Stay Your Ground In Tough Times

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There is this popular saying that tough times don't last but tough people do. Challenges brings out the champion in a man. I heard one story about my grand father from my maternal side, the story of why he was named Egwuagu(Not Afraid of Lions). When he was much younger there was this bush that people refused to settle because of the dread of Lions 🦁. According to the story lions used to be there so people don't pass through there or even farm within that area. My grand father, went one day cleared the bushes and started farming activities there. Shortly he got more land to himself and built a house. Because of his boldness he was called the name Egwuagu. Though he died over 40 years now but the name lives on. Any part of the country you see someone with that surname, trace well there is a relationship to the family.

Happy Valentine's day to everyone who is celebrating the day. Let me ask you a question What Can You Do For Love? For love sake Saint Val died. To me, love is not on a day it is a progressive thing. It is both an action word and a doing word, you can say you love and you don't show it forth in anyway.

This story am about to share with you happened far back while I was still in the university. I met a lady who accommodated me in my first level in the university. For the first semester things happened to go well but as we came back for second semester I began to notice some attitude from her. First, our room mates complained that she used to pick their things and all that. On my part, I will stress myself to cook and she will refuse to eat and she will not tell me she will not eat before I cook. I spend money to prepare food forgoing lots of school luxury. My parents were far from me so I don't bother going for weekend but her parents stay in the same local government so she goes home at random.

Now, towards the end of the second semester she was evicted from the hostel due to her attitude. As I was going to 200 level I told my Mom I want to leave off campus which she agreed, at long run I decided to accommodate this lady despite all. Her mother told me that it's because of me she will allow her stay off campus. This lady began to do all manner of things including bringing guys to sleep in the room while I was away.

As a believer I detest those kind of lifestyle, progressively she grew more wild. I told my Mom that I want to leave the house for her which she agreed saying that she don't want any harm on her daughter seeing that I was so far from her. I paid and moved immediately, one day I came to visit my friends at the old compound, this lady arranged with her boy friends to beat me up, friends if you see my body that day eeh, you will cry for me. I was so humiliated, as I don't relate so much and don't know self defense, she went to tell all manner of stories around. One of the days her mother called me and was questioning me, I told her to ask her daughter because I don't want any trouble, she got offended and went off. That was how she stopped calling me.

Packing off from the house I paid for was a tough decision for me but I took that part to save myself more harm which I foresaw.
It was so difficult for me to bear the shame and humiliation at that time, shortly people stated bringing diverse report about the girls smoking habit and prostitution. Oh my God, I was just grateful to God that I left because the next thing people would have said was that we are of the same feathers.

I graduated with a better result, got married before her and gave birth too before she got married though a story for another day. But her Mom bragged that her daughter will not go for youth service from her house which happened against her wish.

Several lessons to learn here. First, don't always neglect warning signals. I saw that this lady was not having good moral but I was thinking she will change over night.

Also I learnt to be myself not to forget where am coming from. As I went so far for studies, I could have decided to leave anyhow after all no one knows me. Till tomorrow the people that knew about me still respect me for that.

Finally, not all battles worth fighting. Like in my own case, I was told to go and report at the police station which I refused to, doing that might have caused her withdrawal from the school and may be a threat to my life to but at the end, I don't know who reported to the school authority and she was warned seriously. Going to the police would have been a big distraction to me as I was preparing for my exams.

After that I became stronger at heart, also to running from issues before they come up.