The Painful Pleasure (TPP)
EPISODE 1
I waited patiently as the phone loaded slowly due to the
poor network. Believe me, network is always very slow
whenever one wants to check result.
It was my third post UTME in the prestigious Obafemi
Awolowo University. My first and second post UTME result
was 168 and 199 respectively, i could remember vividly that
my mum (who gathered money from her petty trade of
fruits) said to me having seen my second trial result “If only
they were so nice to add one mark, you would have gotten
200″.
Well, she was very sad, but she still encouraged me (without
even talking about the money with which she obtained the
form for me). She just said that i should try more, she said ”
ti esin ba da ni, a maan tun gun ni” which means that; when
a horse makes one fall, we try climbing again. . .
I was so lost in thought, all i could think of was my mum
who had been struggling to make me someone in life. She
has been doing all these alone since i lost my father when i
was ten in a fatal accident along Lagos-Ibadan express way
(that was some 8 years back). Since I’m the only child, she
has only shown me so much care and affection, and i can’t
afford to fail post utme the third time. . .
All these was going through my mind, and my thoughts were
too crowded to notice that the result has loaded, and is right
on the screen staring at me. I snapped out of my thoughts to
discover that ‘the bridegroom’ is here, all i needed to do was
to ‘zoom’ on my outdated Blackberry tour that i bought
(3000 Naira, UK used) with my life savings. Trembling with so
much fear, i pressed the middle key, there came my result. I
looked at it, and behold. . . .
What exactly did he score?
Find out in Episode two.

EPISODE 3
Since they all came before me, i just had to wait till they are
done with theirs.
I sat down with the other four people on a long bench. “How
much is the registration?” I asked the young girl sitting next
to me (who looked quite pretty), “good afternoon” she
answered. “Please pardon my manners, that should have
been my line.” I said to her. She answered and said, “No
problem anyway, i didn’t mean it that way, i just greeted you
because i felt i had to, there is no big deal. Anyway, the guy
said the registration is 1000 naira with printing.”
The price seemed quite much, but i didn’t want to create a
seen or be a nuisance since that’s what all others paid. So
while we were waiting, i just enjoyed a conversation with
that pretty young girl beside me.
Me: So you are here to do your registration too?
Girl: Obviously, what else would i be doing in a cafe?
Me: You could be trying to browse the internet or
something.
Girl: So if that’s what I’m here for, will i be waiting for those
guys to be through with their registration?
Me: That’s true (nodding my head in agreement ), since we
started talking, you’ve only asked questions. So, should i call
you miss question?
Girl: You don’t have to call me that, because i have a name
(smiling).
Me: So with this your beauty, your name must be princess.
Girl: (Blushing) Don’t wine me joor.(now smiling like
sobosobo) I’m not princess o, I’m Sandra. So what’s your
name, Prince?
Me: Prince ke, my name is Dapo o. Its nice meeting you
(stretching my hands to shake her)
Sandra: The pleasure is mine (shaking hands with me). .
We talked on and on, and she told me that she was admitted
to study philosophy. I waited until it was my turn, then I did
my registration. Sandra left and waved me, “see you in
school” she said. i waved her back, and she smiled from
afar. It was when i saw that smile that it occurred to me that
i should have asked for her number. But it was too late, she
had gone already. “I may never see her again.” I said to
myself. I just forgot about her since we have more than
25,000 people in OAU.
I finished my registration and went back home, preparing
for school.
What happened next? Find out in Episode 4.

EPISODE 5
Since we lived in the outskirts of Ibadan, i had to board two
different taxis to get to Iwo-Road (like the extreme end of
the city, where you get buses going to other parts of the
country). My mum followed me to Apata where i took a taxi
going to challenge, she waved at me and smiled with tears
(who does that). I waved at her and i rememberd the ‘ranti
omo eni to nse’ speech. This means: remember the son of
whom you are.
You guys know what I’m talking about, there is no one in
Nigeria that won’t hear this speech from either or both
parents when going to the university. These includes stuffs
like:
1. Koju mowe e o: face your studies
2. Ma ko egbe kegbe o: Don’t keep bad company
3. Ma kobirin o: Don’t follow girls e.t.c.
But since my mum knew me to be someone that doesn’t
really like ladies, since i don’t talk to girls in the area, only 1
and 2 above was applicable to me.
To cut the long story short, i got to Iwo road, and i gave a
small boy 100 Naira to carry my load for me with his wheel
barrow. I could have carried it myself, but i just felt that if
everyone should think that way, how will the poor boy get
his means of livelihood? “At least he is better than those
guys with no physical disabilities who beg around.” I said to
myself.
I went to the Bus, and seeing my load, the driver said briskly
“E maaa sanwo eru o.” Which means i will have to pay extra
for my luggage. I nodded my head in agreement, and asked
him how much that was, he said 200 Naira, after so much
bargaining, and so much chastisement by the other
passengers, he agreed to take 100 Naira, so with 400 fare,
that will be 500 all together. “Its not that bad.” I. said to
myself.
So we were waiting for the bus to get filled. You know those
guys now, they won’t move an inch until the bus is full. I sat
at the third row as the bus has five rows. I would have sat at
the second row but the driver had told us that three people
will sit on a row, except the second row where four people
will sit. Why he said that i didn’t know, and i don’t want to
know. Because i wasn’t really used to traveling, i wouldn’t
want anything that would cause me inconvenience.
On my row there was just one space left as we waited
patiently. One baba with bald head was already on my left,
“who will be my right hand traveling partner” I wondered. . .
There she comes, my sitting partner. As i saw her, i knew she
was also going to resume in OAU. . .
Was I right or wrong? Find out in Episode 6.