IF I HAD KNOWN.

IF I HAD KNOWN.

My love life wasn't fun and Rosy. Truly, all relationships had their ups and downs but mine was more than I could bear.

I was involved in my first relationship when I was in my senior secondary school two, and it was a sort of relationship that started out of pity. Yes, it was a one sided relationship. I tried all I could to make the relationship work, I did as he always said, I gave myself to him whenever he wanted me. Still, it was an unrequited love, he never loved me and it was really obvious, neither did he try to hide it. Till now I still wonder how and why he asked me out to be his girlfriend when he was never interested in me.

After holding on to the relationship for almost three years, he finally got tired of me and broke up with me. Honestly, I wasn't taken off guard, because I actually expected it, I expected the day he'd break up with me, albeit I did cry because not only was he my first, but I cried because I feared that I wouldn't find someone that would ever love me.

Three years passed and I was still single, I had no one to woo me or make passes at me. I blamed all that on my lack of beauty. I wasn't pretty as other girls, but I knew well that I wasn't ugly. Perhaps it could have also been because I was a nerd without glasses. Don't get me wrong, I've seen nerds that are really beautiful and trendy but I was. . .just there.

During my remaining years in the university, I always prayed hard to God for my own prince charming, my own knight in shining armor, my own love, and believe me when I say God did heed to my prayers, because I found one when I got my first job at a university. Anyways, what I didn't know was that I should have been careful. What I didn't know was that I was making a really big mistake that could destroy my plans. What I didn't know was that I was in for a journey that I would never forget.

What I didn't know was how ugly love could get, but if I had known. . .

|MONDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER 2020.|

Grrr! Grrr!!

The alarm clock's loud ringing reverberated directly into my ears, resulting in the opening of my eyes. I groaned in annoyance, rolling and turning on the bed. I wasn't much of a morning person but I knew I had to get my small butt off the bed.

"It's six already?" I asked myself as I yawned and stretched my muscles, sitting up straight on my bed tiredly.

It was going to be my first day at the private and well renowned ORANGE UNIVERSITY- where I had been newly employed as an assistant mathematics lecturer.

In the whole of Nigeria I was one of the youngest mathematicians, graduating with a first class upper – a GPA of 4.85. My success was carried by both the newspaper article and television program and my name; Tiwalade Alade, couldn't leave the mouths of most broadcasters and citizens of Nigeria for some period of time. I was used as an example and a model to upcoming mathematicians. Always invited for seminars to advise students on ways to be a great mathematician, just like myself. Also that achievement of mine made my parents very proud of me, especially my mum and anytime she had the opportunity, she would brag about it to virtually anyone and everyone.

Also, being a genius in mathematics was one of my 'superpowers.'

Although my job at Orange University wasn't one that I was planning to do for long, I just wanted to work for sometime so that I could be able to sponsor myself abroad for my Master's degree and PhD, also I really needed to get a beautiful car for myself.

"Lazy girl, you're awake." My best friend and my roommate Sewa Okus said as she walked into my room.

"Good morning to you too," I looked at her smiling.

She grinned then collapsed on my bed. "My bad, good morning my lady."

"Yeah right, I'm not deaf, Sewa. I can hear the sarcasm dripping in your voice." I told her.

I saw her roll her eyes, pulled my duvet and covered her body as she pretended to fall asleep while I just smiled at her antics. That was Sewa, she was the complete opposite of me, and one of the best things that could ever have happened in my life then. She was a socialite, the life of the party, an extrovert and extremely beautiful. Sewa was someone that one could call a melanin goddess with black eye orbs - unlike my own black brown orbs - standing out from her white pupils. Her black skin never missed its glow, unlike my own dry skin. Even after all the creams and oil she'd introduced to me, my skin just didn't want to glow like hers, it was a really hard skin.

"So why are you up so early?" Sewa's eyes were still closed as she asked that question.

"You've forgotten?" I had to ask because I was totally shocked that my best friend didn't remember that it was my first day at work, even after ringing it into her ear throughout the previous day. "It's my first day at work, Remember? I told you yesterday," I'd told her and I didn't wait for her response before I continued. "And believe me I don't want to be late."

