CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The hall was beautifully decorated, and the school parking lot was filled with shiny expensive cars. Tola stood in the line and admired the blue, red and yellow cloths used in decorating the hall. It had been six good years, six years of her life in this phase. The hall was getting full and in no time at all.

"Tola, Tola!"

"Esohe!" Tola said as she turned to face her friend.

"You are still admiring the hall while we are all taking pictures. Come snap with me" Esohe grabbed Tola by the hand before she could protest and dragged her to the photographer.

"Sir, please take pictures of us" Esohe smiled at the photographer

"Sure ladies, please adjust your gowns and sash"

Esohe seemed antsy and excited as she fussed over Tola arranging her gown and her sash. She reached out on her tippy toes to adjust her cap also but suddenly stopped with a frown. "Tola, who fixed your cap?" she asked

"My make-up artist did. Is there any mistake made in the way it was fixed?"

"Yes now, Ah! It has too many hairpins fixated on it; I can't correct it even though I want to. Well, we just have to manage it the way it is." She said and posed beside Tola in order to take their picture.

The photographer was on queue; he began taking numerous photos of them. Esohe smiled throughout and urged Tola to 'change her style' after every photo. They took pictures with other students, some staff and Esohe's parents. Tola was getting tired of all these photos.

"Tola, let us go take a picture with…."

"No no no! please no! I am tired of all these pictures" Tola interrupted

"Ok, I am sorry. I know you so well to know that these pictures are not the things offending you"

Tola frowned at her friend; nothing could get passed her! She was her one and only friend in this school and now they will be parting ways.

"I saw you standing alone, and I thought that we should take pictures together; I thought this would cheer you up." She looked intently at Tola and waited for an answer, but she got none.

"It is ok. I am sorry Tola, but I hope that you will forget about whatever it is that is worrying you and enjoy your graduation day." She left Tola and walked over to her friends; she was displeased with Tola.

Tola went back to the spot that she stood before her friend had called her. Why should she not be offended? She had gotten 326 points in her jamb out of 400, the second highest in the school and had obtained 8 A1 in her West African Senior Secondary School Examinations. Where were her parents throughout? While other students trooped into the school daily to congratulate their children, her parents never showed up. Were they not proud of her? Was it too much to ask of them? Throughout her stay in school, her mother only came twice, and her father was never around. She paused in her thoughts; she did not want tears to ruin her twenty-five-thousand-naira face make-up. Her mother had the time to organize it for her and she would not waste it.

She turned to look at the other students. Parents were also around taking pictures with their children and wards. Where were her parents? They should not be thinking of missing this ceremony as well; they would never be forgiven if they do.

"The principal is coming!" a student announced, and everyone rushed to reform their lines. The principal was a very strict man and had a reputation of punishing any graduating student who was not on the line when he came. Such a student will not be graduated, and it will be recorded to his or her name in the school's record. The students marched into the hall with the principal and the management staff leading as everyone who sat in the hall rose to their feet. All remained standing when they got to their seats and the Nigerian national anthem was sang after which the school's anthem. Everyone took their seats and the program anchor welcomed everyone.

"You are all welcome to Havillah high fifty second graduation ceremony. We will start by inviting the chairman and chairlady of the occasion to the high table; we will then be introducing the members of the high table"

The program seemed to take forever. Tola thought that it was luck that was preventing her from sleeping. None of the speeches captivated her; it was all same, 'you are going to the wider world, be careful, do not join bad gang, there are wolfs out there'. She had heard all these before. Could they just end the annoying program?

"We would now be inviting the vice principal academics for awards" the program anchor announced as the vice principal stepped down. The prefects were called to receive their awards including their set head girl whom Tola hated. What was so special in her that she was given the position of head girl? Parents stepped out to take pictures with their parents.

"Study prefect female: Omotola Lilian Adeogun." Her name was announced, and she rose up to receive her reward. A picture was about to be taken of her and the PTA chairman who awarded her when the crowd asked the photographer to wait. Her mother was walking briskly almost running down the aisle to meet them. She posed with her daughter and the picture was taken.

The graduation reception her mother planned was filled with people; many she had never seen in her life. There were tons of delicacies from rice to pounded yam, semovita, amala and small chops. The variety of drinks were too many that she rather not tried to take a head count of all of them. Everyone wished her well and her grandmother really prayed and blessed her, but her mother was too busy entertaining guests. She asked for a plate of rice and was immediately served one by Bisi, her maid.

She ate in silence as she remembered all the gifts and rewards she had been awarded in the graduation ceremony. It was all over as she had wanted all those years ago; what was she to be doing now? Her dad was absent once again, but it did not hurt as she had learned to get used to it even though it hurt. While she reminisced in her thoughts, Esohe entered without her knowing and reached for her hand.

"Let us go visit the stands of our other friends" she announced cheerfully as usual.

"Esohe, I thought you were angry with me" Tola was amazed to see her.

"Yes, I was, but what is the use? I might not see you in the next ten years or more"

Tola stared at her best friend. She never ceased to amaze her

"Stop staring and let's go. We have a long way to cover you know"

Tola stood up and when they had taken permission from her mother, they set out to distribute their souvenirs and receive some from other fellow graduands.