DREAMS COME THROUGH...

...As he glanced through my photo album, he asked

"What secondary school did you attend?"

"Nigerian Navy secondary school, ojo, Lagos." I answered

He exclaimed "wow!!!!" and continued

"What set?"

I told him.

"Ahn ahn, do you know Kemi Akinuliola?"

"Of course, I know her. We were mates naw. How do you know her?" I asked

"Her elder brother and I were mates in secondary school ooo. Nigerian military school, Zaria"

"Haaaaaa, you attended NMS? Choi, I've heard crazy things about the school and can even imagine a bit, 'cos NNSS that i attended sef, was no piece of cake."

"Hmm, babe, best imagined ooh. No be moi moi at all. I suffered ehn..., but as a senior, you'll enjoy too." He laughed.

"Same thing with Ojo too. Na wa ooo, as a senior, I enjoyed sha and those Juniors hear wennnnn for my hand" came my reply.

"Ehn ehn, you dis smally sef." he teased and continued. "I know a lot of people from your school ooo. Do you know Comfort and Funke Aladuge?"

"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeela, Comfort and I were in the same class from SS1to SS3 and Funke, her sister, was two years ahead of us. I think she was one of the food prefects."

We continued chatting as he kept looking at my pictures. Then he saw a pic of my mum on uniform and let out

"Confam! your mum is a naval officer! Respect! It's not easy ooo, no be beans at all, I just love the military and hope to become an officer someday, in fact, I must to wear that uniform .......................

That was how I knew of Tola's love for the military. We were in our first year at the university of Ilorin. I met Tola through my family friend and roommate, Tayo and other friends, Gbenga and Biodun who were in accounting department, same as Tayo and Tola. Initially, I was in economics department, like sheriff, our other friend, but I was later moved to political science department. We were a group of very close friends and I must say that they were all intelligent people. I didn't like Tola at first; The first day I set my eyes on him was at the school auditorium. We were there for one of those faculty courses; BUS 103 I think. I immediately just disliked him, the reason why, I do not really know. Maybe because he always wore headsets then and the way he acted just irritated me, and I even told Tayo. I think Tola and Tayo met at their Ondo state indigenes' meeting and since they were also in the same department, they because acquaintances and soon, he visited our off campus apartment and that was how we started talking.

Tola had tried to gain admission into NDA but had been unsuccessful. However, that did not in anyway wane his passion for the military and even grudgingly accepted his Unilorin admission, even though he passed  the UME and post UME excellently. He was a very intelligent boy, albeit too loud and somewhat arrogant, in my opinion when we started talking.... LOL. Together with the rest of our friends, we did one of two tutorials on the faculty courses, while the others did their accounting thing.

Gaining admission to the NDA is in no way easy, as the competition is always unimaginably stiff. Thousands of people apply and only an infinitesimal number get admitted. Tola, though in 100 level tried again and in our conversations, urged me to pray for him and it was written all over him that he really wanted it; and i did pray earnestly for him.

                                                        Second lieutenant Elegbe G.T.

I saw this picture on Tola's DP today and it brought a big smile to my face. His dream has come through, despite how tough the journey was; He's now an officer of the Nigerian Army. He gained admission into the very prestigious Nigerian defense academy in September 2009, which was just before the rest of us resumed school and even went on to be the best in his set. He is currently in Nepal, on a course. And yes, of course, I'm proud of him. He has done well for himself, as it's no small feat.

Looking at people like my parents, though they are just comfortable, and the fact that they come from absolutely nothing, and thousands of others out there, including prominent ones like Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, etc, and now my friend Tola and a bit of myself, I can say, if you have a dream or vision, confess it, believe it, digest it, keep at it, work towards it like there's no miracle ever but blood and sweat, yet pray like it dependent on a miracle.

It's the Grace of God that makes people great and great destinies sometimes have great challenges; but for the diligent and persistent ones, DREAMS COME THROUGH...........