She rose from the bed, still using the duvet to cover her body as she sat near me embracing me into a bear hug - which by the way, was really suffocating.

"Sewa, you - are kil- ling me." I choked out and she released me instantly, using her hands to caress my hair.

"Mi love, I'm so sorry," she was still caressing my hair whilst I just had a huge smile on my face. "Forgive me, my love. I totally forgot about it, I promise it won't happen again."

I laughed as she continued to apologize. The voice she'd used to apologize was really funny, it sounded like that of Squidward from SpongeBob SquarePants.

"You're laughing?" I shook my head in response to her question. "So, am I forgiven?"

I nodded. "You know I can't get angry, especially at you. Anyways, what are you doing today? Anything out of the way?"

"No, just my same normal routine." Sewa was a blogger which made her spend most of her time at home and when she wasn't home, it could be that went to shoot for a clothing line, she went to a party, she went to see a friend, or perhaps she went to see her parents.

"Okay then," I said, standing up simultaneously. "I better take my bath now, so I won't be late."

"Okay milady." sewa grinned, falling back unto my bed as she used my duvet to cover all her body, so, technically she was invisible under the duvet.

After I took my bath, I entered my room but Sewa wasn't there anymore.

I walked straight to the stool near my bed where I used to keep all my creams and body oils. I sat on the bed, unwrapped myself off my towel and used it to clean myself dry, afterwards I proceeded to rub my body, and when I was done I walked towards my closet and brought out a pair of underwear, they were new by the way. My mum always had an intuition that if one wears a pair of new underwear on the first day of work or school, those days in that office or school would be successful and smooth.

My reason for getting new underwear.

I took out a gown from my wardrobe, stretched it out as I itched my hair which was covered with a bonnet. A smile was plastered on my face as I admired the gown for the thousandth time - no exaggeration. I just couldn't stop admiring the gown since I'd bought it, because that gown was just so beautiful, also expensive. And yes, the gown was brand new; it was plain white, well apart from the puffy sleeve hand which was graced with black stripes.

Once I'd put on the gown, I got rid of the bonnet covering my newly made box braids. I went over to the small wall mirror in my room and styled my hair into a ponytail, then wrapped the mouth into a doughnut. I also made sure to do my edges, I used a lip balm, then wore my tiniest earring, a black wristwatch, picked a moderate wedge shoe and my medium sized handbag.

After I was done with my dressing, I looked at myself in the mirror and without doubt I knew I looked extremely okay and decent, and like they say 'first impression matters' so I was trying to make a lasting good first impression for myself.

I rushed out of my room, straight to the parlor where I saw Sewa laying on the three seater cushion, watching a TV program.

The program she was watching was my favorite program, it was called 'Your view' - where a group of ladies come together and discuss problems affecting Nigeria, the society and the world at large. I didn't know when I sat down on the single couch watching the TV program, all I knew was that I was really engrossed in the program and the topic they were talking about really piqued my interest.

"I made toast," I turned to Sewa who was lying on the three sitter, but her eyes didn't leave the TV. "Do you care?"

"Oh my, thanks Sewa." I told her and she stood up, moved towards the kitchen whilst I fixed my gaze back to the TV.

"Oh. My. God!" I heard Sewa shout from the kitchen whilst I quickly stood up because I was so scared.

I was on my way to the kitchen when I saw Sewa come out with a plate of toast and a cup of tea. "Why did you shout?" I was still scared whilst she just smiled.

"Tiwa, you're late!"

She'd said and I looked down at the watch on my wrist and it was my turn to scream. "Oh my God!!"

I ran to the couch I was seated on, took my bag and as I was about to walk out of the house Sewa dragged me back by my hand.

"Sewa, I'm late. I need to start going." I told her.

"Not without eating," I was about to open my mouth to contest when she stuffed a toast into my mouth and I chewed on it as quick as possible, collected the cup of tea from her and chugged it down, then I took the remaining two slices of toast on the plate before I moved out of the house.

