A Seed of Faith
A Story of My Alma Mater
Dear Fellow,
I apologise for my absence last Saturday. I wish I could explain why, but I read somewhere that doing it right the next time is the best apology. That said, allow me to drive this train to the next station.
On Sunday, 14th April 2024, I was the third person to arrive at the venue for a meeting. One of the two was my classmate in secondary school, so we got talking as we waited for the others. Fifteen minutes later, an old man joined us at the table. And somehow, he joined the conversation.
We talked freely, and laughed together, and in between the chat was a history class—thanks to that old man who had read across various aspects of history. He did so well to prepare my mind for the meeting. For context, this old man graduated from Command Secondary School, Jos (CSSJ) in 1985. He was the oldest man in the room that day.
On Saturday, 22nd July 2017, I was named the best graduating male student of that year in CSSJ. Sponsored by the graduating class of 2000, I was awarded a Fero Pad 8 tablet. The tablet was the main gadget that lured me into writing. I had tried to keep a diary like Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl1 in junior secondary two (JS2) but never went beyond the first entry. I doubt if I ever considered a career as a writer since then.
After secondary school, now having a tablet, I began to scribble notes more often, attempt writing essays, and post some on my Facebook timeline. By the time I got into the university, writing became a career option. I began to read a lot more about the craft and practice. (Mind you, the tablet was my first new smartphone.)
I wrote the first chapter of my book The University Library using the tablet—a gift from the Command Jos Old Students Association (COJOSA), Set 2000. Well, I wrote the entire book using the tablet. I got my first laptop after I had written the book’s first draft.
The last time I used the Fero Pad 8 tablet was mid-last year, about six years since 2017. The tablet is still working but only needs a change of battery. Though its capacity (1GB RAM; 4GB ROM) cannot run the work I do now efficiently, it served me the longest among all the gadgets I have used so far in my life. I won’t go into detail about how it was my digital tool through the university; it helped me produce consistent assignments according to standards.
My parents didn’t have the money to buy me a tablet when leaving secondary school. Thankfully, they never made a promise to buy one for me. However, that tablet is a necessary detail of my story; God knows the story He is writing and includes every detail at the right time.
Writing intentionally since 2018, today I am involved in a book project as the publication director. The book will be launched on Sunday, 19th May 2024. By God, this would not be the last book I will create. It amazes me how a seed of faith blossoms over time into a shrub—and eventually a tree.
I can only imagine what went through the minds of my forebears at Command Secondary School Jos, Zaria Road, Plateau State when they were preparing the award for the best-graduating student of 2017. I hope that this story brings them fulfilment when they find it. Indeed, they have invested in a story that is still being written toward a glorious end.
Your LetterMan,
Tongjal, W. N.
Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl (New York City: Bantam, 1993).
Congratulations bro
This seed is becoming a forest. I love it☺️