Thread by @oloye__, One particular episode between my dad and II was in my first [...]

One particular episode between my dad and I

I was in my first uni, I had lost interest in school and course of study, I wasn't attending classes and neither was I planning on writing exams because I had spent my school fees on photography equipments.

Knowing you're not going to write exams is quite different from actually facing that decision when the day comes and you're not able to write exams. When that day came, I broke down; I told myself that I was going to destroy my life if I continued on this path, I cried publicly.

At this point, I knew I had to write the exams, even though I wasn't really going to class, I had kept up with class by copying notes and reading on my own. When I got to the clearance office, I was rejected exam clearance so I came up with an elaborate scheme.

I walked into the vice chancellor's office after telling his secretary that her attention was needed by someone just outside. He was in the office, I layed on my chest and I begged him crying, I told him my dad was struggling (even though my dad I had already given me the

money). Told him my dad promised to pay, before the end of exams. He took pity and asked me to give him my dad's number so he could call. Another wahala. I gave him the number hoping my dad will not pick. He did.

Hello sir, your son is here unable to pay his school fees.

My son is what?

He's in my office, he hasn't paid his fees and I wanted to call you to let you know that I'll only allow him write the exams this week and if he doesn't pay before next week, he'll not be allowed.

I can only imagine how confused my dad must have been at the other end. He said, okay sir, thank you sir, he prayed and promised to pay. So the VC wrote me a permission note and signed it, told another lecturer to drive me to my exam hall, even though it was already halfway

into the duration of the exam.

I gave the invigilator the note and proceeded to dubbing as much as I could, the invigilator allowed me because he realised I must have been a peculiar case.

But then, there was still the issue of the school fees that I had spent and my dad

still had to pay. We talked on the phone and I can remember how furious he was, at this point; I didn't care if he killed me, I just wanted to write my exams. My dad did send half of the fees (250k) and promised to pay the rest before new semester so my permission note was

extended.

After exams, everyone went home except me and a few other delinquents; we stayed in the hostel. Weeks after weeks, I couldn't go home to face my family. One day my dad just showed up, called me and said he was downstairs, I looked through my window and there he was

in the car park, only car there. At this point my mind said, well if he wants to kill me, I'll be happy. It is better than going home to my mum's tongue lashing.

Lo and behold. I went downstairs head down, I greeted him, he held my head up, looked in my face and he hugged me.

I couldn't hold back my tears. He kissed me on the cheek and said it was okay, let's go home. We went upstairs, my fellow delinquents helped me pack, he gave them some money and we left. It was a long car ride from Sango
-Ota back to Ibadan. He didn't show any anger,

he noticed I wasn't speaking much, asked me if I was hungry, I said no. He said let's go and eat Ofada, that knows a place at Ijebu Ode. We went, ate, he made them give me more, I think he noticed I had lost a lot of weight because I had not been eating, I was broke and couldn't

dare call home.

We got home and my mum complained that I was skinny, I was wondering when the family meeting was going to happen. It never did. My dad never told my mum and he never brought it up, we just swept everything under the rug like it was nothing.

He gave me 750k for the next term. I didn't pay it either.

At this point, I knew I had no interest in studying Engineering and if I continued, there was no way I was going to be able to make him proud when I graduated. I stayed in school for one more semester, I didn't write

exams. This time there was no breakdown, I knew exactly what I had to do. Sold some of my photography equipments plus all my school fees that I had saved, applied to several schools outside Nigeria and was offered admission into one.

I never forgot that event and it was one of the things that pushed me into graduating 3rd best in my set. When my dad came for my graduation many years after I was actually supposed to graduate; he told me he was proud of me and that was the end of that cycle.

I didn't tell my dad I changed schools until I was already in 200l in my new school. After 3 years at my old one. When I told him, he said "Okay, just don't lie to yourself, it is your life". At this point, I had a real result (as I used to fake my results in my old school).

I had a real result to show and it was impressive. We prayed over it and that was it.

Helped me discover so much about myself that experience, like how I do not react to punishment, instead love was a better way to guide me. I had been punished several times and I

just kept on doing what I was punished for until whoever it was got tired. But my father's hug and kiss made me change the cause of my life and here we are today.

Happy father's day Dad.

I used to be a proper rascal. One day, I'll tell the story of how I collected money from some of my mates to buy them PSP, borrowed from some other people, gave the people I collected money from and spent the money in secondary school. Another cycle that one.

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