CHAPTER 1: REALITY CHECK

It was another sunny day; sign of dry wind fill the atmosphere and there seem to be silence in the arena. And there was Daniel, resting on the table which seem to be worn out due to long lasting usage, as the paint were nearly peeled off. He gazed gracefully, looking at a world of fantasy filled with bliss of what he always wanted when he was interrupted by a loud burst of laughter; that was when he recalled that he was still in his classroom. He had just finished his 100 level final examinations and had to continue the next session due to the strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) followed by the global pandemic by popularly known as the Corona Virus (COVID-19).

It was on the 2nd of February, 2022 when the universities were called back to the visual classroom that Daniel knew that he had to get his goals and mindset fixed and pressed on. He was a student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lagos Nigeria and studying a course at the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He was in a class of 207 and was most likely the most unnoticed student in the class. The class was with lack of decorum as the students are free as birds to do as they wish (having the will to decide for themselves). It was exactly 2:00pm when the lecturer decided that his time to evacuate the classroom had elapse and therefore dismissed the students. Daniel on the other hand, not being able to have decent morning meals based on the early morning lectures which usually pops up from 5:30am, and also because he was used to the habit of not having morning meals; decided to go get a snack as the classroom began to double in image. Just as he was about to rise from his seat he noticed a striking image brushed pass him and seemed familiar with the sensational cologne. Just then he quickly turned to see his fantasy princess by the name Aishat walk away. He immediately felt that his heart leaped and he had to sit down for a second; this was because she had been the girl that he had always have a crush on but lack the valor to confront. Just as he was about diving into another world of imagination did Samuel, his friend brought him back to reality and they went to the canteen popularly known as 'Mallam' to get something to eat.

Samuel planned on eating at the hostel while Daniel insisted on eating Eggroll and Cocacola drink simply because he can't wait for the food in the hostel to get ready before consumption. So Samuel departed on a tricycle popularly known as 'Keke'. As Daniel was about to depart with the tasty eggroll, he came to a halt by the command of a voice which enlightened him to, knowing who this person was, he stood stiff to the ground and wished for the ground to swallow him which made it difficult for him to turn to her direction. As Aishat came to him, knowing well that he was in a habit of behaving like that whenever she is around him, she decided to tease him by asking him to give her a bite of his eggroll, Daniel who was still standing stiff was shocked and without hesitation gave her the eggroll. But as she was about to give it back, he insisted on giving her the entire eggroll that he was already full of it. Aishat seeing this, decided to play another trick on him by inviting him for some reading when she was interrupted by one of the class rookie. She tried to shun him off and by the time she was done, Daniel had hurriedly boarded one of the 'Keke' to the boy's hostel. As he saw that his ride was distanced from Aishat, he gave a huge sigh and put on his headphone to the beats of JUICE WRLD.