Beyond the feast

I have always prided myself on having the skill to organize occasions, and this prompted me to organize a reunion for my high school reunion in 2019 since the last one held was 14 years ago, which I was not privy to attending. Getting funds was a herculean task as the majority of prospective attendees were college students, and thus, I wanted to make the reunion less financially cumbersome for those that could not afford to be tasked while balancing the sourcing of funds to ensure there was enough food to feast upon.

"Good afternoon, James," an unknown caller with a baritone voice said on the phone.

"Good afternoon, sir." I replied, curious to know who the caller was.

"I am Akinwale Paul, an alumni of Gifted Academy. I got wind of your intention to host a reunion for alumni within the state. Is that correct?" The voice on the other phone said

At this point, I readjusted myself and put together my best behavior over the phone. I knew this alumni member had to be many years my senior since I was not familiar with his name. "Yes, sir, we hope to have a reunion this month, and I have been working with a few others to organize the occasion."

"That’s good to know; what challenges do you have? I would be inviting three other alumni to the reunion. Let me have the budget for the meals and venue; I am certain those attending can find their way to the venue." He concluded and ended the conversation.

This was the miracle I hoped and prayed for. I had battled my thoughts on possible means to raise funds for the reunion, where we would have unlimited feasting and fun, and this call was just the answer to my anxiety. I communicated this information to my co-planning committee members, who were five in number, and a budget was prepared for an average number of participants after availability opinions were sampled.

Even though we had significant support from the older alumni members, courtesy of Mr. Akinwale Paul, we ensured that we did not abuse the goodwill gesture extended to us as a subsidy. I mobilized a few others to support the planned reunion financially.

"You are James, right?" A chubby, dark, average-height, and lively man in his late forties approached me with all smiles on the reunion day, with his hand stretched out for a shake. I knew it must be Mr. Akinwale Paul who had generously taken on the major financial burden of the reunion. Other people began to come in, some singly and others in groups. Many faces were strange, but the fact that they interacted with the few ones I knew relaxed my caution against intrusion. The venue was outdoor, with lots of green decorations from nature. We had chairs arranged in rows, with tables in between. Wines and juices were served prior to the variety of orders, which ranged from peppered chicken to fried rice, jollof rice, and fish pepper soup.

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Introductions were made, and we had fun hearing the tales of the very older generation, under which Mr. Akinwale fell, and those of the earlier generation of alumni. My class group happened to be an intermediary for those classes. I realized Mr. Akinwale was down to earth, humble, cheerful, and comfortable financially. He shared many experiences with us, and I particularly enjoyed his motivation for those of us under the younger age limit. "Before life happens to you, make hay!" was Mr. Akinwale’s encouragement to us. He recounted how he found his path in life despite not being able to study what he had in mind and thus encouraged us to find our footings early in life. The moments he shared his counsel were moments of reflection, yet he ensured we had enough to eat.

"Sir, it seems our budget was short of expectations; we have more mouths to feed." I whispered to Mr. Akinwale when some other alumni members trooped in. The large turnout was mainly because we had not had such a reunion for a long period of time.

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"That is not a problem, James; make sure everyone eats to satisfaction." Mr. Akinwale replied. I signaled the waitress to continue serving the orders as they came, and we all had fun at the feast.
Mr. Akinwale has not ceased to support subsequent reunions financially and ensures he graces the occasion with his presence. One fascinating thing I find about him is that he relentlessly posts job openings on the social media platform WhatsApp and keeps encouraging us individually and as a group to excel in our various life pursuits.