I couldn't stop thinking as I moved out of my compound. I was late and I knew it, though it was just 07:25am, and I had to be in school before eight, but it was impossible. I couldn't beat the traffic and on a normal day the drive from my house to the university was just thirty minutes but if there was traffic, one could spend more than an hour on the road.

I've failed in making my first impression_ I thought to myself as I stopped a taxi.

IF I HAD KNOWN

I shouldn't have looked him in the eyes when he'd entered the class.

I shouldn't have stopped him when he came late.

I shouldn't have spoken to him. Then Maybe, just maybe I would have. . .

|STILL ON THAT DAY.|

08:01am!!!

I rushed out of the taxi I'd boarded and gave the driver the amount we both agreed on. Thankfully the traffic congestion wasn't heavy, otherwise I could have gotten to school at a time more late than one minute past eight.

Even though I knew I was late, I couldn't help but admire the school structure from where I stood outside the gate, holding my bag tightly. It wasn't my first time seeing the school but Everytime I did, I always stood to appreciate the building. I guess I was structurally fetish. Any good thing I saw, I couldn't pass by it without admiring it first. After feeding my eyes by looking at the magnificent and spacious building of the university, I exhaled in and out.

A new chapter, Here I come_ I whispered to myself and indeed it was a new chapter. Infact, it was a new story of my life, just if I didn't enter that school compound. . .but I did.

I walked. . .I ran through the humongous compound of the university, towards the administrative block - the math 101 professor office, precisely. As I ran, I moved my head three sixty degree, because I still couldn't help but admire the structural architecture of the school, the whole buildings were all tall and high, the flowers which surrounded the compound made the whole place serene and more aesthetically pleasing

Finally, I got to the front of the administrative building and just like the other buildings within the school, it was really tall and huge, and being the structural fetish I was, I also couldn't help but admire the building. I was so sure that if I had all the time in the world, I could have stood and watched all the buildings within the University until dawn. If only I had the time. . .

TIME?!

I looked down at my watch and saw that time was far spent already. I was twenty minutes late, all thanks to my fetish nature for beautiful and huge things. I ran at a speed of ten kilometers per hour - note the exaggeration, till I got to the front of the professor's office. I was breathing heavily, my heart racing along with my pulse, I kept my hand akimbo style as I tried to return my breathe to normal because of the amount of energy I'd released whilst I ran, was really much.

Once I regained my composure, I used my hands to smoothen my gown, then I knocked. My heart couldn't stop racing as I knocked on the professor's door, because on my first day of work I was late, meaning my 'first impression' started on a bad foot.

Damn you stupid underwear_ I cussed my new underwear, because I actually thought wearing a new underwear could guarantee me a happy year throughout my little time in the University, but i was already messing up.

So much for the belief I had in my mum's intuition.

"Come in." I heard a deep baritone voice say from behind the door.

How tense I was at that moment was so alarming, I thought I could even faint from the amount of tension that had accumulated into my body. I clutched onto my bag tightly, holding it as if it was my life saver- maybe it was- then I kept my hand on the door knob and twisted it open.

I entered the small, but well furnished office. It was actually one of the most beautiful offices that I'd entered, also it wasn't my first time entering into the office, but still, I couldn't help but admire it. The office wasn't painted, instead, flowery wall papers were plastered onto the four sides of the wall, the ceiling was an exception because it was painted with a pure white color. The office was also cold, thanks to the over-healthy air condition. A water dispenser was by the corner of the office, near a sofa. Then, the professor's desk stood at the far end of the office, with two other chairs opposite his.

"Good morning sir," I greeted bowing a little with a small smile on my face. "I'm so sorry I'm late sir," I said, meaning every word I'd said. I didn't move from where I'd stood by the door as I continued to apologize. "I'm sorry sir."

"What can I say, Tiwa?" I looked up at the professor; professor Felix. It was obvious the fair man could have been in his late sixties, or early seventies. He was a man with a no nonsense face, though he was nice. "You know first impression matters a whole lot, Tiwa?"

