HISTORY OF NIGERIA

CHAPTER 1

I am Chioma, a young and vibrant eleven years old girl and the fifth child out of six children which my parents bore.

I was my parent's favorite kid as I was smarter than my age.

That early morning precisely on a Saturday, I followed her parents to the farm while my older siblings stayed back at home to do the chores. My parents loved me following them to the farm because I always put myself to good use there.

There was cold that morning as there was an outpour the last night. I usually loved cold weather like this.

At the farm, I helped in gathering the cut grass as my parents were clearing the farm to enable them plant some crops.

By noon,they already cleared half of the land so my father suggested we cleaned up our tools and left for home since the sun was out.

On our way home, we met some other villagers who were also going home and joined them.

Life at Udu( My home town) was an easy one because all inhabitants of the village knew each other. Sometimes, two different families will come together and prepare meals for themselves after which eat together. There was no envy or evil thoughts amongst them.

Night time was always game time for the children as they go out under the moonlight to play hide or seek or wrestling for the boys. Sometimes, whenever an adult was around, they'll request for a moonlight tale.

I was in primary five at that time so I didn't spend much time playing. Instead, I read because the next year I was going to write my First School Leaving Certificate examination which would take me to a Secondary School. Although my parents were not financially capable of training me up to the secondary level, I still had hope.

I didn't want to end up as a "lady meant for cooking and bearing children".

Thus,I read wide and was always inquisitive both in class and outside classes.

***

Time flew into days, days into months and months into a year.

I was already in my last year in primary school and was prepared for my First School Leaving Certificate Examination but there was a problem.

I had not enrolled for the exams because my poor parents were not able to pay for the exams.

This left me so sad so I had to think of way to support my parents. Alas! a thought came to my head.

I went into the bush and gathered woods so I could sell during evening time at the market square. I did that everyday and with this,I was able to save up money and pay for my Exams.

My actions marveled my parents so they decided to lift some chores off my shoulders to enable her read and concentrate fully for my exams as it was around the corner.

***

It was a bright Saturday morning and I was already awake before dawn. That was the day for my exams. Saturday was chosen by the Government so as to allow the parents opportunity,to see their children off to their exam centers as most of them were still Little.

My case wasn't an exception. My center was located outside Udu town as the primary school there wasn't well equipped for the exam.

My father followed me to the neighbouring village where I sat for the exams. Few hours later, I was out of the exam hall with a soft smile spreading through my mouth as I saw my father waiting for her.