AFTER SCHOOL, WHAT NEXT? - #1

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Hello to everyone in this great community and on this wonderful platform at large. I greet you all in good spirit and I want to believe that we all are doing just great today.

I welcome you all to yet another lovely weekend and to an awesome time like this on this platform. I hope we all are having a good time with friends and family as though it is indeed a day to rest from a stressful week that we just had.

Today, I am here to begin a series regarding a topic that has always been on my mind lately. I didn't get to ask myself a particular question because I have been running away from it not until it got done on me that I will be asking myself this question sooner. The topic of my series is themed AFTER SCHOOL, WHAT NEXT?.

This is indeed an important series that I have taken the burden of teaching and intimating the youth especially young steemians on here for the purpose of getting it right as soon as possible. Now I urge you all to sit tight and relax while I begin the teaching for today. I wish you all a happy reading.

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Many years back, the dream of every adolescent is to gain admission into the university, college of education and polytechnic. Having a bigger picture of what the outside world looks like, so much craving to go out and do whatever without being stopped or an explanation as to why you need to go out.

Being independent was the goal and having freedom to take certain decisions was what the mind crave for. High school is nothing compared to the university and every child's dream is to be among those who will gain admission into the tertiary level of education. The whole idea was to gain admission as that is the only thing that rings in the mind of young teenagers.

Getting ready for the west African examination council to get the examination process going already, we began to read and attend several after school lessons in other to be up to date and also saturated for the exams so as to be among the best graduands when the final list comes out.

I recorded many sleepless nights and how I and my friends will have to stay up till morning just to graps whatever we are reading. Having sore eyes by morning and getting so tired, not having strength to do our morning chores. The whole idea was to gain admission into the university.

We gave all our best to that examination and finally it was all over. The wait began, anxiety filled our heart and out of curiosity we keep checking in the cafe to get solid information regarding when the examination results are going to be out. Though the questions were quite cumbersome and tasking but we gave our best with high hopes for a positive result.

Eventually the long awaited results came out and the streets were filled with uproar. Some with distress and others with echoes of joy. I sat down outside the balcony, waiting on my mum to give me so money so could go check my result. Admist the wait, a friend of mine came with a sad story that broke my heart.

He was crying and couldn't talk as I take a quick glance through his result sheet, I noticed that he failed mathematics and English language. Those two are the most paramount among all the subjects if one is to be given admission into the university or any other tertiary institutions.

I couldn't say a word because I haven't seen mine so the curiosity increased and my heart beat rate increased too. I was restless and couldn't wait any further and just when I decided to go to my mum's work place, another friend came looking for me with a panic face saying they gave him a pass in mathematics and a distinction in English.

Hearing that alone eased my heart as my blood pressure became stable. At least that is a good news to start with. My mum arrived just in time and immediately I collected the money I dashed down to the cafe to check mine. Mum asked if she could go with me but I declined because I was skeptical about how my result will turn out to be.

Luckily for me I did pass the examination. I cams out with flying colours and there was no problem at all. I couldn't hold it in there as the joy was coming from the heart just like a river of overflowing water. I ran back to the house with joy, holding my result so firmly. I saw my mum getting ready to make dinner and I quickly revealed the result to her, she leaped for joy as she gave me a warm hug and afterwards she said congratulations my son.

I was glad that those sleepless nights paid off. They didn't go to waste and it was worth it. My mum began to use my name to brag in before of her colleagues and whenever she begins that, I normally come to the sitting room with either a novel or a book just to prove her point real hard. It was funny though but it is what it is.

The next phase came so speedily and that is the joint admission matriculation board examination. That is the examination which determines if one will gain admission or not into the tertiary level. The preparation began and this time, the hard work increases as I needed to do all I can to scale through just the way I did during the west African examination.

I did all that was expected of me and indeed the examination came and the result was awesome. I passed all my examinations and I began to wait for the admission list to be out. This was the final waiting period. The waiting period was accompanied with prayers and at least Good did it for me.

I got a notification from the school that I have been offered admission into the university. That was the happiest day of my adolescent stage. Right from the cafe I began to scream for joy and this time I didn't wait on my mum to be back from work, I rushed down to where she work just to share the news with her. The joy was massive and I couldn't control myself.

Mum was surprised to see me running to her with such a heavy breathe as though someone was chasing me and she asked why did I followed her to her work place, I couldn't say anything because I was trying to catch up my breathe but then I handed the admission letter which I have printed online to her.

She gazed at it and she became excited immediately and this time she carried me up. I was shocked that my mum could lift me at that age but it was all for joy. She was happy and then she asked me to return home and there was a feast that night on the success of gaining admission into the university.

On the day of resumption, I packed my bags and my provisions waiting for my mum to get ready so we could go to the institution. I was on my best behaviour that morning, I did all house chores and was already set to go with a smile on my face.

Walking majestically on the streets and receiving congratulations from friends and neighbours made me feel like a king riding on a horse. I could see how proud my mum was regarding that admission and I was glad I made her proud.

The whole Idea was to gain admission and see what the other side of life entails, little did I know that there was more to it. We finally boarded a ride and off we went to the university. We got there so early because I was having lectures that morning so she saw me through the school gate and paused for a moment.

She gave me all the advice I needed and encouraged me to be of good behaviour. Tears rush down from my eyes as she spoke those words to me and with the phobia of staying with people I do not know. I started missing home already but immediately she wiped those tears from my eyes as she prayed for me. I watched her leave the school gate and when I turned, I saw a tall person in my before with a loud voice saying What is your name and where are you from!!

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I will have to drop the pen at this juncture, to be continued next week. Thank you for reading and do not miss the next episode.