Chapter 73

Jadesola Coker

"Whao!" I was finally standing on the stage. I heaved a deep sigh. A bit nervous, and ready. I was faced with starved students who were ready to listen, and get filled up. The hall was dead quiet, and I felt like I could only hear my heartbeat in the room full of more than hundred hearts beating to stay alive. I pulled the microphone close to my mouth and exercised my courage by speaking. "So, you've all been expecting me, and whoos! I'm here.

I got the theme for this beautiful gathering, and I thought of what to say that has not been said." That was how I felt, knowing some speakers had already spoken to them before my arrival.

"The theme focus means a lot to me by the time I digested, and thought about it. So, I decided to share a story with you guys." The quiet hall went ten times quiet than it was before, and I could see eyeballs of almost all the students in the hall staring at me making me more nervous. Then, I felt how some speakers feel. Nervous.

"Before I share my story, you should appreciate the school for coming up with such a beautiful idea to make you learn and become a better person than you are now.

Many don't have the chance to hear what you've heard, and about to hear now. So, appreciate them once again," I said, and they all gave a round of applause. "If this girl I'm about to share her story with you heard this some years back, then may be her journey wouldn't have been so beautiful. Yea, so beautiful with a lot of struggles and pains... But then, please appreciate my beautiful friend who brought me into this gathering today. Thank you so much Kemi for the opportunity to be here today." The students added another round of applause.

I started the story. "There was this girl who was just living like every other teenager. Life was good except that she had a little problem with her grades, and was not doing well. She moved to a better place for improvement, and that was how everything started with her, and took turn against her wish... She lost focus. Why actually? Because she doesn't even know what focus is in the first place. She didn't build enough determination to make her realize that nothing matters except to focus on a goal. Because when you have a goal, you are watchful and nothing matters until it is achieved. And the moment you lose focus, you better get ready!"

"So, sometimes your mama calls you and say, dear please focus on your studies. But you go about with...this woman has come again. What you don't know is, you need a reminder to stay focus, watchful, guided, and prepared because you are not that strong all the time. Is just like having a phone that supplies all your need, and help you reach out socially, and on this phone, there is an alarm that has to remind you by six in the morning that you need to wake up and get ready for school, or get ready for work, and if you don't get up at that moment, you gonna lose something. Either you are late to school, miss an important class, or you get fired at work. The

sleep is good, but if you fail to wake up at that particular time to get things in order, is gonna cost you something you aren't prepared for."

"If you have a parent who reminds you that, congratulations! Listen to them. They are that phone that supplies all your need, and still never forget to remind you to stay focus. They've been programmed that way to remind you of where you are going in life. Just like how an alarm has been programmed on a phone. It is left for you to listen to them or not. But, if you don't have one, there is an alarm standing before you today to wake you up from your sleep because you gat to stay focus so as not to lose something. You gat to stay focus so as not to walk that path you aren't prepared for! Because hear me, if you lose focus, you will have to get your backpack for a longggggg...

journey! And it's gonna be an hectic one!" My voice was completely changed and I could feel it boldness. I realized my voice was going higher, so I calmed down.

"Unfortunately for this girl, since her priority wasn't too strong and there wasn't any reminder, despite her having a dream, she became pregnant. Right there with the guy, she lost focus forgetting everything except for the boy she was with at that point in time."

"Huhhhhhhhh " Almost all the students expressed themselves with pity looks,

shaking their heads as they kept their gaze on me.

"What happened to her dreams when the boy was there? What happened to her priorities when the boy was there? Why was she even alone with a boy at first? Does she need a guy at that stage of her life? That's what happened when you haven't gotten your priorities yet. You welcome anything that comes, and better get ready for any result that follows. Where are tgry ss3 girls in this room?" They raised their hands, and I continued. "She was just like you when it happened. But I've come to tell you today that the period you are is called a fasting period!"

'Fasting period!' Some of them repeated it.

"That guy is there in the room with you, but you remember it's your fasting period, and you can't fuck things up.

So, you back away from danger zone, and focus on your goal. I thought of how to relate it to you, and holy spirit said fasting period. Because you have to starve yourself of some things for sometime because of the bigger goal ahead of you. If you want to stay focus, you have to ignore a lot of distractions and set your mind on the bigger goal. Now let's get down to my reality. I remember coming back home when I got promoted to ss1 with an haircut.

I was once a tomboy. I was that girl with skinny jeans, crop top, headphones, and my headwarmer. Always on sneakers, and my crossed bag that made me feel like a real tomboy." I laughed remembering that. "I'm confessing in case I start showing you some tomboy moves for you to get ready."

Everyone chuckled slowly.

I stepped down from the stage. "I'm gonna shock some people with what I'm about to say next, but you all need to know I'm that girl whose story you just heard. Yes, I knew it. I just shock you guys." They all stared at me surprisingly. I was expecting that. "The day I diverted my focus, I started a journey I wasn't prepared for. But God said to me, I put you in a fight because I put a fight in you. I don't know what is trying to divert your focus, or make you wanna give up... But I can tell you having a child at seventeen, having been mocked and looked down upon by some of my so called friends made me want to give up and wish I never raise my head for them to see me again.

But standing here today, I'm announcing to you that God put you in that fight because he put strength in you."