I know that, sir_ I answered within me, because indeed I had that in mind the first day I knew I got the job. I had always wanted my first impression to be really great, punctual and anything relating to good.

"I'm sorry sir," Was the only thing I could say in response to what he had said. "I'm really sorry sir, it won't happen again."

"I hope so, Tiwa," He said, and for some reason I was relieved when he said that. I interpreted it as he'd let me off the hook. "You might be really good at what you do, but I want you to know that punctuality is key, same as consistency."

I nodded, not saying anything in response because there was absolutely nothing I could have said, except 'sorry sir', so I said that.

"Sorry sir." I had told him and he nodded, then he smiled. The man actually smiled at me.

"Come and sit." He said.

I walked towards the chair opposite his, sat on it, with my bag laying on my thighs. The office was quiet as I awaited professor Felix to say something but he didn't, rather, he stuffed his face into some scripts which were on his desk. Eventually, he looked up and said; "So Tiwa, I'm sure you know what your job is."

In Fact, I actually knew what my job was and my roles, but I just wanted him to go over it again for me, so I told him; "I don't, sir."

He nodded and briefed me about my roles in the University as an assistant mathematics lecturer. My role was primarily to take over his classes anytime he was absent or sick, help in taking attendance of the students, and also help in setting exam questions

"Alright then, you will follow me to each lecture room where you would be filling up for me when I am absent." He looked at me with a straight face, I knew he was waiting for a response from me, so I responded after some nanoseconds of hesitating.

"Okay sir, and is there anything else I can do for you?"

He nodded and smiled widely. "Well you know i'm a very busy man with a very tight schedule, so you would be filling up for me most of the time."

He said. I knew professor Felix was a very busy man, and apart from being a mathematics professor, he was a very popular counselor and one of my role models. Yes, professor Felix was my role model. I first heard about him when I was in my senior secondary school one, he came to my school to counsel us on the purpose of education and mathematics in the world. His speech really motivated me to thrive my best and be who I was then. So, the man was indeed a very busy man. I was even sure that Orange University paid him real good.

"No problem, sir." I replied. Professor Felix stood up from his seat and gestured for me to follow him, so I stood up, held my bag in my arm and followed.

I followed professor Felix out of the office and out of the administrative building. I trailed at his back as we walked through the school compound, passing through the Senate building, the bursary, then we began to reach the departmental faculties, but we didn't stop. Instead, we kept on walking until we got to the engineering faculty and yes, I couldn't help but admire all the tall buildings and people passing around the area.

The campus was really filled up, students passing, some paired up in groups talking and gisting. I couldn't help but wonder how the students were that much, given the situation of the country then, whereby people would say there wasn't money in the country, and believe me, the school fees was the president of Nigeria salary - two million upwards.

Finally, just when I thought we weren't going to stop walking - it wasn't like I wasn't enjoying the view within the University, I was just fatigued- we entered into a lecture room, which by the way, was filled up with student more than fifty students, and I knew at that moment that it was going to be the first class that I'd be taking.

"Good day, sir!" The students greeted uniformly as we got to the front of the class and I couldn't help but look down at my shoe. Well, you couldn't blame me, I was nervous, it being my first day.

"Good day students," Mr Felix replied and I could hear the strictness in his baritone voice. "Right here with me is Miss Tiwa Alade, my new assistant lecturer. I'm sure you all might have heard about her. She is one of the youngest and brightest mathematicians right now in the country."

Wow!_ was what I could think to myself. The appraisal professor Felix passed on about me really made my head swell up with pride and fulfillment. I was happy that someone I held in such high esteem had passed some accolades to me. At that moment, I was beyond happy, because I knew my dreams of being one of the best mathematicians in the world was coming to reality. . .but if only I had known.

"She would be lecturing you anytime I am not available," I raised my head up and saw him pointing at me with a smile decorating his face. "Miss Tiwa, over to you now," he came closer to me whilst I just had a nervous smile on my face, because I was indeed nervous. Infact, I was antsy. "You would be lecturing them now, and as soon as you are done, come over to my office so I will give you the teaching timetable."

