You Have Done Well!

Lanre could not help but scoff when the overall best graduating student in the school was rewarded with the sum of one thousand five hundred naira. After all the stress the young man had gone through to come out one of the best and ended up as the best among the best, it was one thousand five hundred naira the school rewarded him with. Worst was due to the present economical situation in the country, that money would not be enough to get that young man a good shirt nor will it pay his transportation fee. How can someone graduate as the best from the department of mechanical engineering and also topped every other best student and that was the reward.

Lanre thought about the irony of a life for most Nigerian students, after working hard, there rewards cannot compensate for the shoe they wear. She had almost burst out laughing. But despite the little reward, should one stop working hard academically? She wouldn’t think so. That result could help the young man fetch a good space in society, whether in the country or out of the country. It was not a waste of result, it was just that the reward given to him by the school was not encouraging at all.

But she was lucky that it was not just her department that was compensating her, but two alumni who had promised to give a hundred thousand each to whosoever that will break the ten year record and graduate with a first class. Even the award she got from the department as well as the faculty could not beat that. And this was one of the biggest schools in the country in terms of population and has produced most of the top personalities in the country. She took the money given to her and for that day she would smile at every lecturer and professor who shakes hand with her. For the second time in her life, she saw their professor who they nicknamed Professor sadist smile. He smiled at her and told her she made him proud.

“You are not one of those students that was well known in the department, but your effort has announced you. I’m proud”. The professor said laughing heartily. At least for the first time in ten years mass communication can again boast they produced a first class graduate.

Lanre wanted to hide away when she sighted Mrs. Ochuzi from afar, but the woman already saw her and had waved to her calling her to come over. Lanre thought since Ify was not there she could just go and make sure whatever they were going to say is brief. She went to meet the woman and hugged her like old times, only this times she was no longer a friend of her daughter.

“Ndoh! You have done well!” Ify’s mother said to Lanre proudly.

“You should come with us to the house. We are organising a party there for Ify”. The woman said yet again to Lanre. Lanre felt herself under pressure following Mrs. Ochuzi’s request.