The Dream

2 years gone by, life is yet to stop being hard.

You ask me why?

Because, I'm yet to see the beauty of life, that which the rich often talk about.

When will I be rich?

Oh, if you think I'm just 11, then when will my family get rich and swoon in the camaraderie of filthily rich people, fleets of cars, healthy foods, games, beautiful cloths, adequate education and holiday is Safari.

Maybe, the term 'Rich' is just an illusion. Maybe we will never be rich.

Maybe anyone born poor can never be rich but only the ones born rich.

I wonder if we will ever be rich when dad is already aging. He had his first child in his mid thirties, now he is almost 50 years. I wonder how strong he has been to have survived this far with being poor, being strong is truly hard.

Well, I'll assume that he is the evening time of his lifetime.

My hopes are tattered, only a miracle will change this tenet of mine which I call "Destiny".

Although, I'm back to school on community scholarship, let me tell you about how the scholarship came about.

There was a scheme organized by the king of our community which actually came through noble givers from the eastern part of the city.

So, the community organized a Mathematical and English competition of different level.

So, i competed and I emerged the winner of my level. This was how I was placed on scholarship, this caters for just my school fees and books, my dad remained the most relieved, at least he won't need to worry about my school fee.

But still,

What does that change? Does going to school give you wealth?

Does it certify a colorful and rich future?

Does it make all your dreams come through?

A part of me says "Maybe", because the orientation we get from our teachers says that;

"Education gives you wealth and power".

But a huge part of me says "Maybe not", cause we got educated folks out there loitering around the streets.

I remember a man saying it yesterday that ;

"School only gives you education not opportunities nor platforms cause the governments owns and possess the opportunities"..

Another man said ;

"Who you know determines your success in life".

These scares me and I couldn't stop rhetorically asking myself; "Who does my father know?".

Definitely "No one!!".

This life really scares me, there is no peace, if you want peace you got to own it and if you can't you ended up in pieces..

"Ayo"

"Ayo"

"Ayo"

"Wake up, wake up, its time for school", Mother said.

"So, its all dream. So all my aloud thoughts and wishes were mere surreal"

(Ayo looked up with his finger getting support for his jaw)

"Now that I'm awake, Dear God, when will i be rich?"

He jumped down from his tattered three storied bed, one which he shared with the rest of his sisters and proceeded to the bathroom to take his bath.

He almost forgot that its always a queue using the bathroom, most especially on Mondays when people tend to resume back to work.

"There is a high propensity that I'll be late to school today", Ayo said.

To avoid the four strokes he will be getting at school from Mr Ben, he dropped at a corner washing with little water and soap his armpit, foot, face and hands.

"Ayo, you're keeping us waiting, we don't want to be a victim of Mr Ben's stroke", Sade said.

"I'll be there in a jiffy", Ayo replied.

They all proceeded to school, as the usuals they trek to school.

But today, Aduke seems too weak to trek. So, Ayo placed her on his shoulder to continue the journey they've already embarked on.

They often leave home 30 minutes before assembly time so as to have enough time to trek to school and escape the strokes from Mr Ben.

"Oh, I'm tired" Ayeni said while profusely sweating on their arrival to school.

"Why are you always arriving late to school?", asked Mr Ben while swinging his stroke giver from left to right.

"Our house is far from school and we do trek to school", Sade replied.

"Ehn ehn, and so what?"

"Is that an excuse for you to be late? "

"I'll spare you today and it will be the last, next time you arrive late to school I will not hesitate to deface your buttocks with the Mr Sugarcane swinging in my hand", Mr Ben said..

"Alright sir", they all chorused..

"Ayeni, I hope you know you're responsible for our lateness today", said Layo.

"Yes I know, I am sorry. I was actually lost in the midst of a dream soliloquising. It almost seems real to me not until mom longed my name.

Dreams are crazy, cause they could make you act crazy. I couldn't imagine that I was dreaming.

In fact, few minutes after waking up I still think this real life is the dream and the assumed dream is the real life ", Ayo replied.

They all laughed out loud.

"I hope its a good dream, I hope its a dream that will bring us money", Aduke said.

"So I pray", Ayo replied.

"Hey guys, take these biscuits, I got it for us", Sade said.

"Oh, thank you sister ", Ayo, Layo and Aduke chorused..

They all waved goodbye to each other as they went to their respective classes. Hence, Ayo and Layo are classmates.

Ayo and Layo are allowed to share the same books in school, the books in which Ayo got from his scholarship. This gives more academical comfort and progress to Layo so also saved Mr Biobaku the trouble, expense and stress of getting text books for Layo..