"Alright sir." I still had my nervous smile as I replied to him, he nodded at me and proceeded to leave the class, but then he stopped, turned around and looked at me.

He used his hand to call me over and I went to go meet him, he said, almost whispering; "Tiwa, try to ignore most of these electrical engineering students, because they can be very frustrating and annoying, well it's their final year so just bear it."

I nodded, assimilating everything he had told me, then he handed some papers and textbooks to me, Which consisted of the syllabus.

"Thank you, sir." I appreciated him, then he left the class.

After Mr Felix had left, I and my pounding heart were left with the class, looking dumbfounded and a little bit shy I must say. I went over to the small lecture room podium and placed my bag, alongside the stuffs professor Felix had given to me on the podium. I couldn't look up, because I was tense. Anyways, I was able to summon courage from where it was, faced the class of about fifty and said;

"Professor Felix, had done the honor of introducing me, so I guess I will skip that part," I released a low chuckle, and all eyes in the class were on me. The worst thing being that I couldn't even read their faces, they all looked impassive with a bored demeanor.

I looked down at the guide book on the podium, flipped through it, searching for the next topic I could teach, and since they were final year students, their math was complex.

"Today I'll be teaching you calculus," I said trying to avoid the gazes of the students, so I just looked ahead. A hand went up. "Yes?" I asked with a friendly smile on my face, at the same time I tried to look professional.

A lady who sat at the forefront stood up, her face bored just like the others. She cleared her throat and said; "We've passed through calculus."

"I know you would have, but the one I'll be teaching today is going to be a subtopic, I mean implicit derivatives." I still retained my friendly smile on my face.

"Okay, if you say." The lady shrugged and had her seat. Once she sat, I saw her murmuring with one other girl next to her, but I ignored. I mean I didn't want to be that strict lecturer on the first day of work, even though I knew I wasn't.

"Let's begin then." I walked to the board, took a marker which was there, then proceeded to write the topic on the board, and just as I turned to face the class, in order to carry them along, I saw someone enter into the class.

"Excuse me," I cleared my throat. "Are you meant to be in this class?"

IF I HAD KNOWN

I shouldn't have asked for his name, looked him in the eyes and smiled.

It is him. He is the cause of everything. My situation today, he is the cause, but I can't entirely blame him because I am also culpable.

It is both our faults.

|STILL ON THAT DAY.|

"Are you meant to be in this class?" I asked again because the male figure didn't seem to mind me. "Excuse me, I'm talking to you."

The figure turned around and my breath seized, my heart increased it's pace and for some seconds I was speechless as I just stared at the figure ahead of me.

It was a tall guy– 6'5 at least. He was thin but yet he looked ripped, cladded in a simple tee-shirt and joggers, he dressed like he was forced out of bed. He even came empty-handed, no books nor pen. Handsome? His face was perfectly sculpted, like God had created him on a Sunday, and his eyes, from where I stood - at least eleven feet away from him - it was glistening, and he wasn't even in the sun, from what I could observe then, his eye orbs were a deeper shade of brown in color. And his skin was perfectly toned. He was chocolate in complexion, so at that moment he looked like a cold chocolate - sweaty and beautiful - and I had to admit he looked too handsome to be real, but he was real. He was beautiful.

Oh my God Tiwa, you have to really stop admiring people_ I scolded myself once I'd remembered that I had to compose myself since I was the assistant lecturer.

"Are you in this class?" My voice failed me as I asked, because I was doubting if he was meant to be in that class. I mean he wasn't even holding a bag, no books nor a pen.

He didn't answer. Rather, his gaze was on me, and for some reason I felt intimidated by his eyes. Those eyes. Stupid, I know, but his aura did command respect and fear at the same time.

"And you're?" Just when I thought he wouldn't respond, he asked me that question, his gaze never leaving me. And his voice, it wasn't husky, it wasn't deep baritone, neither was it feminine. It was rich. Soothing to the ear.

