After Plenty Impasse, Finally I Graduated With First Class - Goni Abba

Not sooner nor later, but at its prescribed time, B.A. Ed. (Hons) English adorned with First Class is acquired. Alhamdulillah!

I have finally collected my Statement of Result, flanked by family and friends. It was indeed a moment of convoluted feelings of grief, joy, tears and smiles.

This throng of tangled emotions rushes through me, each trying to overcome one another, as though they were racing, as I am being handed my Statement of Result bearing First Class.

How and why I, as the best-graduating student in my department, graduated two years after my colleagues, maybe a tale for another time, probably in my memoir. During this period of trial, I find peace in this verse from the Qur'an: "But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you, and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not."

I dedicate this monumental achievement to the beautiful memories of my beloved mother. Though you are not with us today in the physical world, I still feel your presence every day.

Graduating with a First Class is a dream we nurtured together. As you water it with your fervent prayers and blessings, all you asked me to do was to trim it meticulously through rigorous reading. As the stem grew firm and began flowering you left without seeing its fruition.

Today, on the cusp of this remarkable achievement, profound loss grips me. Words and accolades cannot assuage the emptiness I feel. As tears cascade down my cheeks, they are not tears of sorrow alone but also tears of gratitude for having been blessed with a mother whose love transcends time and space. Your sacrifices, unwavering support, and ceaseless prayers shaped who I am. You are just like the candle; you don't mind burning yourself just to illuminate my journey in life. A candle whose light never diminishes unlike that of the moon or the sun that vanishes in turns.

With each step, I carry your memories as a source of strength and inspiration.

I remember with misty eyes how you paid for my part two school fees despite my father's willingness to pay - as he did the previous year. How can I also forget how you wake me up every morning even before my alarm starts ringing. Deceitfully pretending I have woken up, only to go back to sleep stubbornly as the melodious sound of your feet retreats. Gently tapping on my shoulders on your second coming, do I usually get up to prepare for my lectures.

The taste of your brewed coffee - that elixir that keeps me vigil and alert all night long during my late hours of study - still lingers afresh.

Nothing pushes me more to chase this dream than the sense of pride and the beaming smile I see on your face whenever I rush to announce my semester results to you. I climbed on the ropes of confidence you extended to me to heights so high that I can only imagine.

Sadly today, our dream has been realized, but you are not here to hug me and lift me. You're not here for me to see those radiant smiles that expose your gap teeth, forming wrinkles around your eyes, exuding an unparalleled countenance.

But when I look heavenwards with my eyes closed, I can see you in the heavens above celebrating with me, wrapped in your gentle hands that cradled me in my infancy.

Despite that, I still feel like my sore, swollen heart is being pierced in thousands with a hot, red, iron rod, gushing blood profusely. With each penetration, the pain intensifies in a multitude. Oh! Even words are too scared to tap into this innermost part of my heart where I plunge into the pain of your loss. As my lips tremble to describe my pain, words retreat in cowardice. Unable to take it anymore!

To me, the greatest fallacy is the notion that time heals all wounds. So, as I wallow in my entangled web of grief, I find solace only in the thought that with each passage of time, I edge closer to our promised reunion in Jannatul Firdaus. There, we will defy death and part no more.In sha Allah.

I would also like to express my appreciation to my father for the sacrifices he made which have paved the way for my success. Even with your meagre income, you never hesitate to spend any amount on my education. Sometimes even at the cost of your comfort. I feel elated to add this qualification to the already beautiful collection you proudly sponsored.

Armed with your prayers and blessings, I march into life's battles. With each step I take, my fears and obstacles tremble in anticipation of my triumph. I will always strive to justify the pride and confidence you have in me.

Your wise counsel will forever echo in my heart. Indeed, an old man may miss his stone but not his words. Thank you, Dad.

To my siblings, I say a big thank you. No amount of woven words can translate the depth of my happiness. You have been my formidable pillar ever since this journey began. Things may have ended differently without your everlasting support, endless love, unwavering encouragement, and prayers as I traverse this route to a First-class degree. May our bond continue to grow stronger. I will not disappoint you.

I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge my lecturers, those who are genuinely invested in my development. Thank you for the knowledge you imparted. Beyond the realm of education, you have transferred impeccable values, principles and morals that have moulded me to become a better version of myself. I am forever grateful to you. As the great William Arthur Ward said, "The average teacher informs, the good teacher teaches, the best teacher demonstrates, but the greatest teacher influences." And I add that the worst ones sabotage you.

To friends, frenemies, and colleagues, indeed, these moments of adversity serve as the litmus test of genuine relationships. Even as someone with limited expectations and prone to paranoia, I couldn't escape disappointments here and there. Surely, "In prosperity, our friends know us, in adversity, we know our friends." There are those of you who justified the trust I have in them, and there is also an interesting group whose kind gestures I never envisioned but eventually received in abundance. Truly, uncertainty is the spice of life.

In general, I am proud of the vast support system I leverage. I cannot thank you enough and will forever cherish your kindness. These experiences provided an enriching, immeasurable opportunity for my personal growth and development. But as Martin Luther King said, "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

To my tutees, mentees, and other students alike, graduating with a First-class is not rocket science. It is not a feat exclusively reserved for the "gifted". I am a testament to that. I never set out to graduate with a First-class degree ab initio. In fact, I was planning to apply for another trajectory the following academic year until I stumbled upon it serendipitously after my part one academic year. Ever since, it has been all about maintaining the status.

With prayers, consistency, unwavering dedication to your studies, proper time planning, willingness to learn, unlearn, and relearn, keeping good company, possessing a competitive spirit, perseverance, and doggedness, you can achieve the First-class honours that you deserve.

Finally, may Allah bless this certificate to be beneficial to my deen, worldly and afterlife. Insha Allah, this is a seed from which many successes will germinate. As Winston Churchill said, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."

Thank you for taking the time to read this piece.

Alhamdulillah!