Introduction………………..
The principal coughed, cleared her throat and reiterated what the Vice principal said ‘Listen up my children, I have a very bad news’ as she said that, I looked at Anita and she whispered silently into my ears ‘It is about Victoria’ she said. I never knew when I screamed ‘What? Bad news, Victoria? Then the Principal continued. ‘I believe we all know Victoria Okafor? And the whole assembly responded with a loud voice ‘YESSSSSSSSSSS!’ Then she kept quite for seconds, bowed her head and raised it up again as if the words are too heavy for her to say. She began again ‘Victoria is a very assiduous student, I am sure you know her well, she served as the assistant health prefect, she led S.S.S3A to the debate we partook in last term, she is fair and a great talker, she is very gifted and intelligent in fact she even told me she was aspiring to study Law in the University of Nigerian, Nsukka. For about a month, Victoria was reported constantly absent from school which we decided to see to the matter as an Institution. A few teachers began the search some weeks ago and just this afternoon, Mrs. Dorothy Olatunji gave me a heart aching message at 12:58pm. It is hard to the hearing but because of her impacted in this School, I decided to announce it to the entire assembly. Victoria Okafor passed away two days ago’ immediately she said she bursted into tears and the long calmed crowd turned into a pandemonium.
I stood there, dumbfounded my heartbeat increased and I began to sweat copiously. The crowd were anxious ‘what killed her’ some asked ‘What happened’ ‘How, where? The Principal continued ‘Her parents discovered she was pregnant as she began to develop some strange symptoms which made them began to suspect her. After much questioning she confessed she was pregnant for Charles a fellow student in this same school. She died in the attempt to abort the fetus now she has been buried and Charles, the doctor as well as Charles’ relatives are in serious trouble. This has never happened in the history of this School. Please I pleaded on your behalf hold yourselves, be careful, cut away from any sexual relationships you engaged in. Think about you future, and finally do not let your dreams shatter’ as soon as she said this she left the gathering and retired into her office. I tell you only God knew how bad I felt that afternoon. We could no longer have the class we intended and some minutes later, the bell rang for all to go home. Through out the week and the rest of our stay in school until we took our final examination, the sudden death of Victoria never left our memory.
This was why I decided to write this little note, though I am not a pro writer but at least the message was clear. Since that event I have held on to the insight God gave me as a warning that says ‘Dreams are like eggs, they have to be protected’. One my bed as I sleep I began to ask myself ‘Was that how Victoria and the big dream she had in the future was shattered and terminated’. As young people we will always have challenges, temptations that would want to thwart God’s plan for our lives. The Devil they say is ‘our adversary looking for whom to destroy’. He is always on the watch to see who will fall to his tricks. He will come through relationships, movies, sex, disinterest in study, and he would want us to go far from God. But my mother has always told me the weapon to destroy him and his cohorts. It is via prayers and living a righteous life. When we live righteous lives the Devil will of course try but never get us. When we live a good life we are surrendering ourselves and dreams on to the foot of Jesus. As young people we should be careful of the choices we make everyday because they will determine our life in the future. A little mistake can ruin your life. He said through Solomon in the book of proverbs ‘Commit your plans [dreams] unto me and I direct you path. Always remember your dreams, future, your goals, protect them as Arthur protected Camelot and your dreams will not shatter.
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