“My Girlfriend Of Five Years Left Me On My Graduation Day Because I Hadn’t ‘Become Something.’ Months Later, I Was Carrying Blocks For 13 Naira Each When She Pulled Up In Her New Man’s G-Wagon And Laughed, ‘Is This The Big Plan?’ She Had No Idea What I’d Just Found In A Stone On My Way Home.” – Inspiration Station

A geology degree, five years of loyalty, and a mother who refused to let him believe his life was over. He’d been measuring himself with somebody else’s ruler. Then one ordinary stone started to change how he saw everything.

Graduation Day

“Congratulations, my brother.” “Thank you.” “You finally did it. Geology. You actually survived it.” There were continue reading …

times I wanted to give up, but I didn’t. I wished my father were alive to see this. I looked around the crowd for the one person I wanted to find. “Chidima?” She was standing a little apart from everyone. “Chidima, what’s going on? Today is supposed to be our happy day.” “It is for some people.” “What does that mean?” “Ekenna, we need to talk about continue reading …

us. We’ve been together almost five years. I’m tired of waiting.” “Waiting for what?” “For you to become something.” “Become something?” “Don’t misunderstand me. You’ve just graduated. But what happens tomorrow?” “I’ll find a job.” “You’ve been saying that for two years. A degree does not automatically give you a future.” “You knew I wasn’t rich when continue reading …

you started dating me. You knew my mother was struggling.” “Yes.” “Is this because of him?” “Daniel has a stable life. He has a company. And I’ve changed too. I no longer want the kind of man I used to want. Someone who looks successful. Someone who doesn’t look like he’s been struggling his entire life.” “So now you’re ashamed of how I look.” “I’m continue reading …

only being honest.” “On my graduation day, you asked me to be honest. After five years, you couldn’t wait until tomorrow?” “There’s no perfect time to break someone’s heart.” “And you brought him here. You planned this. You purposely waited until the day I was supposed to be proud of myself to tell me I’m not good enough.” “Yes.”

I told my mother only continue reading …

that I wanted the day to end without me crying. In the car she held my hand. “Do not let what happened today destroy you. You have a good future ahead of you.” “Chidima touched me where it hurts most. Mama, maybe she was right after all.” “My son, listen to your mother. You must not allow her action to defeat your soul. After all, she’s not the only continue reading …

woman in the world.” “She said I don’t have money. She said I’m worthless and don’t fit her type of man, after five years of giving my heart to her.” “You have something money cannot buy. You are still young. Your story is not finished.”

“Measuring Your Life With Somebody Else’s Ruler”

At home, she put food in front of me.continue reading …

“You haven’t eaten since morning.” “I’m not hungry.” “Your eyes are red. You’re hurting yourself, Ekenna. I watched you walk from the university gate to that car like a man carrying a load on his head. But there’s a difference between being tired and being hurt. You worked four years for that certificate. You read through nights when your classmates continue reading …

slept. Today was supposed to be the day you looked at it and told yourself, ‘I made it.’” I told her what Chidima said, that she no longer wanted a man who looked like he’d been struggling all his life. “In front of that other man? And you still stood there?” “What was I supposed to do? Fight her on my graduation day?” “No. You were supposed to walk continue reading …

away.” “I loved her, Mama. That’s the part nobody understands. I trusted her for five years. When I had no money, she told me not to worry. When I failed an interview, she told me to try again.” “Maybe she only said those things because she hadn’t met Daniel yet. Do not allow one person’s decision to become your definition.” “It’s easy for you to say.continue reading …