That Question That Changed My Academic Journey – A Love Story Turned Academic Breakthrough
That Question That Changed My Academic Journey
My name is Owei, from the peaceful town of Ofunama in the ancient Egbema Kingdom. I have a story to tell—not just any story, but the one question that turned my life around. A tale of books, beauty, heartbreak (well, kind of), and mathematics written upside down!
It was the year 1997. I had just been admitted into the Department of Industrial Mathematics at the prestigious Delta State University, Abraka, through the pre-degree program. Back then, I thought I was serious. I mean, who wouldn’t? I carried textbooks like sacred scrolls, hung around the library like a senior lecturer, and even had that scholarly squint that comes from pretending to read abstract algebra.
Enter Ebiere
Then came Ebiere—a dazzling beauty from the Rivers State side of Egbema Kingdom. She was everything your mother warned you about if you wanted to pass exams: slim, intelligent, always smiling, and dangerously distracting. I didn’t know if she wore perfume, or it was just her brain oozing brilliance, but I fell. Deeply. Hopelessly.
I began rehearsing “I love you” in five Nigerian languages. I even planned our wedding during night reading sessions. The only problem was, instead of calculating linear equations, I was busy calculating how many cows we’d need for bride price.
Every evening, we’d head to the campus to read. At least she did. I was there to monitor Ebiere’s every blink. As far as I was concerned, my heart was beating cosine while hers was already solving sine waves. I knew I had to act fast, or another man with more emotional calculus might sweep her away.
The Moment of Truth
One fateful evening, with more than two months to exams, I decided that *this* would be the day. I wore my best shirt (even ironed it), sprayed perfume like I was fighting mosquitoes, and followed Ebiere to the reading room.
I tapped her shoulder gently and gave my best imitation of a romantic scholar. But before I could even open my mouth to declare my “heartfelt” distraction, she asked me one question that changed my life forever:
“How are you reading and preparing for your exams?”
Ah! Like play, like play, I laughed and said, “There’s still time.”
She looked me straight in the eye—calmly, gently—and said: “You mean there is still time?”
Bros... the earth paused. My brain rebooted. My heart broke into matrix mode. That one question hit me harder than a carry-over notice!
I realized at that moment that while I was busy scripting love letters in my head, she had been grinding academic destiny. She wasn’t waiting for time—she was using it! Meanwhile, I had been reading mathematics upside down, and I thought it was love blindness.
The Turning Point
That Question—“You mean there is still time?”—became my alarm clock, my motivation, my personal academic anthem. I returned to my books like Jonah returning to Nineveh. I cancelled all love plans, postponed emotional investments, and converted that affection into pure academic fuel.
And yes, dear readers, today... you know the rest of the story. I passed. I graduated. I built a career. And Ebiere? Well, I don’t know where she is now, but wherever you see her, tell her Owei from Ofunama says thank you. She saved a destiny without knowing it.
Moral Lesson
Sometimes, divine inspiration doesn’t come from a burning bush—it comes from a beautiful girl who unknowingly reminds you that “There is no time.” Don’t wait for love letters to be returned before you return to your books. Use your time wisely, because the exam of life won’t ask if you were distracted by dimples.
To every student out there: Let your feelings follow your future, not the other way around.
And if you're lucky enough to have an "Ebiere" in your life—thank her.
Published by: Global Egberi Media International
📍 Documenting Grassroots Truths, One Story at a Time
For more inspiring real-life stories and community voices, visit:
🌐 https://globalegberi.blogspot.com
📧 globalegberimedia@gmail.com
📞 +234 813 490 2214 (Nigeria)
📞 +39 348 610 6794 (Italy)
Comments