I annoyed her so much that year and she had to switch schools for me. I was enrolled to complete my primary school education in a school about 3 kilometers away from home. It was mum's way to discipline me for refusing to stay where she wanted.
At first I cried and believed my cries would make her change her mind. But her mind was made up. So I had to learn how to wake up really early, prepare for school and begin my long trekking to school.
There was a standing rule in the house that nobody should give me any money to enter a bus and mum definitely had no plans of dropping me off at school in the morning. So starting from the second term of my primary 5, the son of Nebu started trekking this 3 KM distance to school.
At first my legs pained me really bad. But gradually, I got used to talking to myself in my head by isolating myself from the person walking. I began to mentally encourage the person walking as if the person in my head was different.
Gradually, I shifted attention from myself to the people I saw every morning as I trekked to school. I began to ask myself, "What can make life better for these people?" It was quite funny that at my preteen, those were the kind of thoughts running through my mind.
By the time my mum's anger had subsided and she wanted to change schools for me to one closer to home, I declined. I had fallen in love with that school and found a woman who changed my life for good; Mrs. Mgbemena.
Mrs Mgbemena is my mum's friend and we are all from the same village in Anambra State. My mum complained to her how I disobeyed her and she had to punish me by enrolling me in her school. Mrs Mgbemena took special interest in me. She drilled, trained and taught me how to speak, write and present myself. Many times, she drove me home with her daughter and held extra lessons for us.
She was the angel who came into my life and this is why I am sharing this experience.
When my mum sent me to that school, she believed she was punishing me for disobeying her. But unknown to us, that was actually where God wanted me to be. If I never went to that school, I would never have met Mrs Mgbemena and take it for free; I won't be here writing this.
I learnt how to document my life's memories and started then to train myself in the subtle but difficult art of documenting my life. I believe there are people with more life experiences than me, but the difference is that I can share mine here and elsewhere in spoken and written words.
Sometimes in life, people who love you will discipline you for your own good. You may feel sad and ask why it is happening because you don't understand.
"Why are they sending me away from home? Why do they want me to learn a skill? Why should I do this or that? It makes me so uncomfortable."
Always remember that growth happens outside your zone. That's why it's called growth after all; because it takes you to new places and most times, it can be uncomfortable in the beginning.
Here's a lesson worth sharing with your friends and loved ones today from the Son of Nebu; the good things you're seeking in life can come in small packages that need to be refined. Sometimes they are not so pleasant. Always pray for the grace to decipher what you need to do.
In the end, God's blessings will never pass you by and I know you'll live a good life of impact and fulfilment.
Keep the faith!
