Just The Two of Us

Adigwe and I have been friends since way back. We got enrolled in primary school the same day. That very day we were brought into the headmaster's office to be enrolled and a teacher, Mrs Jankalawi led Adigwe to the class and we sat on the same desk. It was my first experience outside the home without my mother but seeing other children made me comfortable. But it was not the same for my newfound friend Adigwe.

Nandhu Kumar

He began to sob almost immediately. All I could do was pat him on his back but the sobbing turned into crying. I also had to intensify my patting but this time in his head. After a while, he stopped crying. This was how we began our friendship. I later found that Adigwe's residence wasn't far from ours. Every morning, we were at each other's company as we walked to school.

Six years down the line, we had passed out from primary school. My name was released with the first batch placement into secondary school. I began my registration into the secondary school, it was a long process but with the aid of some very approachable teachers, I scaled through. Adigwe's name came out with the provisional list so we weren't distributed into the same classroom.

Every lunch break, we would meet at the cafeteria to have a recess or discuss one or two things. At other times when there was nothing serious to do, we would play football with the boys on the school lawn.
Our friendship continued until after secondary school.

We toed different paths during our university days. While Adigwe went to school in far away Zaria, I was in Ekiti state. We only got to see when we were on holidays or during strikes when the school would be closed. During those times, we shared a lot of experiences that still influenced my decision to date.

Since there were no cellphones during that period, we were only exchanging letters every two weeks. Adigwe would write and tell me of the many activities at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He talked about how accommodating the people were. One aspect he took time to explain was how the ladies around them loved to date undergraduates and how the local guys do get jealous.

In our third year at the university, we came home for the Christmas holiday and Adigwe told me how he had fallen in love with his landlord's daughter who was also an undergraduate of the same university.

We had a heart-to-heart discussion about their relationship. On my part, there was no relationship gist because I had no girlfriend. It wasn't like there were no beautiful ladies, in fact there were hundreds of them but I was all about campus politics.

I had embarked on a student union congress in Jos with other unionists. It was during that congress I met Jemila. What made me notice her was her black beauty. She was tall and had all that would make a woman irresistible. It was like I had never seen a beautiful lady before. I quickly went up to her.

That same day, we had fun. I was glad that I met her. After the congress, I invited her to come pay me a visit in my school and she didn't hesitate. She spent five days with me. I felt on top of the world each time we went out because her beauty was indeed flawless. We took pictures everyday together until she returned to her school.
After our final exams, we returned home and our friendship became stronger. But all of a sudden, one day, Adigwe visited me and was viewing my pictures and paused when he came to the picture of Jemila and I.

Andy, who is this girl?

Adigwe asked.

That's the lady I told you that I met at Jos during the NANS congress. Do you know her from somewhere?

I said, looking at Adigwe.

This is the girl I told was my angel back at school, my landlord's daughter.

This can't be true. I have heard that God made people in twos but this can't be too real to be true. I showed my friend more pictures. He kept confirming that she was the same person but only changed her name. Adigwe knew her as Ramat.

Few weeks later, Adigwe told me that she would be visiting. I can't imagine the embarrassment she would face if she comes over to Lagos.

Our plan was topnotch. I was to pick her up. On the day she arrived, I drove to the park and picked her. She was so surprised when she saw that I was the one that came to pick her. Sage refused bluntly from following me. She however did after much persuasion and calls from Adigwe.

Jemila appeared to be Ramat, Adigwe's landlord at Zaria's daughter. We knew at once that she didn't deserve to be welcomed. I was magnanimous enough to go pay for a hotel room and ask her to return to the north. My friend was heartbroken. I was too but it wasn't as much as my friend's. He wanted to marry Ramat who had turned herself to Jemila. We had a long discussion before Adigwe overcame bus disappointment.

I requested that he forgive her and move on. I did the same already. I told my friend, Adigwe:

The woman who would love you and cherish you is on the way. You should be thankful that you haven't married her yet, she would have defiled your matrimonial bed.