The most intelligent guy in my secondary school set is currently in a remote village, just doing his best to get by.
Pascal was exceptional. Academics, sports, social activities, tech; whatever it was, he stood out.
He was our class rep, later senior prefect, team captain, atilogwu dance leader, best 100m sprinter…any thing you can think of, he was the best amongst us.
He was one of those rare students who handled both Art and Science subjects simultaneously till waec time and he still come out on top. Any Scored below 85 must be a mistake from the teacher…he was that good.
After secondary school, this guy disappeared from the radar.
While the rest of us stayed connected through Facebook and our class WhatsApp group, nobody could reach him.
Years later, we found out he had relocated to the village. Apparently, he struggled to gain admission into higher institution and eventually stopped trying.
As a class, we have made efforts to encourage him and help him get back on track, but he insists he’s okay where he is. Maybe he is. But those of us who knew him can’t help feeling he was capable of so much more.
This is the kind of person you would bet on to graduate with first-class honours and collect awards every semester…that boy was a first class material.
Life just didn’t favour him…or so we think
The race really, is not to the swift.