I tried not to be intimidated by his eyes and even though I was, I tried as much as possible not to show it, so I plastered a huge smile on my face and replied to his question. "I'm your new assistant mathematics lecturer, Miss Tiwa Alade," I responded to him. "And you are?"

Once again, he hesitated. "Denola Doyle." He answered, and he didn't even wait for my response before he went over to the back of the class to have his seat. Away from the rest of the class. He didn't even greet anyone as he just sat, brought out his phone and placed it on the table in front of him.

For some reasons the class was quiet, seemingly due to reasons that weren't obvious to me.

"So back to the topic." I said. The smile I had plastered on never leaving my face.

"Ma'am," it was that same lady. The one who contested the fact that they'd done calculus before. I smiled and nodded in response to her, telling her to 'carry on'. "You haven't taken the attendance."

Honestly, I totally forgot that I was meant to take the attendance first before I started class, but thankfully to that lady, I was reminded.

"Thank you." I appreciated it. She sat down back unto her seat with the same bored demeanor that everyone in the class carried.

After taking the attendance, I started with the topic of the day - which was implicit derivatives.

The class wasn't interactive as I had envisioned. The class was really quiet as I taught. I even felt like the problem was from me, I also couldn't help but ask myself if I was boring them.

After using up the time allocated to me for that period – an hour of walking on tenterhooks, I wasn't even given the honors of walking out of the class before most of them stormed out of the class, leaving a dried throated, nervous and perturbed me alone in the class, well, I wasn't entirely alone. The lady, the one who told me about calculus and attendance. Yes she. She was in class with me, arranging some stuff into her bag. Then she looked up, as if she could feel someone watching her. She locked eyes with me and immediately I smiled and waved at her, but she didn't reciprocate it. Instead, she had that same bored look on her face. And just when I was about to look away and concentrate on packing my stuff, so that I could leave the class, she smiled. At me. She also waved at me.

She stood up, backing her bag. I thought she was about to leave the class, but I was wrong. She came towards me with that smile still present on her face.

"Hey," she greeted me and I smiled and replied back with a 'hello'. "I'm sorry, I don't know which to use. Should I use honorifics for you or just casual talk?"

"Oh please, anything you're comfortable with." I told her, and she just released a soft laugh.

"Sorry if this might be rude, but you look too young to be a lecturer, like too young," she had said, stressing on this too. Honestly I didn't actually find anything rude in what she'd said to me, instead I took it as 'You are young and making it'. "How old are you? Sorry if that might sound rude, I am just curious. I'm twenty three by the way."

"It's no problem," I actually didn't have any problem telling people my age, although some did. "I'm twenty-three also."

"Wow, we're age-mates," I nodded whilst I looked at her bewildered expression. "Hope we can be friends by the way?"

I actually loved making friends, it was one of the best things I loved growing up because I was someone most people didn't like to befriend, reasons unknown to me. So, when she asked if we could be friends, I was elated and happy, so you can already guess what my answer was.

"Sure, yes we can." I replied and she stretched out her hand to me and I grabbed it. We shook hands together. Also, she couldn't stop smiling, I even questioned if she was the same lady whose countenance in class screamed 'boredom'.

The lady right in front of me looked really different. She was about my height; though a little bit taller, she was fair in complexion, thick at the right places and I also noticed the birth of mark on her nose, well, it was huge and really black, standing out from the rest of her fair skin, so surely I was bound to notice it.

"I'll see you around, Miss Tiwa," she took her hand off mine, breaking the handshake, then she began to walk away, moving backwards as she waved at me and I waved back, then I remembered that I didn't get her name but before I could ask her about her name she said; "Yes, I forgot to say my name. My bad. I'm Sharon, but you can call me Shar."

"Alright Shar. . . See you around then." I bade her goodbye, she turned around and hopped out of the class, leaving me all by myself.

