Mark-Anthony Dike

I opened my eyes with a smile. The long awaited day had come. The day I had so craved for, up to 3 months now, was finally here. I felt a sparkle of happiness within me. I had never imagined this day would come. I was to officially become a student in the prestigious university of Nigeria. I had only slept not up to 3 hours ago. I was so excited that I lay awake on my bed imagining how today would be. Today was to mark the beginning of a new chapter in my life's story, I just couldn't wait for it to begin anyway. It was 6am and my mum had come to call me for our regular morning prayers. She was suprised to see I was already set and waiting for her, unlike me who would've to be sprinkled with drops of freezing cold water before awakening. I followed her to the sitting room where we were to pray. My mum was a middle aged woman and I was the youngest of her children. This meant a lot to her that finally her little boy of yesterday was finally a university student. She happily,...

"A Day off" My day started by 4:07am when I woke up to collect my phone from Lucy. I had given it to her earlier to complete her assignment or more like to send the remainder of the assignment from my phone to hers. We were given Anatomy Assignment to submit the next day. We were both from the faculty of veterinary medicine and we met in class earlier the preeceeding eveving. I had already finished mine the day before so I was a little bit non chalant to do anything that night. I was so exhausted after spending some few hours at the market so I slept all through the night. "Lucy, Lucy." I had called softly tapping her back. She jerked up as though she had been touched by an iritating insect. She brought out my phone from her bag which she had used as a pillow. I was so appalled to see my phone at 1%. I was so upset that I can't even remember her explanations till now. I angrily went back to sleep. I slept for quite a while before it started raining. I folded m...

I sharply looked behind. I found out that it was a guy and his girlfriend being robbed by a group of bad guys who seemed to be cultists. The noise was from the lady who was resisting rape. They were with guns! They were all high from all I could see. My heart was beating fast, I had think fast so those guys wouldn't see me. Then, quickly almost like lightning, I ran into a nearby bush shivering and sweating as though I had just been running under the rain. I stood still there watching on, while they carried on with evil acts. People came passing through there and it was the same story to tell. I didn't sleep that night. I felt helpless. But I still thanked and prayed God that they wouldn't see me. I knew that the only time I could leave was at dawn. Few minutes after dawn I had been so scared and busy with thoughts that I didn't notice the mosquitoes in that bush. They were as desperate for blood just like newly Christened vampires. I dare not shake in there for f...

"Phosphenol pyruvate alias PPP is the penultimate product in glycolysis..." These were the words that rang in my head as I was trying to read our biochemistry textbook. That was the voice of the lecturer. He had just given us guidelines and explained few "important" things that we should have in mind. We've already been told how backstabbing all these lecturers could be. They'd teach A plus b then set a plus or minus square root of b² of 4ac. I had gone to the faculty library to read the whole of that topic. That was my tactics, reading the whole topic after the lecturer had just skimmed through everything. I was a 2nd year medical student awaiting to write mbbs 2 the following year. I wouldn't say I was reading the way I should buh I just tried my best to meet up with standards. I knew all the stress I had passed through up till this moment. My friends were always jeering me. That I'm overstressing myself. I just had to keep on with my consisten...

AN ATTEMPTED SUICIDE: A FICTION I wasn’t there my mind had wandered off into thoughts. But I could still hear the pastor’s voice on the background like a distant and distinct chatter. It was one of those Sundays, I was catholic but I was invited by my friend to RCCG had to oblige for some reasons. I was really down and I think it was obvious, so she invited me here to make me feel better. I had been depressed for quite long. I had become so dull and pale. I lost reason for life. I thought to myself, “what’s the essence, nobody gets me nobody feels me, I have been deserted by those I thought would stand by me. It always happens that why doesn’t it?" I had attended all sorts of therapy in secret without any one including my parents having any knowledge of it. I had listened to lots of motivational speeches. Still yet nothing to sustain me to keep up with the struggle. After years of hard work, perseverance and consistency. All the stress I had passed through. All the extra effort...

One would say, "we determine our fate and therefore our future and what we become depends on us" Another would argue, "we humans are pawns being manipulated by beings in the spiritual" The ultimate argument being, "we're nothing but pencils in the creators hands, what he says we'll be is what we'll be". All three views are correct but they walk hand in hand. The creator, in his infinite wisdom, has already planted seeds in everyone. But it is now left for us to develop it. It is now left for us guide our seeds through germination till finally it starts giving off fruits with the help of the Creator. Our efforts here cannot be over emphasized So, now I've justified two of the above arguments We now see that we shouldn't just depend on God. Some of us feel relaxed where we find ourselves Comforting ourselves with, "it's the way God wants it" We really need his help and grace for His fruits to bear seeds in our li...