Chapter 4.

GRADUATION DAY

"Christiana Peterson" I heard my name announced and, as I walked up to the stage, the crowd erupted in applause. I received my diploma, then paused to smile and wave at Aishat, my other friends, my dad, my aunts, and my cousins. They were beaming with pride, recording and cheering me on.

Under the graduation gown, I wore a nude gown and heels. I accessoried with my new Tennis Necklace and a dangling silver earrings to match. I laid my baby hair and Aishat helped me with my make up. Aishat woke us up after we partied last night, she did all three of us make up being that she was a make up artist.

"Congratulations my love." Aishat pulled me for a hug.

"Let me go and look for Chidera." She didn't wait for me to respond before she scurried away.

"Congratulations big head." I looked up seeing Johnathan.

Johnathan and I were course mates, so we were very close from day one in the university. I can say he is one of the best people I met throughout my four years.

"Ode, where have you been?" I asked him since I haven't seen him in like a week.

"I have been around, you have been balling you didn't even check on me." He feigned hurt.

"Sowi." I pouted.

"Let's go and take pictures." I dragged him seeing the rest of my course mates snapping pictures.

"Christiana come here." Joy, one of my friends pulled me to snap pictures.

"Everybody wants to snap picture with celeb." I joked.

I took pictures with all of them, Joy, Jonathan and after a while I found Chidera and we snapped pictures with Temi and Aishat also.

"Christiana." Aunty Ronke, my birth mum's immediate sister called my name and I hugged her as she smiled brightly.

"Congratulations Folake.I'm proud of you omo mi."My grandmother called me by middle name hugging me.

"Thank you mami." I thanked with a smile.

"I am proud of you." My dad said hugging me.

Okay let me explain this once and for all. When I was 7, my parents passed away in an accident. My dad's parents took me in but after a few months my dad's brother, Thomas, decided to take me in since he's wife couldn't give birth at that time.

He would have taken me in sooner but being a pilot he was always traveling around. He and his wife took care of me well and gave me everything I wanted. Three years later, his wife finally got pregnant they were so happy they unintentionally neglected me. I was sent to boarding house at age 10 ready for secondary school.

The problem was not me being sent to boarding school, because I had friends who were also the same age. It was how they never called, or when they forgot to pick me during midterm breaks or holidays. The school will then call my aunts and uncles from my mum's side to pick me up. Aunty Ronke always did and she thought me a lot of things like how to wear a pad, how to react to guys. She bought me my first bra and thought me how to wear it.

She was always just there for me and at a point I never went home again during holidays she just came to pick me up I guess she saw how sad it made me to be forgotten.

She basically raised me along with her 2 children who were like my siblings.

Thomas and his wife, Sarah just provided for me but were never there for me. I would be an ingrate if I said I wasn't grateful to them. At age 8, I started calling them mum and dad, I can vividly remember how happy it made them. I am grateful God gave them Jasmine. You can see how well they treat her. People always expected me to fight with her and be jealous but all the love I get from friends and relatives is enough for me.

I just wish I really had parents I could call my own.

"We have a gift for you." Aunty Ronke announced as we stood outside.

"Really?"My eyes lit up in excitement.

"We will show you later, suspense." My cousin,Tamara squinted her eyes at me.She was Aunty Ronke's daughter. She was like an elder sister to me and her brother, Deji, a protective elder brother. They both made me feel like I was their little sister so all three of us were close.

Aunty Ronke only had two children, her husband had another family so he just sends them money.

"Okay I can't do this any longer. Here." Tamara said handing me a bag. It contained a silver Dior wristwatch.

"From the three of us, Congrats boo." Tamara said. I smiled big and hugged her then Aunty Ronke saying Thank you.

"I have been looking for you. My parents asked of you, come here." Chidera said after she greeting my family.

I greeted her family and her fine brother,Ebube. He had the same skin tone as Chidera. He was tall, very handsome with full hair.

"Wassup? Congratulations." He hugged me and I sniffed his body spray.

"Congratulations, have you eaten dear? "Dera's mum smiled at me." Yes ma, thank you. "

"Even though, take this. "She handed my plate and I smiled thanking her. After we talked for a while. They decided to leave since it was getting late and they were traveling.

"Bye, call me when you get there. "I told Chidera almost crying.

" I will boo. Byeee. "She said hugging me tightly. I watched her leave though some people were still staying for an after party.

Walking back to my family, my grandmother and dad bomarded with questions.

"What's your plan?"

"Do you want to do your masters in the country?"

"What are you going to use your degree to do now? "

"Are you going for NYSC? "

I sighed lowly thinking to myself, what was really next for me? What do I even do now?

"But by the grace of God, I will figure out." I mutteredly lowly to myself.