, my eyes almost red in colour, started losing focus anytime I try to study, sleep always showing up in a very funny way. Still, I force myself to study and get to sleep very late in the night, which will result in headache and some sickness symptoms when I wake up in the morning. I made myself restless, day and night, I wasn't comfortable anymore.

It can't be malaria, I took malaria medicine about one month ago, so I decided to try something new. I made a new schedule for when to eat, sleep, play, and study. I tried as much as possible to make sure I don't exit limits. Wake in the morning, clean up, bath, eat, relax a bit, study for some time, rest, bath eat, read again in the night and sleep. I suspected I had forced myself too much to focus on studying alone, ignoring food, play and rest, I had to correct it.

In just few days, I was fine, no more sickness symptoms, and I was able to concentrate more whenever it was time to study. Studying is good and expected of a student, but I discovered you can't ignore sleep, food and some leisure time, all are very important, or else it will take a toll on you and you might end up breaking down. The body can't take so much stress, sitting in one place throughout the day and night made me look like an HIV patient, but the moment I stopped neglecting sleep, food and leisure time, I was fine and studying became even more effective.

Once upon a time, few years back when I was staying with my uncle, after I managed to learn how to drive his Hilux without any assistance, he gave me some basic driving tips that will helpful to me and ensure safety, I analysed all and spotted out one of them not to be completely true.

The man had been driving for years, and a young learner like me who just started driving, doubted this one tip he gave me. He told me that driving speed along a wet road, or when rain is falling, is very dangerous as the tires might slide on the road when the brake is applied, making it difficult for the car to stop. I doubted this, because looking at the tires, it has enough sturd, even the road is very rough, so I couldn't imagine water that is not slippery like okro water, to be capable of reducing friction that much.

About two years later, I got employed in a nursery, primary and secondary school to work as a school bus driver. On this fateful afternoon, while I was still driving the pupils and students back to their homes, rain started falling heavily, it was so big that I could not see the road clearly, yet I had to keep moving, because I was running late and the parents started calling. As at the time I finished dropping the last student, it was already late in the evening, and the rain had just stopped. I was on my way back to the school to park the bus, and I was driving fast, because I didn't want to get home late.

I was still driving with speed down a road that is very sloppy, and I spotted a car some meters in front of me that is about to use the u-turn. I matched down my brakes, the car didn't stop, rather it was sliding down the road and the tires was really making a loud noise. I won't lie, I feared I'll die that day, I was terrified to see my life flash before my eyes. The luck I had is that the other side of the road was free, and so the car made the turn just before I got to it, and then my car started slowing down and the brakes started working again. There was nothing wrong with the brakes, the car was too fast on a wet road, that incident cleared my doubt about what my uncle has been telling me. Learnt from experience, but it could have cost me my life, I should have made my research since I didn't believe the man, it's not everything that we will learn by experience, it could be disastrous, learning by research is much safer in this situation.