Hope for Tomorrow

Hope for tomorrow.

There will always be a time in my life I will never forget no matter how decades roll by. It was back then in my undergraduate days; if I get my figures right, it was back in 1995. I was in 200L studying accounting at the University of Lagos. One Saturday I had gone to my best friend’s apartment where she lived with her boyfriend to visit because she called in sick on Friday. I took my time to make her favourite meal of yam and egg sauce despite my busy schedule. I loved Shade like a sister and wouldn’t jeopardize our friendship for anything. I knew she wouldn’t or so I thought. When I got to her apartment, I met her boyfriend John who told me she went to the pharmacy.

I decided to wait for her since she wouldn’t stay long. As I sat on the couch, I dozed off. Soon, I felt someone caressing my breast and I jolted back to consciousness only to see John, my best friend’s boyfriend naked in front of me. I was very shocked at my marrows because I did not think that John would ever try to do that with me. I stared at him as I tried to process what was going on. I tried to stop him but he forced himself on me. That day, he took my innocence without batting an eyelid. Then it dawned on me that he lied about my friend going to the pharmacy. It was later that I got to know that my friend had travelled home for treatment that morning. I felt like a fool. I could not get myself for some time. I thought of reporting to the police but I decided against it because of the stigma involved.

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John kept stalking me and begging for my forgiveness but I avoided him to avoid committing murder. When my friend came back from her travelling, I avoided her because I couldn’t bear to look her in the face. After some deliberations, I summoned the courage to tell her about the incident. As I narrated the event, she looked unconcerned. I was very surprised. I asked her why she seemed to care less but her next action shocked me. She gave me a resounding slap that I went deaf for a second. She screamed at the top of her voice calling me a liar. She said her boyfriend told her how I came to their apartment in her absence to seduce him. I was very surprised to realize that John had changed the narrative. I felt shattered and broken as my friend continued embarrassing me. People had begun to gather around us to watch the scenario. I walked back to my hostel in embarrassment and burden in my heart as I felt helpless.

Before I knew it, the story had spread around the campus like wildfire and people stared and spoke in hushed voices wherever I went. Some mean ladies even took it upon themselves to disgrace me wherever I went. Soon my gp dropped drastically as I couldn’t maintain my position as the best overall. I no longer had friends and Shade swore to never have anything to do with a betrayal like me. Funny enough, she didn’t break up with John. They were still waxing strong in their relationship and even showed it to my face. When that semester ended, I went to spend some time with my elder sister. We are orphans and  She was the only family I had; we only had each other. She wept bitterly when I told her about it and I was even the one consoling her.

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She assured me that she would stick with me through thick and thin. I was very relieved to know that my sister loved me so much. She took me to a clinic where we realized that I was pregnant. I was so depressed that I did not realize that I have missed my period. When we heard the news, I did not know what to do. My sister and I deliberated and decided that I was going to keep the pregnancy. My sister pampered me like a baby and would not let me do any chores. She nursed me back to shape and I regained my health and beauty. After a month, school had resumed and I developed cold feet about going back. My sister encouraged me to go back with the promise that she would visit and spend every weekend with me.

To cut a long story short, I was able to study hard to make up for my poor result the previous semester. Soon my tummy started protruding after some months and my tongue started wagging again. This time around I ignored everything and focused on myself and my unborn baby. When I gave birth to my baby girl, she was the most beautiful baby. I knew that I had to keep her and love her. She looked like John so much. My sister wept in joy as she held the baby in her hands promising to be a good aunt. I could not resume back to school immediately but I returned just in time to write my final exams. After the exams, I took my things and left my apartment immediately as I was determined to face life head-on.

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Fast forward to 2018, my daughter did her convocation at Bowen University 🎓 where she studied law. Tears ran down my cheeks as she was awarded for being the best-graduating student in her department. She got married in 2020 to a fine young medical doctor. Things are going on well and she has a beautiful daughter who will be two this December. When I think about all I went through, I appreciate the fact that I did not give up along the way. I was determined to fight the war to the end and I won. In life, you are faced with so many challenges but the most important thing is not to let the challenges weigh you down. There is hope for you when you are alive and you are determined to stand firm in yourself.

If you ask me about Shade and John, I would tell you that they are currently divorced. Yes, they got married a year after graduation despite the ugly situation among us. I was not invited and Shade posted pictures and videos of the wedding on social media just to spite me. I got to know of their divorce on social media; it was a really messy divorce. I think their marriage only lasted two years. After the divorce, John started stalking 👀 me again and kept demanding to see his child. I had to relocate to another state to keep my child away from that pervert. He looked for us but to no avail. My sister even called to tell me that he was threatening. I didn’t bulge because I would never let my child go close to a rapist.

After their divorce, Shade came asking for my forgiveness. She said that love blinded her and that she did not see beyond John’s lies. I told her I have forgiven her but I needed my space. She wept bitterly for our lost friendship and we went our separate ways. At times, when I think about everything I thank God for helping me stand firm in my trying times. I am a successful actress with a big film academy in the US and in Nigeria. I am married to the CEO of a publishing firm in the US and I co-run an NGO with my daughter named HOPE FOR THE GIRL CHILD. We are determined to give every young girl the voice to speak out and be heard. We are giving every girl child the chance to be who she wants to be despite the obstacles that could come the way.

The End.