The Best of friends are found by the Way side. My Experience with one

The best of friends are found by the Way side. My Experience with one

The above statement is one of the popular wise sayings in my place. This saying didn't make any sense to me until the day I travelled out of my state to another state. That was the day I realised that the best of friends are found by the roadside. What this saying means in essence is that a stranger can be the best friend you can ever imagine, more than your biological brother. My experience with a stranger in Edo state, Nigeria, cannot be forgotten in a hurry. That was the day I knew that people are just too good. Before I share my Edo state experience, let me first of all share my glorious experience with a stranger I met in Uyo, the Capital of Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria. I am an indigene of Akwa Ibom but was born and raised in Calabar, Cross River State. This state shares a border. In 2012, I was admitted into the University of Uyo, so to be able to meet up with the admission process, I had to travel almost every day to Uyo from Calabar. It was a huge expense, but I had to embark on it. After a week had passed, I was almost running out of money to pay for transport, so I had to look for an alternative, which would be to look for a place to spend a night. I knew no one in Uyo, and I was almost frustrated. I felt I should share my challenges with someone, so I walked up to a tall fair guy that was leaning on a pole, and after I was done, he accepted to accommodate me in his house, I ate his food and used virtually everything from his apartment for almost two months till I was able to raise money and get my apartment. I am overly grateful to him.

Back to the stranger that turned a brother in Edo state; it happened that during my national service in that state, I met him, and immediately we blended. I stayed in his house, he introduced me to his family, and they took me as one of their children. It was as if I was with my biological family because the love was just too much. Imagine accommodating a total stranger you’ve never met, you trust him so much to the extent that you allow him access to everything in the house. These two experiences have taught me a lesson that no matter the situation, I should be kind to strangers. However, I reciprocated the same when I met a frustrated student who came from a nearby state for admission. I accommodated him till he was able to get his accommodation. It’s good to be kind to strangers because there are blessings attached to it.