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The village of Iloka was a small and beautiful village surrounded by big rocks and mountains. Unlike its neighbouring villages, which were mostly involved in agriculture, the major occupation in Iloka was stone cutting. Because of the abundant rocks and mountains, the villagers of Iloka made their money from cutting and selling stones.

In Iloka village, there was a man named Ifiok. Like every other man, Ifiok was a professional stone cutter. In fact, Ifiok was from a family of stone cutters and he had been cutting stones since his childhood.

Ifiok was married to a beautiful woman named Emem and together, they bore a daughter whom they named Mfon. 

Because Mfon was the first child of Ifiok and Emem, she followed in her father’s footsteps of cutting stones. In Iloka village, stone cutting was a man’s profession, but Ifiok made an exception with his daughter.

From a very young age, Mfon learned how to cut large chunks of rocks and how to cut them into smaller pieces. She also learned how to make shapes out of rock, and by the time she became a teenager, she had already become a professional.

Although learning how to cut and carve stones taught Mfon how to make her own money from a young age, it came with a disadvantage: Mfon looked different from her peers.

Instead of being a soft, feminine girl in her teenage age, Mfon was very muscular as a result of always cutting and carrying heavy stones all day long. As if being muscular was not enough, Mfon had a huge chest and strong yam legs.

Because of this difference, Mfon didn’t have any friends in the village. If Mfon went to the market or walked in the village, some of the villagers would stop and stare at her. Some villagers would even laugh at her and make fun of her looks, and this always made Mfon very sad.

“Papa, I don’t want to be a stone-cutter anymore. I am tired of the way the villagers treat me. Even in school, none of my classmates want to sit next to me or even play with me,” Mfon cried to her father one day while she was helping him in his workshop.

“But, Mfon, we have had this conversation several times. You don’t need to be bothered about what people say to you. What you’re doing is noble, and you have been able to save a lot of money from it,” Ifiok said.

“Yes, Papa, it’s noble but not ladylike. Look at my arms and chest. I do not look like the other girls. I look like a man,” Mfon cried.

“But the other girls do not do what you do. They stay at home and cook with their mothers. I agree that I brought you into this when you were still a child, but as you grew older, it was your decision to continue cutting stones,” Ifiok said.

“I know, Papa, I continued because I wanted to save money and go to the university so I can be like the women on TV, but now I don’t think it’s worth it. People laugh at me wherever they see me. I can’t even go out without being anxious,” Mfon cried.

“My daughter, all I can say is that you are on the right track. The people that laugh at you do not have what you have. Education for girls in this village ends at secondary school, and some do not even get to the end. You have been doing great because you have a purpose. There’s no great man without scars, so consider this as your own scars,” Ifiok said.

“But Papa, what do I do when people laugh at me or call me names,” Mfon asked.

“It’s simple, do nothing. Turn deaf ears to them. You’re the one on a journey; many know nothing about it. So, if they keep laughing at you, let them laugh. Do not let them discourage you. Or do you no longer want to be like the women on TV?” Ifiok said.

“I do, Papa. I have worked so hard all these years because I want to be like them, and I will not let ignorant people discourage me,” Mfon said.

“That’s my girl. That’s the spirit. Once you achieve your goal, you will forget about everything you faced while on your journey,” Ifiok said.

“Thank you very much, Papa,” Mfon said.

“You’re welcome, my dear. Now, please help me deliver these stones to Mr Esang. I don’t want him to come to the workshop,” Ifiok said. Without wasting time, Mfon cleaned her tears, and then she helped her father deliver some stone he had cut to his customer.

Because of everything Mfon’s father had said, Mfon stopped listening to the villagers, and she no longer paid attention to their gossip. Although it wasn’t easy, there were days she still had anxiety attacks, but she managed to keep everything under control.

There was even one time when Mfon almost fought with one of her classmates, but she controlled her emotions. That day, Mfon was standing in her classroom when one of her annoying classmates started calling her names. As a result of the name-calling, the whole class laughed at Mfon and began to mock her.

“Mfon, the muscular man, won’t you do anything?” The annoying classmate asked, but Mfon ignored her.

” I am calling you a muscular man and you’re not saying anything? You know the only difference between you and a man is a beard and the private part,” the annoying classmates teased Mfon, but she did not respond.

“Oh, class, I think she is shy. So, she is just big for nothing. What a shame!” Mfon’s annoying classmate said.

By this time, the whole class was already laughing at Mfon. Instead of retaliating like everyone had expected, Mfon walked out of the classroom and didn’t return to school until the next day.

Not long after that incident happened, Mfon graduated from secondary school. Luckily, she passed her final examination in one sitting and didn’t have to resit like most of her classmates. 

By the time Mfon completed secondary school, she had saved enough money for her university education. In fact, even if her father did not support her financially, she would have single-handedly taken care of herself through the university.

Three months after her graduation, Mfon gained admission into her dream university. Right from her primary school days, Mfon had always dreamed of attending that university, and her dream came true through her hard work and dedication. On the day she was leaving for the university, her parents talked to her and advised her on the right way to live.

“Mfon, my daughter, if anyone tells you that I am not proud of you, that person is a liar. You have made your mother and I very proud of you,” Ifiok said.

“Yes, your father is right. I am happy that you’re a good example to your younger siblings. Not only have you worked hard, you have studied very hard and now you’re about to go to the university. In this village, only one woman has made it to the university level, and she currently lives abroad. I pray that you succeed in your studies and also travel abroad,” Emem said.

