It’s a big relief to complete university in Nigeria and that feeling of not having to go for classes and deal with certain lecturers is just super cool and yaay you are finaly going home but if you don’t have a to do list before Nysc calls it might not really be as yaaaay…..
So I finally went home and ofcourse the welcoming was super cool. Congratulatory messages and prayers were endless and I got to eat good food and flaunt the fact that I was a graduate for a while but it didn’t take long for reality to slap me. My dad saying you don’t need as much as you need in school,I was eating good food at home so I will be getting 1/3 of my monthly allowance, that wasn’t an issue oo, as an average Nigerian that i am, it is understandable.Some of my friends were suprised I still get monthly allowance at home. I mean,how do you keep up without monthly allowance when you are not working? I am still yet to get how that works.To think it happens in most nigerian home, Could it be part of adulthood? (share your thoughts about this in the comment section).
So that was not an issue as much as the “who is he” question. As soon as you graduate you are not suppose to come home alone,you are suppose to come home with a guy to introduce to everyone that cares.
The last time I checked,it’s not a crime to spend four years in the university without having a man in your life. People literally think you sound funny when you say there is no man and they immediately join the pity party and start raining prayers on you.
That I really got tired of and only made me realize why some people remain in a “by force by fire” relationship. All thanks to the society that wants to know who he is,where he works, where he is from and so on as soon as you are through with school.
Sometimes you literally want to ask these aunties and uncles why they are disturbed and intrested over the man in your life and tell them why you think they should mind their business but as the typical Nigerian lady that I am,I shalln’t think of trying that at all.
I have attended all the owambes on my list and joblessness is now beginning to take a toll on me.To be honest if you are not from a wealthy family where you probably have a long list of countries you want to travel to or some fun to do list and at the same time still get your monthly allowance then please get yourself prepared to engage in something that will keep you busy after school (if you are still in school) otherwise the boredom that will kill you…loooord!
I went home with no plans at all,all i wanted to do was sleep,wake up,watch movies, eat (the foodie that i am now) and go for owambes pending the time i will be going for Nysc. I only woke up one day to realize that I am actually the cook,the gate woman,the escort, the errand girl, assignment teacher e.t.c…This is not the life I signed up for…warrris it???
And for every time I said I was doing none of those,my mum will remind me of the fact that I will have my own house and husband and I will have to do these things wether I like it or not (the popular phrase of nigerian mothers).
My friends also said they had turned housemaids,drivers, car washers and so on. Being a graduate at this point is clearly not as interesting. Hey! I don’t mean I want to go back to being an undergraduate but it’s time NYSC pick up their whistle….(laughs).
While I figure out what to do with my life please share your experiences as regards this with us in the comment section.
See you guys in my next post.
Written by Rafiah.
