Twenty Children Do Not Play Together For Twenty Years

This is a quote my principal loved to say to us repeatedly. He told us we might not understand the meaning now, but after graduation, we would.

And it happened that on the day of our graduation, amidst the excitement, we felt sad. It dawned on us that we weren’t coming back to school after that day. We cried a lot, my friends, my classmates, and I. I can also recall our matron crying; it was an emotional scene.

Fast forward to now, I fully understand the meaning of that quote. Because right now, I'm only keeping in touch with a few of my friends. The rest have somehow become strangers. Even more, most of us are no longer in the same class—financially, educationally, or in terms of maturity. Some have outgrown some.

Aside from my high school classmates, there are friends I used to talk to about five years ago. Oh my! Did I just say five years? How time flies!
Yes. I remember I had very good close friends in 2020 into 2021 before I got my admission. We used to do a lot together; hang out on Valentine’s Day, visit and play games at the mall, have a picnic, and so on. Then, all of a sudden, another phase of growth set in. We began to grow apart. Some traveled to different countries, some got admission into faraway schools, and some are still nearby but the communication frequency has dropped to zero. Even when we talk now, we can’t relate as easily as before. We now have new people we can connect with, who understand us better at this stage.

In the midst of all this growth and change, I’ve noticed that there are people who stay, no matter the distance, no matter how thin the communication has become, they’re still there. These are the people you can call and talk to at length, catching up on all that’s happened. You discover the connection is still alive, and you feel comfortable no matter how long it’s been. These are the people who pick up immediately when you call. The ones you turn to when life becomes difficult, and they offer their listening ears.

Earlier this year, I learned something. I learned to check up on old friends I'm no longer close to. The reasons we drifted apart became clear, it wasn’t because we didn’t want to relate anymore, but because we were all trying to discover ourselves. So I learned that once in a while, I should check in and ask how they’re doing.

When I first did it in January, some of them teared up. One even screamed, “Phyna! I miss you so much!”
And when I asked how she was doing, she said, “Well, life has been good. It has also been tough. But Phyna, we will get there. It’s just a matter of time, all of us will arrive.”

I felt a rush of emotions. She reminded me that we’re all on a journey, and we have to keep fighting to get to where we want.

During this time, I also realized that some people aren’t in touch because they’re going through tough times. Others are just deeply engrossed in work or school.
I felt really satisfied talking to them and knowing they’re still on the right path.

The song I’m listening to now was produced in 2024 by two popular Nigerian artists: Don Jazzy (the producer) and Johnny Drille (the artist). The song is about friendship, checking up on our loved ones and letting them know we still care, regardless of distance or closeness. It’s a wonderful song you would love to listen to.