21/05/2026
I never knew my mother. They said she died the very day she gave birth to me. Growing up, I watched other children run into their mothers’ arms after school while I stood alone, pretending it didn’t hurt. My father later married another woman because he believed I needed a mother’s care. But instead of love, she gave me pain.
She had two children — a boy and a girl — both around my age. Even though I was older by a year, she made sure I remained in the same class as them. Anytime I passed my exams well, she would hide my books, refuse to pay for extra lessons, or lie to my father that I was stubborn and unserious. Sometimes she would wake me up before dawn to wash clothes and clean the house while her children slept peacefully.
The worst part was when it was time for WAEC registration. I was so happy because I believed that exam would change my life. But my stepmother had other plans. She secretly used tricks to delay my registration and even told my father not to waste money on me because I would “never succeed.” I cried many nights, asking God why my life had to be so hard.
One afternoon, while I sat alone in school after being sent home over unpaid fees, a stranger visited our school from abroad. He spoke to some students about education and future opportunities. For reasons I still cannot explain, he noticed me sitting quietly under a tree. He walked over and asked why I looked so sad.
At first, I was scared to speak, but something in his voice felt safe. I told him everything — about my mother dying, my stepmother’s hatred, the suffering, and how I almost lost my chance to write WAEC.
That man looked at me for a long moment and said, “Your story will not end in this pain.”
Weeks later, my principal called me into the office. I thought I was in trouble. Instead, I was told that the stranger had paid my school fees, my WAEC registration, and secured a scholarship for me to study abroad.
I broke down in tears right there in the office.
The same people who mocked me were shocked. My stepmother could not believe it. For the first time in my life, I felt seen, loved, and remembered by God.
Today, whenever I look back, I realize something: people may try to delay your destiny, but when God decides to bless you, no hatred, pain, or wickedness can stop it.
