You won't know how much it hurts until it happens to you or you practice empathy.

I got to college, and I was fortunate to meet really great and nice people, and we bonded like we were meant for each other. We went as far as making sure our apartments were close to each other so we can visit each other at any time, and that way we can spend more time together. We go to class together, during exams we sit together, and anywhere you see one of us, you just know that the rest of us are nearby. We became like brothers.

All four of us enjoy the company of each other, when one lacks the others cover for who lacks and that way not a single outsider would notice, and we kept each other's secret a secret and for no reason disclose it to outsiders. People admired our friendship; many even thought we knew each other from home, and some found it difficult to believe that we actually met in school, and our friendship and the bond we share actually started in school.

It was a few weeks to our final exams and as usual our lazy lecturers have reappeared and are now trying to rush us through everything, they will not come to class and lecture us when there is enough time, they wait until it is almost exams time and then they rush through the scheme of work and whether the students understand or not it is none of their business.

"Hey Dera, we have class by 8, we will not wait for you because every day you are the one we all gather to wait for," I called to warn Dera over the phone

"Don't worry, if I am not there by 8:05, you guys have my permission, you can go to class without me," Dera responded

"Thank God this call is on loud loudspeaker, Wilson and Murphy heard you too, so we have a deal," I said with seriousness written all over my face as I hung up

"Why are you looking so serious? Dera is not here to see your face," Wilson said as they both burst into laughter.

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"The annoying thing is, if we leave him behind, he will get angry," Murphy said as he continued laughing, pointing at my face.

"Let's start going downstairs. If he is not out by 8:05, he will meet us in class," I said as I picked up my book.

As expected, we had to wait for Dera until 8:10, he came and tried to apologise as usual, but I was not in the mood for any so while he was talking, I was walking towards the lecture venue. We got to the venue, and the lecturer was not there yet, which made Dera feel like he was right to keep us waiting.

"Ohhh, you see, you guys were putting so much pressure on me for a lecture that has not started," Dera said as he pushed my head

"If you push my head again me and you will be locked up in the school security cell cause I will beat you up," I said to Dera, putting on a serious face on e again.

Knowing fully well that I cannot react wrongly with him or shout at him, Dera pushed my head again and said, "Do your worst."

They all burst into laughter, even I, who had a serious face on, could not hold it back as I joined them to laugh. Wilson's phone rang, and he stepped out of the class to take the call. The phone call took longer than expected, and we kept checking on him through the window. Seeing that he was still there, we did not see a reason to go out and ask why the call was taking so long, as it might feel like invading his private life and after a long time, we heard him scream.

"Jesussss Christ," Wilson screamed, and we all ran out to meet him.

We were shocked to see him falling, and we had to catch him and collect the phone from his hands. He started crying and shouting.

"My dad, my dad ooo, my dad oo, why now ohhh my God." Wilson continued to cry

"What happened to your dad? Is he okay?". We kept asking while trying to stop him from rolling on the floor.

"They said he just died all of a sudden, he complained of chest pain, and that was it, the next thing he fell," Wilson said as he continued crying.

We managed to carry him inside and stop calling too much attention to him, as everyone passing the corridor kept asking what happened and why he was crying. We kept trying to calm him down when a girl said something really annoying.

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"But why would a guy be crying like a woman just because his dad died?" Joy, a coursemate of ours, said as she rolled her eyes

We did not even give her a break as everyone attacked her and asked her questions.

"Maybe because yours is still alive, put yourself in his shoes and imagine that your dad, who provided your every need and even wants, is no longer there at this critical point of your life, do you think the pain will ever go away?" I asked her

"But he is not supposed to be crying for this long now?" Joy said again as she kept chewing her gum.

"You really lack empathy, you cannot walk a mile in his shoes and nobody is wishing you bad, but I think you should learn empathy and how to show compassion, as you lack both and might never learn until you are the one at the receiving end." Samantha said, "If you don't have any other important things to say, I think you should shut up." Samantha added, hitting her table.