“Amen, I know I will. I am happy that I didn’t let my classmates and villagers distract me. I’m glad I listened to Papa. If I hadn’t, my dream would have remained a mere dream,” Mfon said.

“That’s good. Now that you’re about to leave for the university, remember where you come from and whose child you are. I am a nobody, and your mother is a nobody, too. But if you can study very hard, you can make us somebody. Please, my daughter, do not allow those city people to deceive you. Forget about boys for now and focus on your studies; men will come to you in their numbers once you become successful,” Ifiok said.

“I have heard, Papa. I promise that I will not disappoint you. You and Mama will enjoy the fruit of your labour,” Mfon said.

“That’s my daughter. Don’t worry, your father and I will visit you often. If you need anything, do not hesitate to call us. If it’s food or money, we will send it to you. Is that clear?” Emem asked.

“One more thing, always remember to cut your coat according to your size. If you see things you cannot afford, forget about them. It’s not for you,” Ifiok said.

“Yes, Papa,” Mfon said.

“Alright, then, let’s go. We have to get to the city early so I can return on time,” Ifiok said.

After their conversation, Mfon bid her mother and younger siblings goodbye. Then, she left for the city with her father, who returned home later that evening.

At the university, Mfon lived in the school hostel, and she adapted easily to university life. Like she had promised her parents, Mfon studied very hard and never missed an opportunity to read. She deliberately refused to mingle with unserious students and those who preferred to go clubbing every day instead of attending classes.

Mfon’s parents also kept to their own end of the deal. Every two weeks, Emem would send Mfon foodstuffs and some money. In addition, Emem and Ifiok took turns visiting Mfon, and on the days they were both free, they would visit her together.

In the first few weeks, Mfon didn’t face any criticism about her body. In fact, she believed that the university students were more exposed and that she wouldn’t be bullied about her body, but she was wrong.

Two months after Mfon became familiar with university life, she found out that some of her coursemates and roommates in the hostel were gossiping about her. That wasn’t all; they had even given Mfon a nickname, and even though she had heard the names a couple of times, she had no idea that she was the one. It wasn’t until she got into an argument with one of her coursemates one day that she found out.

That day, Mfon was very heartbroken, but she didn’t let that keep her down. Instead, she kept her distance from people and continued to study hard. She didn’t have any close friends or coursemates. The only time she spoke to people was when she needed information from them or was asking a question in class. To avoid sleeping in the hostel with her toxic roommates, Mfon focused more on night classes, and on the days she wasn’t reading, she would go there to sleep.

As the years passed, Mfon continued like this until she graduated from the university. Luckily for her, all her hard work paid off, and she graduated at the top of her class. Funnily enough, when Mfon graduated, some of the people she started with were still stuck with bad grades. In fact, some of her coursemates even had to drop out because they couldn’t keep up with studying all the time.

A year after graduating, Mfon went on her national youth service, and while she was serving, she was fortunate enough to get a job. After Mfon completed her NYSC, she continued working at the organisation, and she earned a lot of money.

By this time, Ifiok, Mfon’s father, had gotten really weak and tired from cutting stones, and his old age was catching up with him, so Mfon told him to stop and rest more. In addition to that, Mfon would send him some money every month, so he wouldn’t have to worry about money.

Two years later, while working at her organisation, Mfon met a man named Alex. Alex was in his late 30s while Mfon was in her late 20s, but that didn’t stop them from getting close.

Since Mfon had not had any genuine friends in her whole life, when she met Alex, she believed that he loved her for who she was, especially with her muscular arms and legs, but she was very wrong.

Afraid she would remain alone, Mfon let her guard down for Alex, and she fell deeply in love with him, even when Alex was not financially stable.

When Alex saw how desperate Mfon was, he decided to take advantage of that. Sadly, Mfon disclosed how much she earned every month to him, and when Alex heard that Mfon could comfortably take care of both of them, he stopped working.

For over four months, Alex refused to work, claiming that no organisation wanted to hire me. Unknown to Mfon, refusing to work was only Alex’s plot to get money from her.

“My love, since none of these companies want to hire me. I think it’s right if I start my own business,” Alex said. That evening, Alex went to visit Mfon at her house, and after she had served him some food, he brought up the topic.

“Hmmm! I think you’re right. It’s not good for a man to stay without any source of income. Do you have any business in mind?” Mfon asked innocently.

“No, I don’t, but I will think of something. I just wanted to run the idea through you first and get your opinion on it,” Alex lied.

“It’s a good idea. I like it. Whenever you decide on what you want to do, I will support you,” Mfon said. Also, that reminds me: My mother has been asking when we will come and see her. What do I tell her?” Mfon added.

“Babe, you know that I am not financially stable now. The last thing on my mind is getting married now. Once I have a business that starts bringing money, we can discuss marriage. Unless you want to sponsor the marriage alone. If you do, we can go and see your parents. But aside from that, we will have to wait,” Alex said.

“Hmmm! It’s okay. I will sponsor the wedding. I’m tired of postponing our visit. Even if we do something small, that will be okay,” Mfon said.

“Yes, my dear, you’re right,” Alex said with a smile.

Unfortunately, Mfon did not know she was about to make the worst mistake of her life.

Watch out for Part Two.

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