It’s never been about where you’re coming from (A true story)

She flunked her exams yet again. He and some of his siblings just couldn’t understand why their old man would insist on sending his driver’s daughter to an expensive private school when there were so many perfectly good (okay, maybe not so perfect) public schools around. When they accost their dad, he would mumble something about some of his children not being too academic either and how if it wasn’t for the intervention of God and securing a government scholarship, he would have remained in his village, and at most, might have been lucky to be crowned village champion one day. Well, as luck would have it (at least that’s how his children saw it) Motunrayo (real name witheld) was asked to leave by the school as it had become so obvious that she couldn’t cope. The children’s celebration over this didn’t last long though. Barely a year later and much to their chagrin, their dad, stubborn as ever, went ahead to register Motunrayo’s younger sister at Babcock University High School too! The famous Ekiti ‘agidi’ (stubbornness) is real. Anyway, yes, Ebun (real name witheld) showed promise academically but why spend so much on her education? Would people not agree he had tried, even if he sponsored her to a public school? His children just couldn’t understand it. Fast forward a few years, Ebun graduated from Babcock University High School, top of her class. Fast forward another 4 years and Ebun graduated from Babcock University with a 1st Class in Accounting. Thankfully, by this time his children had matured somewhat and had acquired a completely different perspective on life. Ironically, Ebun had now become the pride of them all. Not least, because she also happened to be the very first person from the old man’s household and family to earn a 1st class degree! There is a wise saying that what’s most important is not where you are coming from but where you are going. You may not have had much say, regarding your background but your future is almost entirely in your own hands, as it really depends on what you do with the lemons you are dealt with. Or the silver spoon you find in your mouth. Yes, this can be a problem too. Depends on what you do with it.