Immediately, I packed up all my books and kept some into my bag, holding some in my hands. I walked out of the class and started my walk to professor Felix block, so I would be able to collect the timetable and all other necessary stuff that I'd be needing for my classes. I also couldn't help but still admire the surroundings as I walked, feeling happy about the new life that I was about to start for myself.

The walk to professor Felix's office wasn't as long as I'd walked in the morning when I went over to my first class with him. I knocked gently on the door and was told to enter. I did.

"Hello sir." I greeted the professor who was standing by the dispenser, drinking water from a disposable white cup.

"Hey Tiwa," he responded, dropping the cup back onto the top of the dispenser, then he used his right hand to clean his mouth. "You are just on time, I was about to go out."

"Lucky me I guess," I smiled, walking towards him until I got to the front of his desk. "Sir, I am here for the time table."

He nodded in response, went to his table and opened a drawer which was in it. He brought out some papers and handed it over to me and I wasted no time in collecting them, adding it to the study guides which I already held in my hand. "Sir, do I need to return the study guide?" I had to ask, because I was unsure.

"Oh, no you don't," he had responded, and I nodded before he went on. "It's yours now, since you'd mostly be taking the students now."

"Alright, sir." I'd told him. I thought he'd say that I could be going, but he didn't. Instead, he told me to sit and I solely complied with it, putting all the stuff in my hand on his table whilst my bag stayed on my thighs.

"So how was your first day?" He asked as he sat down on his chair.

"Not bad sir."

"Don't worry Tiwa, in no time the student's will warm up to you."

"I'm hopeful, sir." He smiled and nodded. "I'll excuse myself now sir, If that's okay with you."

"No problem, you're even done for the day, also I'm about to go out," he told me. "And about where you'll be staying, there's an office down the hall on the third floor, ask for professor Lola, and she'll direct you to the office reserved for you. . .but I'll advise you to do that Tomorrow morning anyways."

"Thank you so much sir for everything, I really appreciate all that you're doing for me," I couldn't help but thank the old man, because he really did help me a lot. "I'm really grateful sir, and sure I'll see professor Lola Tomorrow morning."

He smiled. "Oh Tiwa, honestly you deserve more than this, but I'm sure once you've done your master degree, you'll be going places around this world because you're a rare gem, a golden one for that matter. Your brain, ability and zeal is out of this world, in case no one has ever told you, you're a unique species."

His words melted me and almost brought tears to my eyes. As if getting accolades from him in class wasn't enough, he also praised me.

"Thanks so so so much, sir." He just waved it off and dismissed me.

I walked outside his office with my bag in my hands and sighed. The day wasn't that bad like I'd expected it could have turned out to be, so I couldn't help but look forward to the next day.

I walked out of the campus and immediately stopped a taxi. There wasn't traffic at all, the road was really free, so I got home earlier than I expected. My mum's call came in whilst I was about to get down from the taxi.

"Good afternoon mum." I greeted.

"How are you and how was work, my gem?" My mum asked me over the phone.

"Fine ma." I replied as I knocked on the door and in no time Sewa opened the door for me. I waved my hand to her and she smiled at me. I walked hastily into my room, dropped my bag on the floor, took off my shoes, then fell to the bed.

"So how's Jide ma'am?" I asked my mum, closing my eyes because of how exhausted I was.

"That's good for nothing brother, well he's in his room, reading for his third JAMB." she answered, not failing to use sarcasm

"Alright mum, take it easy," I opened my eyes, and a faint smile found its way to my face. "I want to relax mum, so I will call you later."

"You better call me later." Then she hung up.

Some few minutes later as I laid on my bed lazily, Sewa Walked into my room and dropped on my bed.

"Are you tired?" She asked, placing her legs on my body as she laid.

"Seriously?" I used my hands to push her legs away but she kept it back and I just left her."You're asking a very obvious question, of course I'm tired and please remove your legs from my body."

"Okay, sorry," She still didn't remove her legs from mine. "How was work?"

"Fine!" I replied, forcing my eyes not to close, because at least I needed to have my bath before I could take a nap.

"Are the students nice?" She asked.

"I can't say yet."