Embrace

Lead image

It's Kelly's first time in college. He has never lived outside the home until now. When his father told him that he would be attending a boarding secondary school, he was happy and sad at the same time. He was happy that at last, he would be able to have some level of freedom from the usual close marking mother would always give him. But on the other hand, he was not happy that he would have to do his laundry by himself, his mum had been the one standing in the gap for him when it comes to washing.

Kelly has heard a lot about how boarding house dining could be a disaster. All this culminated in his worries. Here, Kelly has no choice but to get prepared to resume in two weeks.

That period of two weeks was like an eternity. And some of the time during the period, Kelly feels like the day to go to school is approaching too quickly. Mother had bought him a new pair of bathroom slippers, pajamas, provisions to support hostel meals, and a tab. Of all that she had bought, the tab was his favorite. All fresh students were expected to resume on Sunday when they will be assigned their hostel and house masters and other relevant protocols for resumption would be sorted. So, that Sunday, his parents did not go to church. The journey from Ibadan to Lagos, Maryland where the school is located is quite a distance.

Everyone woke up early that morning. Chima, the eldest son plays the piano in the church and must attending workers' meetings before the main service, so everyone was engaged here and there. They all bid Kelly farewell before they left for church:

Tears of not filled the eyes of everyone seeing the last born of the house left to boarding school life.

His father drove from Ibadan through Abeokuta to Lagos for over two hours and finally reached Kayron Colleg. At this point, Kelly realizes that things will no longer be the same anymore. After all the necessary documentation, Mr. Bako (Kelly's father) bade him goodbye and returned to Ibadan. Now the journey for another life begins with Kelly.

Tintinnabulation

It's dinner time, all boarders are to report to the dining. At night, dinner is cassava flakes served with melon soup and Titus. Kelly felt bad immediately. He had never been served such a lazily cooked meal. He only managed to eat.

As they returned to their hostels to sleep, another student, Gabby; who had watched Kelly eat the dinner with a low countenance approached him and they started talking.

Kelly: I haven't been served such kind of food before. I has to eat it with disgust.

Gabby: I couldn't eat it. A senior student seating next to me joined my rejected food to his and munched away as I watched him like a movie.

The two lads discussed on their way to the hostel and became best of friends. They were known to be for their smart academic stand until they got to the final class and an event separated them.

Gabby relocated with his father to Canada where he went to continue his education.

Some students who hated his guts and his brilliance connived to implicate Gabby. He was expelled from school and his father returned him to Nigeria.

These two friends graduated from the university and had a good career. Kelly, a medical doctor and Gabby a civil engineer. Gabby contested and won a governorship election in one of the state in the country while he brought his friend Kelly to oversee manor projects in his regime. So far, no regime in the entire country can be matched to his. There was massive infrastructure development and unprecedented economic growth. Each time they come in contact, even while Gabby governor, they would always embrace each other. Theirs was the best of friendship.

When the chords of friendship connects you with a friend, ensure not the break it or dent the relationship. You may it that friend tomorrow.