Monthly Archives: July 2012
If you leave me, can I come too?
Seeing you standing there, as handsome as sin takes my breath away
Your presence always light up my face
Lighten up my world as well
My world revolves round your being
Being with you forever is my one dream
My one dream stalled with those words
Those words were nails on my coffin
Nailing it repeatedly
Repeatedly it still haunts me
You said you want to leave
Leave me? Why?
For what? For where? For who?
Where did I get it wrong?
Was it all a mirage?
Was our love a figment of my imagination?
Is this how things end?
I’ve made up my mind
If you leave me; can I come too
Saying no doesn’t cut it
I’m coming with you
End of the world, that’s us
If you leave me, I’m coming with you
Same…..but still different
“Mum, mum, I’m really so happy”. That was Toni my 7 year old even though she’s spent the better part of the morning crying over some irrelevancies. So I asked her, why is that Toni? My teacher said I am on level 3 in my SATs and she said I’m not allowed to tell till I get my school report. I feigned enthusiasm and said well done to her. Now to some confession, I still find it hard to work out the school assessments of children here in the UK. I’m so used to positions like we used to have back in Nigeria. It makes life so easy as you are able to work out a child’s capabilities. So I got to work and googled “assessments in primary schools in the UK”.
This is what I got in layman’s language: “SATs ( Standard Assessment Tests) are given in May, and are used to show your child’s progress compared with their peers”. At Key Stage 1, 7 year olds take their SATs in Year 2. Most children are expected to achieve level two. Llevel 2 is however, divided into A, B and C with A being the highest. Level 3 is beyond expectations so my dear Toni has gone beyond expectations. The confusing part is that a year 4 pupil i.e a 9 year old is expected to be on level 3. Now, Tito is 9 years old and she is on level 3a. She is regarded as one of the best in her class. I need a confused smiley face here!!!!
Toni is very studious and helpful. She strives to get it right and will keep at it till she does. Don’t get me wrong she’s a typical 7 year old with tantrums and can be bossy. Her sister on the other hand is very like me. She has nonchalant attitude towards everything. She reads anything and everything. She hates housework. She hates Maths but I know she can exceed beyond the expected if she puts her mind to it. Growing up, my momma always compared me and my sisters. How I hated it!!!! My elder sister was and still is miles apart from me. She is quiet, reserved with very few friends. Shall I describe myself? The exact opposite, and mum always said why can’t you be like your sister? Er…I can’t because she’s Funmi and I’m Tope that’s why.
Tito, why can’t you be as studious as Toni? My point? Kids are not the same….though they are from the same parents. Saying that, theoretically it is easy to say but quite hard in practice not to compare and want them to be the same. I still make that mistake of comparing one to the other especially the good traits, I am only human. But, I constantly remind myself that they are not the same. I intend to work very hard to maximise each child’s potentials.
Toni however, wants to be a chef while Tito wants to be a dancer so help me God!!!!! Did I add like NEVER!!!!!



