Things happen for a reason.

Life speaks to every human but not by words. It shows us things so that we can learn and improve a lot of things about ourselves but I was too bitter to see everything it was showing me until life screamed into my ears. I don't like sharing this particular story and even when I do, I always hide a tragedy that happened in the middle because of how much pain the incident brought to the heart of many people.

I once mentioned in a post how I failed to meet up with the university cut of marks back then while seeking admission into the university. I felt disappointed and dejected, I saw myself as a failure. I thought about everything carefully because I studied so hard for the exams so why was I just five marks away from the cut-off mark?

I wasn't the only one, a girl from my class back then had the same issue and somehow, we connected because we really didn't interact when we were in school but while doing the Jamb registration, we met again and surprisingly, we were seeking admission into the same school.

"Talk to your parents if they can also work it for you, my dad knows someone in the university," she told me that day and I thought it was a better idea until I told my dad and he condemned it.

He wasn't ready to bribe anyone and even though my mom pleaded, he refused. I felt down and thought that hated me but I was wrong. The other girl got admission into University while I had to wait for another year to write Jamb again. While waiting, my aunt told me to come to Lagos and acquire a skill which I did.

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I learned how to bake and also took some catering classes. The training kept my mind occupied and I barely thought about school but whenever I saw my mates Whatsapp status, I always wished my dad had paid some money to boost my score so that I would have gotten into the University too. In the twinkle of an eye, a year passed and it was time to get another jamb form. I studied harder this time and surpassed my previous result.
I was excited to break the news to my dad but he wasn't excited. He invited me to his room and told me what I wasn't expecting.
"Omolara, you can't process admission this year. Work is not going fine and I don't want us to start something we can't finish."
Everything he said echoed in my ears and it broke my heart. When there was money, I failed. Now I passed, my parents couldn't fund my admission. I told my aunt about it and she advised me to just wait for my dad because even she wasn't financially buoyant.

I accepted my fate but it's hard to forget that my friends were in year two. I was playing on my phone when I saw a Rip post on my secondary school Whatsapp group.
It was the last thing I was expecting to see and my heart raced as I rushed to see what happened. I was shocked to see the same girl that we could have been in the school together.

According to the news, she went home over the weekend and on her way back, the bus had a fatal accident and no one survived. I wept uncontrollably as I thought about the little interaction we had together.

After a while, I started thinking that what if her dad hadn't forced the admission, who she still be alive? She might not have gone to school, and she might not need to travel at the time she did but God knows better. The experience made me believe that some things happen for a reason but we fail to see the reason just because we are bitter or feel disappointed.

There is a saying that a leaf won't fall from a tree without God knowing about it and it is true. Whenever we meet disappointment, we think God has forsaken us and that wasn't his plan for us.

I am in no way mocking the dead and every time, she crosses my mind, I always pray for her spirit.