If there's one person I envied in our lesson center with all my heart, infact everything in me is blessing
She was the prettiest and brilliant girl in our center, her skin always glowed, her hair very long and also braided neatly, her cloth always neat and very attractive like one bought from a fashion store .
Everyone admire her and they said she's "classic" , she always has a beautiful pen full of colours that no one has ever seen or gotten in our center, she always carry a mini-perfume bottle in her bag and then her phone, the latest iphone.
This made me admire her her from afar and also wish I could be like her, and it also makes me feel little of myself whenever I am around her, I could lie often to feel among when I am around her and her friends.
I was trying to be like her and I tried my best, I could borrow things like stylish sandals, cream, perfume and other things from my cousin just to be like her .
I went to the extent of asking my parents to buy for me a new phone, the latest model but they could always say not until you are done with your waec.
Each time blessing post her pictures on Whatsapp status, I could stare at it for long. Her room very beautiful with white curtains and fairly light even flower vase and this made admire her the more.
the day I found out the truth
Our school exam was fast approaching and we have to prepare well for it.
So one day, blessing invited me and two other girls to her house for us to study. We were so excited to hear that and finally we could see where she lives, their mansion, her room with the beautiful flowers used in decorating it and other things or so we thought.
We all agreed to meet on Saturday.
It was on Saturday morning, I did my chores and took my bath, dressed in one of my beautiful clothes well ironed then I went to cousin house not too far from our own house to borrow her sandal and perfume and lips gloss.
We all meet at one junction as we walked together with blessing to her house but the more we walked, the more confused we become.
"Are we close?" one ot the girls asked behind me.
"Yes, just down here" blessing said pointing at one street not too bad but not like we expected it could be, soon we stopped at one old building, the paint was peeled off and there was a small shop in front of it that they sold biscuits and sweet.
"It this your house"asked one of the girls.
"Yes, it is" blessing answered smiling, let go inside she said.
When we got inside the house everything was different from what we have been seeing in the picture, the parlour was small with no curtains just an old wrapper used in covering the windows.
Her mother welcomed us warmly and offered us chin-chin and it was clear the place was not what any of us imagine but we tried to act normal and she led us to her room, it was tiny not like what we sew in her phone .
Then I asked her "where's the place you normally take pictures you post on your status".
She smiled and brought out the white curtains from under her bed and said
I usually spread this curtain in my window whenever I want to take pictures and later I edit it with one app in my phone.
We were silent
We don't live in a mansion but I love making things to be beautiful, she continued,and about the phone and my clothes, it was my uncle that bought it for me and I did what I did because I am tired of people looking down on me and my family
My parents are trying, my dad is car driver and my mom sells provisions in the store outside and I know how people talk so I just wanted to feel among
Suddenly her voice began to crack as tears roll down her eyes.
One of the girls said to her" your pictures might be fake but your brain is not fake, you are still the brilliant girl in our center okay"
we consoled her, telling not to worry that we won't tell anyone about it and after reading our books, we helped her spray the curtain in her window and we took pictures together.
Looking back, when I got home, I would not stop thinking about blessing, I used to think she has a perfect life, I even felt small beside her.
It was that day that I understand the meaning of not all that glitter are gold
Sometimes people show you what they want you to see, they hide their real identity behind glitters and that makes you think they are better than you but behind that glitters, they might be someone struggling like you or even more than you.
Form that day on,I stop wishing I would be like someone and start being grateful for what I have.
And ever since then , blessing and I became real friends not because of who she pretended to be but for who she truly is.
Image created by metal Ai