I have dealt with disappointments before, but the one that hit me the hardest was from my own father. It’s actually something I still struggle to understand.
Growing up, my older brother was my everything. He was my sponsor, my provider, my go-to person. From my last year in primary school all the way through secondary school, he made sure I had everything I needed and even catered for all my school fees. My dad? He was completely absent during those years. I didn’t hear a word from him or get any form of support—it was all my brother.
When I finished secondary school, I had a good result and big plans. Because i knew how much my brother had already done for me, I didn’t want to burden him anymore, especially since he had his own family to take care of. I decided to go for a federal university where the fees would be manageable. My plan was to enroll at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB).
Then one day, out of nowhere, my dad called me. He asked what I was up to, and I told him about my plans to go to FUNAAB. What he said next shocked me. He told me to forget about the federal university and take my documents to his friend at a private university. He promised to pay my fees.
I couldn’t believe it. This was the opportunity of a lifetime. I have always wanted to go to this private university, but I never thought it was possible. Now, my dad was saying he’d make it happen. I was over the moon.
But life, as usual, had other plans. I didn’t meet their required JAMB score, so I couldn’t get in. I was crushed. That was when they suggested another option: enrolling in JUPEB, an external program that would last for a year. If I passed, I could skip the first year of university and go straight into the second year.
I wasn’t too sure about it at first. People said JUPEB was tough and the chances of passing were slim. But I just wanted to get into that university so badly that I decided to go for it anyway.
When I told my dad about the JUPEB program, he agreed to pay. But instead of covering the fees in full, he only paid half. My brother, once again, stepped in to cover the rest.
That year was one of the toughest years of my life. JUPEB wasn’t easy at all. When it was time for the exams, I was so nervous I could barely sleep. And when the results were released, I was too scared to check. But when I finally did, I found out I passed. I couldn’t believe it—I did it! I worked so hard, and it all paid off.
I was so excited to share the news with my dad. I thought he’d be proud of me. But when I called him, his response broke me. He said, “I’m not paying your school fees anymore.”
I didn’t know how to react. I thought maybe he was just upset about something, so I gave him some time. But when I called him again, he said alot of things i didn't expect at all. He even said he wasn’t sure if I was his child.
Hearing those words felt like someone hit me hard on the face. I couldn’t understand how a father could say that to his own child. I kept replaying everything in my head, wondering where I went wrong and just filled with the regret of Why didn’t I just stick to my original plan of going to a federal university?
I was just so disappointed. That moment broke me. It broke my mum too. I had worked so hard for that JUPEB result for a whole year, hoping it would open doors for me, but instead, it felt like all i did was just in vain.
Anyways later on, I used my JUPEB result to get into another private university and i am currently in my fourth year. My mum has being my sponsor, and she has been supporting me ever since.
Thanks for reading.
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