"I could have settled as a teen mother, look for someone to marry me, and just put an end to my education, and continue life just the way it came, but no! If God truly put a fight in me, then let me fight this fight I'm in! If God truly put gifts, talents, ideas, solutions, and dreams inside of me, then I better fight well because there is nothing God can do cause he put them inside of me already. If God has put a singing talent inside of you, then you better fight a good fight and show God you are good for the job. The books, the ideas are already inside of you, but you need to sit, and think of how to fill the pages. It's your fight, and if you don't, you might never be called a writer!

I'm sorry... I know time is making you lose focus, it cost you your little change, and it takes your time trying to think and complete a whole book, but hey...read my lips.

There is nothing God can do because he has put it inside of you, and you are left to "

"Fight your fight!" The whole crowd chorused. I heaved a sigh. "Yes! I've got some listeners in the room."

"I don't know what is trying to make you lose focus. Yours might not even be a mistake with a guy. May be circumstances at home, financial struggle But guess

what! You are in that fight because God has put solutions, business strategies, ideas, and products that will drive your family to the place of wealth, but you gat to show God you don't want to settle for less, and you are fit as a millionaire! That you don't deserve that old life, and you are fit for your dreams! That you are ready for the fight because you recognize what he put inside of you!"

"I'm a 300level law student fighting to show God I still deserve to be a lawyer! I still deserve to live my dreams! I still deserve to be who I've always wanted to be! And he said, daughter of Zion, I can see your fight, and I'm with you in this fight because I see your effort. Wake up!" My voice raised ten times higher than before as I put in my whole strength. "You can turn me up on the microphone because everyone needs to hear this!"

"If you don't study, you fail! If you don't write that book, you are no writer! If you don't start that business, there is nothing God can do about your finances! if you don't save for that admission, God cannot just throw you inside a school! But hey! Someone needs to hear this..." My voice filled the whole room. "If you show God you are ready to fight that fight, he will get down with you in that fight. I showed God I was ready to go back to school, and he said...come, I put you in this fight, and because you are ready to fight it we are in it together. If you are ready to stop blaming your circumstances and face what is ahead of you, God said, I'm gonna get in that fight with you. If you are ready to show him you are good for the job, God is saying, I'm behind the scene to make you up! Direct you! Instruct you! But I just need a good actress who recognizes the talent in her, and is ready to fight as one!"

"Ehhhhhh!!!!!!"

"Wordddddddddddd!!!!!!"

"Ahhhhaaaahhhh!!!!"

The students shouted as they couldn't endure the atmosphere around any longer. It was too hot. I could feel it to my bones. But I couldn't stop yet. They cheered with claps. Some could not even sit any longer and were on their feet instead. A lot of reactions were made by the students. Some boys had their two hands on their heads nodding to everything I was saying. Some had their hands crossed over the chest, hiding their fingers under their armpit. I calmed down for some seconds before hitting my next note.

"Excuse me, what am I talking about?" I asked as if I had forgotten just to hear their response, and they all shouted.

"FOCUS!!!!!!!"

"Yea! We've got some listeners." I commented pulling the microphone closer to my lips. I was sweating, but I still had more to talk about. "Let me add this quickly. The family you are born into, what you are going through, your low grades, what you are is all in the plans. And to get better, all you need to do is focus, and fight your

fight. You are in that fight because God put a fight in you. That means, everything you need to get better, and become a better version of yourself is in you."

"Yes ma!" Some of them chorused.

"While I had my baby at seventeen," I continued. "Some of them concluded about my ending already. I heard one saying when I have the second one by the time I sleep around again, she would remember not to miss the food." I

laughed. "She was too impatient to be judging just by the preface of my life. Like, I haven't even started chapter one of my life Whatever happened is in the past. And

I don't have to sleep around any more, because the level I am right now, it is an highest level of insult for a guy somewhere to think he can exercise his lust on me.

When she hears I have a baby again, she is allowed in my husband's house to say hi to Barrister Jadesola."

"Tell them!" A shout came from a girl at the middle of the hall.

"Carry on ma!" Another yell came from the back, and I chuckled not to loud.

"So, now that she sees me walk into my church at home as a law student who is doing well with hastag...fighter!

You know what that means?"

Haha Some of them laughed. Then one of the students shouted in a loud voice.

"Conclusion terminated!"

"I here by declare that conclusion irrelevant!" Someone else added.

I laughed at how they started responding. They clapped again, and I could see they were all filled up with words.

My time was running out, so I decided to round up. "So lastly before I leave the stage, don't lose focus because of your good grades. All you need to do is stay focus, and fight your fight. Let them talk about the one sandal you've been wearing to school, while you stay focus, and fight your fight to own shoes you never couldn't have been able to imagine. Let them keep talking about your poor background, while you stay focus, and fight your fight to show them, you don't have to end up same way like

your parents. Focus! Fight your Fight! I will leave with that." Then I dropped the microphone. The whole students got to their feet with their hands jamming together as they screamed, hailed, and repeated some of the things I said.

"Ehhhhhhhh!!!! I'm fasting o!"

"Starving myself of some things to achieve the bigger goals!" One of the ss3 boys shouted, hitting his chest.

"Fight your fight mhen!!" Some group of girls saluted.

"Like seriously, this is fire! Somebody pour water on me." I heard that from a fair girl who must probably be one of the prettiest girl in her class.

Whoos!

I guess we did set the hall on fire!