I didn't let it get to me...

I've always found it difficult to keep friends around since my childhood. I'm that lonely but friendly type of person right from time, who could be all nice and jovial this minute but grows cold and reserved in the next.

This feeling made it difficult for me to have very close friends because I was afraid I wouldn't be loyal all the time, I liked to keep things to myself and stay in my zone. But I was good with making acquaintancies and trying very hard to let it stay there.

I met this boy during my basic school education, his mom had asked our teacher to get him close to a pupil that's intelligent and who has good moral standards. That was how I was introduced to Henry. I met his mom too who encouraged me to draw close to her son and help him out educationally, and since we happened to share the same beliefs she was confident I wouldn't be a bad influence.

That was where my friendship journey started. Me and Henry became very close friends, we share meals during break times, we sit together, we literally do everything together anytime we're in the school premises. And sometimes we visit each other's homes. We became best of friends throughout our basic school days.

Although we didn't get to attend the same secondary school, I and Henry continued to keep in touch. We'll spend hours talking and gisting anytime we meet, we'll go to events and outings together and we're always there to help each other out during difficult times. I remembered years back when mom passed away, Henry informed me that he'll be following me to my hometown for her burial to help out with errands and chores, and he did. He was a very good friend to me and so was I to him.

After our secondary school education, I started my apprenticeship in a fashion designing shop while he ventured into graphics designing as an apprentice too. But after some time, it wasn't working out for him so he joined me in fashion designing but in a different workplace. He'll come to our shop when they're not doing any work at theirs.

His master was never good to him, he'll keep him outside throughout the day anytime he wasn't punctual and sometimes he'll send him out to go get unnecessary things anytime he was about to do something important Henry could learn from. Because of these and some other reasons, Henry decided to leave. He started to visit our shop more frequently than he used to.

On my own part, since I had to cater for majority of my needs by myself during my days as an apprentice, I signed up for a part-time job, which allowed me time to work for few hours after closing for the day. Most times I get home very late in the night.

I started the part-time job few weeks before signing up as an apprentice

Since my master expected me to work overtime in some days which implied sleeping over at our workplace. I had to explain to him how I'm working for a paid job because of my situation and that would make it difficult for me work overtime. But I promised to stay over and help him out anytime there wasn't any work going on at the other place.

This continued until all of a sudden my master started picking offence at any slightest mistake, he'll tell me how I'm never serious with my work and how Henry who wasn't even his main apprentice was staying over after work hours. He would prevent some job opportunities that come across in some cases. One day, he asked me to leave and never come back. I had to go to one of my friends who was already doing well as a fashion designer to learn from him. After some time, my master called me back after realizing that I was helpful after all.

I would express myself to Henry my friend, how I've explained to my master that working overtime all the time would really affect me and how he was hell-bent on making it difficult for me to thrive under him. After pouring out my feelings to Henry, he'll go tell my Boss everything I've told him in confidence. I never knew he was planning to win my master over.

As soon as I realized what was happening, I stopped expressing my concerns, and descreetly reduced the number of times we spend together. I took all that without uttering a word, but in the inside I was convinced it was high time I left. But I resolved to do that in a calm, diplomatic manner.

I started saving up for my industrial straight sewing machine, and after having to skip meals for some time in order to save up for months, I bought one. But before then, I visited my master with a bottle of wine to thank him for allowing me gather lots of experiences in the profession under him, I reminded him that he was the reason why I've really improved in the field. But I informed him that I'll be leaving in few months time.

After about four months, I left.

As at then, I set up a small fashion designing space at home and worked there.

I'm happy that I can still call my master and talk to him about some things till date. As for Henry my 'friend', we still speak to each other but I'm not sure I can still address him as a friend. I'm happy I didn't let the hate they gave stop me from moving forward. Although this brought me back to the normal 'no close friend' zone like I used to be.

I believe in real friends, and I've met some of them these few years while I strive to be one too. I hope I'll one day be able to let it all out to that one friend and not have to regret doing so afterwards.

I'm brainbrian, thank you for reading through!!!

This is my response to the week's #kiss prompt. You can check it out here... and share your experiences with us..