Brian sat on the stairs feeling disappointed as she buried her face in her knee. The afternoon sun that cast shadows across the worn stone steps offered little warmth to her. Her fiery red hair, usually a vibrant beacon, was now a tangled curtain with her head tucked in-between her knees. She had sat there for what felt like eternity, struggling between her decisions to either stay or leave. She had arrived in the City with a heart full of hope, but her optimism was swallowed. Rejection piled up like a heap of sand throwing tantrum at her

Surviving is winning - This is one thing I've learned through life. Charles Darwin's theory may have focused on aquatic habitat to explain how the best survive the harsh reality of their birth, but indirectly it touches every aspect of life. Adaptation has been man's way of surviving, starting from the era of our ancestors till date, surviving the turns of events, the impact of seasons, change in environment, and the various vicissitudes that surface in man's toil. This constant strive for adaptation and survival becomes the reason behind why change is constant, because evolution is inevitable in our daily dealings and environment.

Some years ago, I would have sworn that I'd become fulfilled before this age. I saw life in a mirage, shining from afar but the closer I got, the better I understood that what I've seen was only an illusion. I thank God for the few things I've been able to achieve so far, but life seems harder now than it was before, with a lot of dreams and just a few achievements.

There was once a deserted land Where a single seed found a rest In pain it bore a hole, finding a root Lonely it stood, its survival unsureIn the dry, it strives, bearing fruit Gradually the single seed grew Years after years more plants grow The once single seed bear many trees

Zainab gazed at desolate land, her hands calloused from the years of tiling the red rich earth. It reminded her of the time where the land was filled with evergreens, busy streets with marketers rushing to catch the pickup van, the laughter of children playing in the field, now replaced by mourning cries of the displaced and a ruined plains from the impact of wars. Zainab remembered the words of her grandfather, Mallam Idris. He would often say, "The ground that brings blood would only yield bitterness, no matter how much you sow". Now she understands better. The warriors blinded by inherited hatred and a promise of justice had only brought destruction upon the land. How foolish for them to trade happiness for sadness in an attempt to avenge some history that none of them knew its foundation, she thought.

We have this popular song back in those days that goes "Parents listen to your children, for we are the leaders of tomorrow, try and pay our school fees and give us a sound education". This was an awareness to parents pointing out the future of their children and a call to their responsibility in ensuring this future is secure. One of the greatest gifts parents can give to their children is education, other means of support can follow but education ensures a child becomes outstanding in the society he finds himself in. Every child at one point of their lives is handicapped, at that point he relies fully on his parents for support and direction- one wrong decision can alter the bright future of that very child.